“The highest gift and favor of God is a pious, kind, godly, and domestic wife, with whom thou mayest live peaceably, and to whom thou mayest intrust all thy possessions, yea, thy body and thy life.” ~Martin Luther
Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven
Many Christians have wondered just how Martin Luther (1483-1546) met his future wife, Katharina von Bora (1499-1552). This story is a unique and humorous one. Katharina along with eleven other nuns were desirous of leaving the convent. When she was just sixteen years of age Katharina had entered the Cistercian Convent of Nimbschen near Grimma, where she took the religious vows of “stability, poverty, chastity, and obedience” (1515). She along with the other nuns had read Luther’s pamphlets and were sympathetic with the beliefs of the Reformation. In particular, the nuns all hoped to leave the convent, to get married, and to raise children. Luther’s friend, Leonard Koppe, was a local merchant in Torgau who served the needs of the convent. In 1522 he delivered twelve barrels of pickled herring to the convent’s kitchen for food supplies. A secret plan, however, had been arranged for the twelve young nuns to hide themselves in the barrels once they were empty and to quietly leave the convent. As the wagon trundled out the gate and down the road imagine the discomfort of the young ladies inside the barrels! It was certainly very smelly, stuffy, and hot! Once it was safe, the lids from the barrels were pried off and the former nuns were now free! They were all taken by Leonard Koppe into Wittenberg where, after a short time, suitable marriages were arranged for them.
One nun, however, proved to be a difficult person to match with a husband. That person was Katharina von Bora. Martin Luther encouraged her to marry a fellow Reformer, Dr. Glatz from a nearby town, but Katie replied “No, I can never marry old Dr. Glatz!” Instead, she insisted that she would marry Dr. Luther himself, rather than Dr. Glatz. This comment planted an idea in Luther’s mind, and after a short time he enthusiastically concluded that he should marry Katie himself. Finally, they were married on June 13, 1525; at the time Martin Luther was 42 years old and Katie was 26 years old. Their difference in age was of no account. They enjoyed a happy life together and were blessed with six children—Johannes, Elisabeth, Magdalena, Martin, Paul, and Margaret. There was a saying that Martin loved to quote: “Let the wife make her husband glad to come home and let him make her sorry to see him leave.” He also stated, “I would not change Katie for all of France or for Venice.” In short, they loved one another deeply and their marriage became a fine example to many other Christians who desired to marry.
For Further Reading:
Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. New York, NY: Meridian Books, 1955.
DeRusha, Michelle. Katharia & Martin: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2017.
Kittelson, James M. Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986.
Mall, Jane E. Kitty My Rib. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1959.
Petersen, William J. Martin Luther had a Wife. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1983.
Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin
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