| The Morning Star of Wittenberg |
Katharina von Bora was born into a family of impoverished Saxon nobles near Pegau, Germany,
mother Anna (von Haugwitz) von Bora and father Hans von Bora der Jüngere, on January 29, 1499.
As a five year old child, Katharina was placed in a German convent after the death of her mother,
and learned reading, writing and some Latin until age 16, when she took the vows of a nun. She and
other nuns listened to rumors of great the events in Germany and commotion surrounding Martin
Luther. Luther's writings eventually found their way into Katharina's convent and influenced them
greatly. A group of them contacted Luther in strict secrecy, and he arranged for them to be smuggled
out on the night before Easter of 1523. They were concealed in a wagonload of fish barrels.
mother Anna (von Haugwitz) von Bora and father Hans von Bora der Jüngere, on January 29, 1499.
As a five year old child, Katharina was placed in a German convent after the death of her mother,
and learned reading, writing and some Latin until age 16, when she took the vows of a nun. She and
other nuns listened to rumors of great the events in Germany and commotion surrounding Martin
Luther. Luther's writings eventually found their way into Katharina's convent and influenced them
greatly. A group of them contacted Luther in strict secrecy, and he arranged for them to be smuggled
out on the night before Easter of 1523. They were concealed in a wagonload of fish barrels.
Upon their safe arrival, the women were placed with reformed families in Wittenberg. In time, all of
the nuns married except Katharina, who went to live with a family in Reichenbach for two years as a
maid and later to the home of Lucas Cranach the Elder. When 42-year-old Luther suggested she
marry an acquaintance, she sent him a message stating she would either marry him or a respected
friend of his. Luther stunned his friends by agreeing to marry Katie, 16 years his junior.
the nuns married except Katharina, who went to live with a family in Reichenbach for two years as a
maid and later to the home of Lucas Cranach the Elder. When 42-year-old Luther suggested she
marry an acquaintance, she sent him a message stating she would either marry him or a respected
friend of his. Luther stunned his friends by agreeing to marry Katie, 16 years his junior.
Katharine was dubbed "the Morning Star of Wittenberg: by her husband for her early rising. Living
up to the biblical adage, "a virtuous woman rises while it is yet dark", she woke at 4 am in the
summer and 5 am in the winter to tend their farm and home, "the Black Cloister", an old 40 room
former Augustinian monastery given to them as a wedding gift by the Elector of Saxony. Like most
women of the day, her duties included cleaning, cooking, feeding the animals, tending the garden,
raising the children, and preserving family food. She and Martin had six children and adopted eleven
more, including four orphans. She also bred and sold cattle, ran a brewery, cared for the sick and
elderly and helped support the family when Martin could not, for he wrote, taught, traveled and
preached on an average of 150 times a year. He once joked, "In domestic affairs, I defer to Katie.
Otherwise I am led by the Holy Ghost." He also referred to her as "My Lord" or "My Chain" when
they were at odds with one another, which was not all that often.
up to the biblical adage, "a virtuous woman rises while it is yet dark", she woke at 4 am in the
summer and 5 am in the winter to tend their farm and home, "the Black Cloister", an old 40 room
former Augustinian monastery given to them as a wedding gift by the Elector of Saxony. Like most
women of the day, her duties included cleaning, cooking, feeding the animals, tending the garden,
raising the children, and preserving family food. She and Martin had six children and adopted eleven
more, including four orphans. She also bred and sold cattle, ran a brewery, cared for the sick and
elderly and helped support the family when Martin could not, for he wrote, taught, traveled and
preached on an average of 150 times a year. He once joked, "In domestic affairs, I defer to Katie.
Otherwise I am led by the Holy Ghost." He also referred to her as "My Lord" or "My Chain" when
they were at odds with one another, which was not all that often.
Katharina was able to meagerly support herself thanks to
the generosity of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony and
the princes of Anhalt, and she remained in Wittenberg in
poverty until 1552, when an outbreak of the Plague and a
harvest failure forced her to leave yet again., this time for
Torgau where she was involved in a carriage accident
and seriously injured. She died ithere about three months
later on December 20, 1552, at the age of fifty-three and
was buried at Torgau's Saint Mary's Church.
the generosity of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony and
the princes of Anhalt, and she remained in Wittenberg in
poverty until 1552, when an outbreak of the Plague and a
harvest failure forced her to leave yet again., this time for
Torgau where she was involved in a carriage accident
and seriously injured. She died ithere about three months
later on December 20, 1552, at the age of fifty-three and
was buried at Torgau's Saint Mary's Church.
When Martin died in 1546, Katharina was left in relative poverty. She left the
Black Cloister at the outbreak of the Schmalkaldic War and was forced to flee
to Magdeburg. After returning briefly, another war forced another flight in
1547, this time to Braunschweig. In July of that year, she returned exhausted
to Wittenberg, only to find the buildings and lands of the monastery had been
plundered, burned and mostly laid waste.
Black Cloister at the outbreak of the Schmalkaldic War and was forced to flee
to Magdeburg. After returning briefly, another war forced another flight in
1547, this time to Braunschweig. In July of that year, she returned exhausted
to Wittenberg, only to find the buildings and lands of the monastery had been
plundered, burned and mostly laid waste.
Katharina in widow's garb, above left.
Her grave carving at Torgau, right
Her grave carving at Torgau, right
She is reported to have said on her deathbed, "I will stick to Christ as a burr on a top coat."
Their descendants have continued to the present time, and included German President Paul von
Hindenburg and the Counts zu Eulenburg and Princes zu Eulenburg und Hertefeld.
Their descendants have continued to the present time, and included German President Paul von
Hindenburg and the Counts zu Eulenburg and Princes zu Eulenburg und Hertefeld.
The rear of Martin Luther's three story
home in Wittenberg, Germany, right, : It
was known as the Black Cloister, but it
was never black, and had housed the
Order of Augustinian Monks.
It was given to Luther when the order
was disbanded after the reformation. It
contained 26 bedrooms where the
Luthers ran a rooming house for
professors and students, many of them
regulars at the Luther's dining table.
home in Wittenberg, Germany, right, : It
was known as the Black Cloister, but it
was never black, and had housed the
Order of Augustinian Monks.
It was given to Luther when the order
was disbanded after the reformation. It
contained 26 bedrooms where the
Luthers ran a rooming house for
professors and students, many of them
regulars at the Luther's dining table.
Katie made use of the brewery rights conferred to the monastery, and gradually acquired a number
of plots of land which she cultivated into gardens. Katie also embarked upon an ambitious cattle
breeding operation. Luther's heirs sold the Black Cloister to the university in 1564 before the
staircase tower was built. The University used Luther House until 1816, and from then until 1883, it
was used for a multitude of purposes from a Protestant Preachers' Seminary to a free school for the
poor. In 1883, it was opened as a Reformation Museum. Today, "Luther Hall" is still standing,
fortunate to have survived the Allied bombings of World War Two which snuffed out so many
historic landmarks in Germany, especially in Luther land.
of plots of land which she cultivated into gardens. Katie also embarked upon an ambitious cattle
breeding operation. Luther's heirs sold the Black Cloister to the university in 1564 before the
staircase tower was built. The University used Luther House until 1816, and from then until 1883, it
was used for a multitude of purposes from a Protestant Preachers' Seminary to a free school for the
poor. In 1883, it was opened as a Reformation Museum. Today, "Luther Hall" is still standing,
fortunate to have survived the Allied bombings of World War Two which snuffed out so many
historic landmarks in Germany, especially in Luther land.