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Genealogical Magazine with Database

D. Martin Luther

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Die 'ACTA LUTHERORUM'
in Leipzig
 

Sophie Charlotte Luther (*1700), a daughter of Johann Martin Luther, the senior of the monastry in Zeitz, descending from his first marriage with Christina Elisabeth Leyser, a grand granddaughter of Lukas Cranach, married Johann Christian Gruber March 1729.

 

Grubner (*1698) wasn't only lawyer in Zeitz, in fact he was engaged furthermore in historiography. Therefore you can understand, why he has brought together all documents to one file, that were owned by his father-in-law, particularly the documents coming from the inheritance of Paul Luther, the youngest son of the Reformator.

 

To the older documents belong some letters of Melanchthon to Luther, the passport of Luther for his journey to Worms issued by Duke Georg, and the bill of sale concerning Bruno Brauer's house in Wittenberg, sold to Martin Luther, the university certificate, Johann Friedrich's letter of benefit to Johann Luther concerning a granting of leave. Furthermore you find the original document concerning the contract of inheritance of Martin Luther's children, on 5. April 1554 undersigned and sealed by Johannes Schneideweynn, Philippus Melanchthon and Ambros Reiter, as well as the brother Jacob of D. Martin Luther, those seal here doesn't show, as partly states falsely, a crossbow. The seal contains a split sign, where you can find in one part two round of symbols.

 

In the year 1557 Johannes and Paul Luther sealed the sale of the small "Brauer's house" with a signet, similar the signet of their father (heart and cross in a rosette), but their brother Martin sealed by a rosette with heart, however without cross. - The signet of the son Martin of the Reformator, seems to be adopted later by his nephew Johann Ernst, the son of Paul Luther, because he sealed with this signet following documents. However his brothers Johann Friedrich and Johann Joachim sealed with heart and cross, like you can see at the composition concerning the inheritance from the year 1593 after the death of their father Paul Luther.

 

An essential content of the 'Acta' are the documents of Paul Luther, to that belong some anatomic tables, certificates, also announcements of lectures, documents concerning a fiefdom, and the marriage contract between his daughter Anna and Nikolaus Marschall von Bieberstein, as well as notes concerning his son-in-law Simon Gottsteig.

 

The correspondence with Paul's son Johann Ernst until 1580, who stayed in Wittenberg to prepare his studies, you can find in copies. In the year 1582 the court counsellor and professor Beust from Dresden reports concerning the progress of Johann Luther in his law studies.

 

A proof for existing family connections, that were remained, is a note of Johann Ernst Luther about Nicolaus Böhme, the husband of the daughter of Johannes Luther, concerning borrowed books, which unfortunately carries no date.

 

The youngest document in the 'Acta' is a letter from the year 1673. Then Christian Gruber added still a genealogy, concerning to the descendance of the son Paul of the Reformator. As well as a notarized copy of the letter D. Martin Luther from the year 1533 to Hans Löser, wherein he asked him to be the godfather of his youngest son.

 

When David Richter studied in Jena about 1717, and certainly affected by professor Danz there, a son-in-law of the Baruthian counsellor of justice Gabriel Luther, and when he started with the elaboration for his 'Genealogia Lutherorum', he came in contact with the Luther family living in Zeitz. As well as he came in contact with professor Carl Friedrich Luther, living in Kiel, who provided him some other information.

 

The lawyer Grubner from Zeitz makes available his collection of documents for David Richter, that therefore became an essential basic for his work, in which he has reprinted a part of the documents.

 

That 'Acta Lutherorum' remained in family property of the descendants of Paul Luther, until its came testamentaryly in the year 1839 by Dr. Heinrich Luther to Library of the Council in Leipzig. Today you find the 'Acta' in the manuscript department of the university library in Leipzig.

 

And there is to solve a puzzle. The male family line of Paul Luther should be died out 1759. But how is Dr. Heinrich Luther related to this family?

 
 
 
LUTHERORUM AUTOGRAPHA
et exparte Apographa
 

The daughter of Johann Martin Luther, Christiana Sophie, born in Zeitz on 5.8.1705, married in fourth marriage the magister and minister from Weickelsdorf, Johann Gottlieb Heuckenrodt, which was also adjunct ( assistant pastor) of the parish in Weißenfels. The daughter Wilhelmine born about 1755, which married the pastor Beyer from Wittenberg, was a descendent of this marriage.

 

From the inheritance of Wilhelmine Beyer received the donation Prussian Culture Possession the “Lutherorum Autographa et exparte Apographa” (manusripts Ms. germ. Fol. 45).

 

This small collection of documents, until now considered scarcely in the genealogical research, contains among other things some original letters Martin Luther's and his son Paul, as well as predominantly documents of the grandchild Johann Ernst Luther in Zeitz.

 

The descendants of Paul Luther, the youngest son of the Reformator, are explored widely. The descendants of the male family line are, unlike the eldest son Johannes, died out probably with the brother of Chritiana Sophie, Martin Gottlieb Luther, in the year 1759. - The “Lutherorum Autographa” gives possible starting points for the exploration of more descendants of the Luther family, therefore following [in the main part, right column] you find a view of the documents, you can find here. [according to Günter Luther]

 
 
 
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Sources for the Luther-Genealogy

     
 

Content of the ACTA LUTHERORUM
from the Libary of the University Leipzig - from T. O. Weigel, Leipzig -
quod vide the article in the lefthand side

 
 
LUTHERORUM AUTOGRAPHA et exparte Apographa
 
     
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© Copyright 2007  Wolfgang Appell