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[German Version] (Mutianus; Oct 15, 1470, Homberg/Efze – Mar 30, 1526, Gotha), fellow student of Erasmus of Rotterdam in the school of A. Hegius in Deventer. While a student in Erfurt from 1486 (1488 B.A., 1492 M.A.), he attended the lectures of C. Celtis. From 1494 he studied in Italy (Dr.iur.can.). In 1502 Muth returned to Germany, served briefly in the Hesse chancery, and in 1503 joined a religious foundation in Gotha (as Stiftsherr). In 1504 he was ordained priest, but despised choir service, lived for his Humanist studies, published nothing, but gathered friends…

[German Version] (Alane) (Apr 23, 1500, Edinburgh – Mar 17, 1565, Leipzig) was canon in St. Andrews; imprisoned in 1529 for criticizing the church, he fled to the mainland; he became a lecturer in Wittenberg in 1533. In 1535, Alesius went to Reformation-friendly England, but had once again to flee in 1539 because he married. In 1540, he became professor of theology in …

[German Version] (1504, Rheinzabern – Nov 13, 1549, Cambridge). Fagius studied from 1515 in Heidelberg (Heidelberg, University of; 1522, M.A. degree), ¶ where he became acquainted with Luther in 1518. In 1522 he became a teacher in Strasbourg. He learned Hebrew from W. Capito. In 1527 he became a school rector in Isny, returning to Strasbourg in 1535, where he worked with M. Bucer and studied theology. In 1537–1542 he was a preacher in Isny, where he improved his Hebrew with Elijah Levita and ran a Hebrew printing co…

[German Version] (Johannes Kraft; Nov 20, 1519, Breslau – Oct 19, 1585, Breslau) came to Wittenberg to study in 1535 and lived with Luther for six years, though he did not participate in the transmission of the table-talks. From 1543 he studied medicine in Leipzig, and in 1546 in Padua and Bologna (1549 Dr.med.). In 1550 he became city physician in Breslau and served in the fight against the plague. As a supporter of Melanchthon in his doctrine of the Eucharist (…

[German Version] (c. 1480, Holtwick near Coesfeld – May 22, 1542, Cologne) began his studies in Cologne in 1501, received the M.A. in 1506, and became professor of rhetoric and poetry in 1507. He also worked as a printer's corrector and became a priest in 1514. The authors of the Epistolae obscurorum virorum picked on this supporter of Johannes (until his conversion in 1504: Josef) Pfefferkorn as the object of their scorn, against which he defended himself in vain. His suggestions for church reform, published in 1535, were placed on the Index in 1554. Heinz Scheible Bibliography VD16, 1, 8,…

[German Version] (c. 1510, Hardenberg, The Netherlands – May 18, 1574, Emden). Brought up among the Brothers and Sisters of the Common Life in Groningen (1517–1527), Hardenberg became a monk in the Cistercian monastery of Aduard near Groningen (1528) and studied in Leuven from 1530 until receiving the Bacc.theol. Instead of a journey to Italy interrupted because of illness (1538), he earned the Dr.theol. in Mainz (1539). Arrested and charged as a Protestant in Leuven, he entered the Aduard monaste…

[German Version] (Drach, Draco; 1494, Karlstadt – Apr 18, 1566, Wittenberg). After studying in Erfurt (1509) and Basel (1512, 1514 M.A.), Draconites came to Wittenberg in 1521 (1523 Dr.theol.). While pastor in Miltenberg (1522–1523), his Reformation was checked. In 1525 he became pastor in Waltershausen, but withdrew to Eisenach as a private scholar. He was concerned with the chr…

[German Version] (Willem de Volder; 1493, Den Haag – Sep 29, 1568, Norden). After his studies in Cologne (from 1512) and from 1522, the successful humanistic dramatist was rector of a school in The Hague. In 1529, his Acolastus, a drama concerning the prodigal son that underwent more than 50 reprints and translations, appeared in Antwerp. In 1531, he evaded the Inquisition by going to Elbing, where he became the rector of the new Latin school in 1535. In 1541, he was forced to escape from bishop Johannes Dantiscus, to Königsberg. He…

[German Version] (1501, Wangen im Allgäu – Jan 3, 1559, Erfurt), deserves mention only for his notes on the history of his times, which are highly subjective, yet written from the vantage point of personal closeness to Luther and great veneration for him; he lived through Luther’s Reformation from the start of his studies in Wittenberg in 1516. He was distantly related to Luther by marriage, and in 1546 became one of the guardians of his children. From 1538 to 1546 he served Elector John Frederick…

[German Version] (1493, Markt Erlbach – Jan 4, 1546, Nördlingen), attended the monastery school in Heilsbronn, studied in Erfurt from 1508 and perhaps in Wittenberg from 1518. He became pastoral administrator in Unternesselbach and celebrant of the early mass in the Cistercian monastery in Birkenfeld (Neustadt/Aisch) in 1520 and preacher in Hof in 1524. Expelled in 1526, he became preacher in Oelsnitz, enrolled at the University of Wittenberg in 1526, but was a court preacher again already in 1529…

