Katharina von Bora
Katharina von Bora, born around January 29, 1499, in Germany, was a significant figure in the Protestant Reformation. Raised in a convent after her mother’s death, she became a nun but grew disillusioned with her life and the Catholic Church. Influenced by Martin Luther’s reform movement, she escaped the convent in 1523 with the help of Luther, who later arranged marriages for the nuns. However, von Bora insisted on marrying Luther himself, which he reluctantly agreed to in June 1525, despite the scandalous reputation their union attracted due to their previous vows and the age difference. As a couple, they managed a household that included students and staff, with von Bora overseeing the finances and farm. After Luther’s death in 1546, she faced financial difficulties but remained resilient. Katharina von Bora died on December 20, 1552, and is remembered for her strong will and contributions to the Reformation, challenging the expectations of women in her time. She and Luther had six children and also raised foster children, leaving a lasting impact on both her family and the movement.
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Katharina von Bora
Religious reformer, former nun
- Born: January 29, 1499
- Birthplace: Lippendorf, Germany
- Died: December 20, 1552
- Place of death: Torgau, Germany
Significance: Katharina von Bora was a former German nun who broke her Roman Catholic vows to escape the convent and follow the Reformation movement. She married Martin Luther, a former German monk known for writing the 95 Theses, which sparked the Protestant Reformation. Luther and von Bora worked throughout their lives to gain supporters for the movement.
Background
Katharina von Bora was thought to be born on January 29, 1499, in Lippendorf, Germany. Because no birth certificates existed at this time in Europe, her birthdate and birthplace cannot be verified. Her family was impoverished, and after her mother's death, she was sent to a Benedictine convent in Brehna in 1504 to receive an education. Five years later, she went to live at the Cistercian monastery Marienthron in Nimbschen, where her aunt was a nun. Von Bora dedicated her life to God and took her vows to religious life in 1515.
Within a few years, she became unhappy and no longer wished to be a Roman Catholic nun. She had read pamphlets smuggled into the convent and learned about a new church reform movement begun by a German monk named Martin Luther. She joined a group of several other nuns who were planning to escape the convent. They secretly contacted Luther, and he helped them devise a plan to leave around Easter in 1523. The escape plan was very dangerous because those who left the Roman Catholic Church faced torture and imprisonment. In addition, those who aided runaway nuns could be punished by death.
A merchant named Leonard Koppe allegedly smuggled the nuns out of the convent in fish barrels. He made a delivery of herring to the convent and hid the nuns in the empty barrels. He took them to Wittenberg, where they met Luther. Luther tried to send them back to their families, but this did not work out since the families were too worried of being caught helping escaped nuns. He eventually found families to take them in and came up with a plan to find each of them a husband to take care of them. This worked out for most of the nuns; some instead took jobs. However, von Bora challenged Luther and rejected several marriage proposals. She told Luther that she would only marry him or another man named Nicholas von Amsdorf. Luther begrudgingly agreed to her request, and he married von Bora in June 1525.
Life's Work
The marriage was considered scandalous at the time. Luther was older than von Bora by more than fifteen years. They were also members of the clergy who had broken their vows. Luther received much attention for the marriage. It went against the Catholic teachings of clergy members being celibate and unwed. Some of Luther's enemies attacked von Bora by calling her names and accusing her of being an alcoholic and a gold digger. They also stated that she had children with Luther out of wedlock, which was considered a grave sin according to the Catholic Church.
While Luther did not feel affection for von Bora when they married, he grew to love her. After they were married, Luther and von Bora moved into the Black Monastery, also known as the Black Cloister and later Lutherhaus, in Wittenberg. The residence was a former Augustinian monastery that was gifted to Luther's family. Several friends and family members lived there with Luther and von Bora to help with household duties and to further the reform movement. The couple also took in boarding students for financial gain. Von Bora was not only in charge of running the household, but she also managed an onsite farm, garden, and brewery. She managed all of the finances for the household and proved herself to be an excellent head of household.
Luther became ill and died in 1546. He had a will that named von Bora the guardian of his children and the sole benefactor of his estate. However, it was contested because the laws required a guardian to be appointed to a widow. Von Bora lost her income. Despite her best efforts, she endured a period of financial trouble. She eventually left Wittenberg and moved to Magdeburg for a time. Eventually, she decided to return to Wittenberg and discovered that the Black Monastery was mostly in ruins. She stayed at her former residence and began to rebuild it with funds given to her by Johann Friedrich, a supporter of the Reformation.
Times were troubled again by 1552. Von Bora's crops failed, and the plague had reached Wittenberg. Von Bora and her daughter, Margarete, decided to leave the city for Torgau. During the trip, von Bora was injured in an accident. She died from her injuries three months later on December 20, 1552.
Impact
Von Bora was an important figure during the Protestant Reformation in Europe. The runaway nun became known for being outspoken, self-confident, and strong-willed, which were considered improper traits for women at the time. Even though it was dangerous and could lead to her death, she broke her vows to the Catholic Church to follow her beliefs. Von Bora spent her life contributing to the Reformation movement begun by Luther.
Personal Life
Von Bora and Luther were married for twenty years. They had six biological children, Johannes, Elisabeth, Magdalena, Martin, Paul, and Margarete. The couple also cared for foster children throughout their lives.
Bibliography
Curry, Andrew. "How a Runaway Nun Helped an Outlaw Monk Change the World." National Geographic, 20 Oct. 2017, news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/10/martin-luther-wife-protestant-reformation-500. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.
DeRusha, Michelle. "A Sixteenth-Century Scandal." Credo Magazine, www.credomag.com/the-radical-marriage-of-katharina-and-martin-luther. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.
"Katharina von Bora." Luther 2017, www.luther2017.de/en/reformation/and-its-people/katharina-von-bora. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.
Kilcrease, Jack. "Katharina von Bora Luther." LutheranReformation.org, 20 Dec. 2016, lutheranreformation.org/history/katharina-von-bora-luther. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.
"Luther's Wife." PBS, www.pbs.org/empires/martinluther/char‗wife.html. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.
Sunshine, Glenn. "Katharina von Bora (1499–1552)." BreakPoint, www.breakpoint.org/2015/10/katharina-von-bora-1499-1552. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.