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Death of Martin Luther (1546)

Type Event Region German lands Time 1546

On 18 February 1546 Reformation leader Martin Luther died at Eisleben, Saxony, his birthplace, aged sixty-two, on the eve of the Schmalkaldic War.

Timeline

  1. 1546Eisleben · SaxonyAt the invitation of Count of Mansfeld, Luther traveled to Eisleben, his birthplace, to mediate a dispute between local mine owners and the count; his health was already visibly declining en route.
  2. 1546Eisleben · EislebenOn 18 February 1546 Luther died of a heart attack at Eisleben. His last words and writings continued to be cited as spiritual authority by the Protestant camp.
  3. 1546Wittenberg · WittenbergLuther's body was brought back to Wittenberg and buried in the Castle Church. The funeral drew large numbers of Protestant faithful and representatives of princes, becoming an important symbolic moment of the Reformation movement.

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