Lutheran hymnody tradition

Timeline

1. 1517–1520Wittenberg · Electorate of SaxonyIn his reformed theology Luther emphasized that the laity should understand and participate in worship in their own language. Between 1517 and 1520, in his sermons and writings at Wittenberg, he repeatedly set out the necessity of replacing Latin congregational singing with German, viewing church music as an important medium of theological education and the building up of souls, thereby laying the theological groundwork for the founding of the Lutheran hymnody tradition.
2. 1523–1524Wittenberg · GermanyLuther composed his first German hymns in 1523, and in 1524 co-edited the Geistliches Gesangbüchlein with Johann Walter, containing 38 German hymns (18 of them by Luther himself), pairing concise, powerful melodies with theological verses for congregational singing in worship. This was the first systematically compiled Protestant hymnal, inaugurating the cultural tradition of carrying theology through hymns.
3. 1524–1600Lutheran territories of Germany · GermanyIn the mid-to-late 16th century, Lutheran hymns became generally established in the liturgy of the various Lutheran territories in Germany, and printing workshops continued to publish new editions of hymnals. Luther's famous 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott' became the unofficial anthem of the Reformation and was widely sung. This tradition extended into the 17th and 18th centuries and profoundly influenced the sacred music of Johann Sebastian Bach.