[German Version] 1. Andreas (1514, Breslau [Wrocław] – Dec 12, 1559, Königsberg [Kaliningrad]); brother of 2. From 1527 on he studied and taught at Wittenberg. In 1539 he became rector of the Latin school in Danzig; he move to Elbing in 1541, returned to Wittenberg in 1542, and then studied medicine in Padua. In 1546 he was appointed professor at Königsberg and became the personal physician to the duke. In 1550 a second marriage made him the son-in-law of A. Osiander, after whose death he became the leader of the Osiandrist party, exercising great influence on Duke Albert of Prussia. Heinz Sch…

[German Version] (1494, Ettlingen – Oct 17, 1552, Straßburg [Strasbourg]). After education at Pforzheim, Freiburg, and Basel, Hedio became cathedral preacher in Mainz in 1520; he received his Dr.theol. in 1523. From 1523 to 1550 he served as preacher in the Strasbourg Minster. After 1549 he succeeded M. Bucer as president of the Strasbourg consistory. In 1550, as a result of the Augsburg Interim, he was transferred to the Dominican church. He was of great importance for the reform of the church an…

[German Version] (Oct 1, 1492, Deggendorf – Apr 24, 1557, Jena), Luther’s closest colleague, began his studies at Leipzig in 1511, receiving his M.A. on Dec 22, 1520. At the end of 1522 he moved to Wittenberg, where he matriculated on Apr 11, 1523. He tirelessly transcribed Luther’s sermons and lectures. After being ordained to the diaconate by Luther, in 1525 he was appointed second deacon of the municipal church, with responsibility for the rural parishes until 1533. In 1537 he was relieved of t…

[German Version] (Sep 9, 1516, Frankfurt/M. – Aug 11, 1577, Frankfurt). Following twelve formative years in Wittenberg, Beyer was appointed preacher in 1546 in his native town, which was Upper German in orientation (ordained by J. Bugenhagen). Against the advice of Luther, he immediately attempted to introduce the Saxon order of liturgy. When the council accepted the Augsburg Interim in 1548, Beyer published two polemical pamphlets under the pseudonyms Cephalus and Epitimius. In 1552, he secured the expulsion of Theobald Thamer by the council. In 1561, he obtained the closure of the We…

[German Version] (Aug 7, 1488, Augsburg – Nov 12, 1560, Saalfeld) traveled as far as Italy on extended educational journeys. In 1510 he studied at Leipzig, in 1513 at Wittenberg; in 1514 he was ordained priest and took a pulpit in Bern. In 1515 he became a military chaplain under F. v. Sickingen. In 1516 he became pastor of Jengen and married; his son Malachia…

[German Version] (Jul 10, 1496, Augsburg – Dec 8, 1556 [not 1558], Wittenberg). Forster's work was essentially dedicated to the study of Hebrew. In Ingolstadt, where he was a student from 1515 (M.A., 1520), he attended the lectures of J. Reuchlin in 1520–21. He then studied Greek in Leipzig and in 1522 became a Hebrew teacher in Zwickau. In 1530 he went to Wittenberg, where he developed a close relationship with Luther. In 1535–38 he was a preacher in Augsburg, and in 1539–41 a professor in Tübing…

[German Version] (Dec 31, 1488, Cottbus– Oct 1, 1549, Königsberg, Prussia), OFM. He studied at Wittenberg in 1507, at Frankfurt/Oder in 1510, and Wittenberg again in 1513. He was consecrated to the priesthood in 1510, and won over to Luther in 1519 at the Leipzig Disputation. He received the Dr. theol. from Wittenberg in 1522, became cathedral preacher in Köni…

[German Version] (c. 1504, Bischofszell – Sep 26, 1564, Zürich) studied at Basel and was professor of Rhetoric in Liegnitz from 1527 to 1529. In 1531, as a follower of Zwingli, he became professor of Old Testament at Zürich. Buchmann had command of an exceptional number of languages. His exegesis was philosophical and historical; he interpreted the entire Old …

[German Version] (c. 1488/1490, Mainz – Nov 23, 1534, Bern). After studies in Mainz, Braunfels joined ¶ the Carthusians at Königshofen (Koenigshoffen), near Strassburg (Strasbourg). He fled the monastery in 1521 and was given a pastorate in Steinau an der Strasse by U. v. Hutten, but had to flee again the next year. He served as preacher in Neuenburg am Rhein from 1522 to 15…

[German Version] (1502, Hof – Aug 24, 1551, Bernburg). After teaching at schools in Hof and Eger, Medler began his studies in Wittenberg in 1523. In 1527, he became a schoolmaster in Hof, and in 1529 assistant of K. Loener. In 1531, Medler was expelled together with Loener, and came again to Wittenberg (1532, M.A.; 1535, Dr.theol.; collected Luther's Table Talks). In 1536, he became pastor and superintendent ¶ in Naumburg, where he authored church disciplines. In 1545, he did the same in Braunschweig, where he rendered outstanding service to the school system. In…