Magdalena Luther

Third child and second daughter of Martin Luther (1529–1542)

Magdalena Luther

A painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Born| 4 May 1529

Wittenberg

Died| 20 September 1542(1542-09-20) (aged 13)

Wittenberg

Known for| Daughter of Martin Luther
Parent(s)| Martin Luther
Katharina von Bora

Magdalena Luther (4 May 1529 – 20 September 1542) was the third child and second daughter of German priest and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora. She died at the age of thirteen.[1]

## Life

[edit]

Magdalena was born in Wittenberg[1] as the couple's third child and second but first surviving daughter, as her older sister, Elisabeth, had died the year before Magdalena was born, at the age of seven months. Luther reported to Nicholas von Amsdorf that Katharina had gone into labour and after three hours, had been delivered, without any difficulties, of a perfectly healthy baby daughter.[2] She was a much loved child and she was nicknamed Lenchen[2] inside her family. Luther also asked Amsdorf to be godfather to "the said little heathen and to help her [enter] holy Christendom through the holy, precious sacrament of baptism.[2] During the Diet of Augsburg, in 1530, Luther received a portrait of the one-year-old Magdalena from his wife and thanked her by offering suggestions for weaning that he had received from Argula von Grumbach, one of the few women whose writing in favour of the Protestant Reformation are extant.[2]

## Death

[edit]

"The Death of Magdalena" from The Life of Martin Luther, the German Reformer, in Fifty Pictures by Gustav König (c.1853)

Magdalena died in Wittenberg in her father's arms[2] after a prolonged illness. Luther's letters and Table Talk testify that the death of Magdalena was an extremely trying time for both her parents and her older brother Hans, who was summoned home to be with his sister at the very end. It was later written:

> The beloved child, Magdalena, is sick. Her portrait, painted by Cranach, is seen still in the room where she was lying, a lovely child, with large eyes, clear and deep. Near the bed is now Luther, he prays: "I love her a lot, but good God, if your will is to take her, I will give her to you with great pleasure. Then, addressing her: My little Magdalena, my little girl, soon you will not be with me, will you be happy without your father? The tired child tenderly and softly answered: Yes, dear father, as God wants. Soon, we put her in the coffin. Luther looked Ah! Sweet Lenchen, he says, you will rise again and you will shine like a star, yes, like the sun! I am happy in the spirit, but my earthly form is very sad. You have learned, he wrote to Justus Jonas: I believe the report has reached you that my dearest daughter Magdalena has been reborn into Christ's eternal kingdom. I and my wife should joyfully give thanks for such a felicitous departure and blessed end by which Magdalena escaped the power of the flesh, the world, the Turk and the devil; yet the force of our natural love is so great that we are unable to do this without crying and grieving in our hearts, or even without experiencing death ourselves. The features, the words and the movements of the living and dying daughter remain deeply engraved in our hearts. Even the death of Christ... is unable to take this all away as it should. You, therefore, give thanks to God in our stead. For indeed God did a great work of grace when he glorified our flesh in this way. Magdalena had (as you know) a mild and lovely disposition and was loved by all... God grant me and all my loved ones and all my friends such a death – or rather such a life.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Meurer, Moritz (1848). The Life of Martin Luther: Related from Original Authorities. H. Ludwig. p. 631.
2. ^ a b c d e f Hendrix, p. 76

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Hendrix, Scott H. (2010). Martin Luther: a very short introduction. Very Short Introductions. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-957433-9.

* v
* t
* e

Martin Luther

* Bibliography
* Resources about Martin Luther

Works|

* Ninety-five Theses (1517)
* Sermon on Indulgences and Grace (1518)
* To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (1520)
* On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520)
* On the Freedom of a Christian (1520)
* Commentary on the Magnificat (1521)
* Against Henry, King of the English (1522)
* Luther Bible (1522, 1534)
* The Adoration of the Sacrament (1523)
* Formula missae (1523)
* Flood prayer (1523)
* Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants (1525)
* On the Bondage of the Will (1525)
* Against the Heavenly Prophets (1525)
* The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ—Against the Fanatics (1526)
* Deutsche Messe (1526)
* Confession Concerning Christ's Supper (1528)
* On War Against the Turk (1529)
* Small Catechism (1529)
* Articles of Schwabach (1529)
* Large Catechism (1529)
* A Simple Way to Pray (1535)
* Smalcald Articles (1537)
* On the Councils and the Church (1539)
* On the Jews and Their Lies (1543)
* Vom Schem Hamphoras (1543)
* Luther's Table Talk (1566)
* Weimar edition of Luther's works

| List of hymns|

* First Lutheran hymnal (1524)
* Erfurt Enchiridion (1524)
* Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn (1524)
* "Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl" (1524)
* "Gott sei gelobet und gebenedeiet" (1524)
* "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" (1529)
* "Sie ist mir lieb, die werte Magd" (1535)
* "Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam" (1543)

|

Topics
and events|

* Reformation
* Lutheranism
* Heidelberg Disputation, 1518
* Leipzig Debate, 1519
* Exsurge Domine, 1520
* Diet of Worms, 1521
* Decet Romanum Pontificem, 1521
* Marburg Colloquy, 1529
* Augsburg Confession, 1530
* Luther's canon
* Theology of Martin Luther
* Theology of the Cross
* Priesthood of all believers
* Sola fide
* Sola scriptura
* Two kingdoms
* Beerwolf (1539)
* Law and Gospel
* Marian theology
* Eucharist in Lutheranism
* Sacramental union
* Words of Institution
* Antisemitism
* Propaganda during the Reformation
* Die Lügend von S. Johanne Chrysostomo (1537 edition)

People|

* Hans and Margarethe Luther (parents)
* Katharina von Bora (wife)
* Magdalena Luther (daughter)
* Paul Luther (son)
* Albert of Brandenburg
* Bartholomaeus Arnoldi
* Erasmus
* Georg Rörer
* Johann Cochlaeus
* Johann Reuchlin
* Johann von Staupitz
* Justus Jonas
* Karl von Miltitz
* Andreas Karlstadt
* Philip Melanchthon
* Pope Leo X
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
* Frederick the Wise
* Albrecht VII von Mansfeld

Luther sites|

* All Saints' Church, Wittenberg
* Stadtkirche Wittenberg
* Lutherhaus
* Lutherstädte
* Martin Luther's Birth House
* Martin Luther's Death House
* Melanchthonhaus (Wittenberg)
* St. Augustine's Monastery
* Veste Coburg (Fortress)
* Wartburg Castle

Film and theatre|

* Martin Luther (1923 film)
* Luther (1928 film)
* Martin Luther (1953 film)
* Luther (1961 play)
* Luther (1964 film)
* Luther (1974 film)
* Martin Luther, Heretic (1983 film)
* Luther (2003 film)
* Luther and I (2017 film)

Luther Monuments|

* Luther Monument, Washington D.C.
* Luther Monument, Worms

Related|

* Luther rose
* Theologia Germanica
* Martin Luther Christian University
* Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template