Episode #239
The Reformation! The Faith of the Common People
On 31 October 1517, an Augustinian monk carried 95 theses through the streets of Wittenberg — whether to nail them to the castle church door, post them by letter, or send them to the printers remains disputed. Within two months they had spread across the Empire and beyond and the world was never the same again... In this first episode of the new season we look at the world Martin Luther grew up in, what common people like him experienced in life - mostly godawful things - and how that shaped their worldview and religious leanings. We will talk about onion-shaped societies, ancient prophecies of an age of bliss, the importance of mass even if no-one gets communion, the benefits of purgatory, pilgrimages and lots more... The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0 . As always: Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com If you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans Podcast For do it yourself merchandise go to: Merchandise • History of the Germans Podcast Facebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcast Bluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.social Instagram: history_of_the_germans Twitter: @germanshistory To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have: The Ottonians Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen Frederick II Stupor Mundi Saxony and Eastward Expansion The Hanseatic League The Teutonic Knights The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356 The Reformation before the Reformation The Empire in the 15th century The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs
