Frederick the Wise

Frederick III, elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525, was a powerful prince of the Holy Roman Empire. He protected Martin Luther after Luther’s condemnation in 1521.

Martin Luther: A German theologian whose challenge to indulgences helped launch the Protestant Reformation. Frederick’s protection kept Luther safe after his condemnation.
Diet of Worms: An imperial assembly held in 1521 where Martin Luther refused to recant his writings before Charles V. Its proceedings led to Luther’s condemnation and Frederick’s decision to shelter him.
Protestant Reformation: A sixteenth-century movement that divided Western Christianity and established Protestant churches. Frederick’s protection helped Luther’s reforming work survive its earliest imperial suppression.
House of Wettin: A German dynasty that ruled territories in Saxony and produced numerous princes and monarchs. Frederick’s electoral authority came from the Ernestine branch of this dynasty.
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor: Holy Roman Emperor from 1519 to 1556 whose reign encompassed the Reformation and conflicts across Europe. Charles outlawed Luther after the Diet of Worms, putting Frederick’s protection in conflict with imperial authority.
Edict of Worms: A 1521 imperial decree outlawing Martin Luther and prohibiting the circulation of his writings. Frederick’s territory offered Luther refuge despite the decree’s demands.
University of Wittenberg: A university founded in 1502 in Wittenberg, Saxony, that became an early center of the Reformation. Frederick founded and supported the institution where Luther taught and published.
Ernestine Saxony: The Saxon territories ruled by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin after the 1485 division of Wettin lands. Frederick governed this branch’s territories and exercised the power that shielded Luther.
Philip Melanchthon: A German humanist and theologian who became a leading architect of Lutheran doctrine. He taught at Wittenberg under Frederick’s patronage and helped shape its reforming intellectual community.
Wartburg Castle: A hilltop castle in Thuringia where Martin Luther lived in hiding in 1521–1522 and translated the New Testament into German. Frederick arranged Luther’s concealed stay there after the Diet of Worms.

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