Luther - Key Topic 1: Conditions in Early Sixteenth Century Germany

How many separate states/imperial cities were there in total in the Holy Roman Empire?

Over 390

Who was the Holy Roman Emperor in 1515 (when our course begins)?

Maximilian I

True or false: the Holy Roman Emperor did not need the electors' permission to raise troops to defend the empire.

False

What was the name of the parliament of the Holy Roman Empire?

The Imperial Diet

What did Charles V sign in 1519 which further reduced the power of the Holy Roman Empire?

The Capitulation

In 1500, Germany's population was 12 million. What had this risen to by 1550?

15 million

True or false: Augsburg's population had doubled between 1500 and 1550?

True

True or false: Wages in the town of Speyer doubled between 1521 and 1621?

False (they trebled)

By how many times did the price of rye, wheat and beans increase in Speyer between 1521 and 1621?

Between 13 to 15 times

What percentage of the empire's population of 12 million were peasants in 1500?

70%

Give one example of 'good works' that people were encouraged to perform to minimise their time in purgatory and to achieve salvation

Going on pilgrimages, being charitable, collecting holy relics

Name three of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church

Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Eucharist (or Communion), Marriage, Extreme Unction (or last rites) and Ordination

Give one example of a 'sacramental' (semi-magical practices, rituals and beliefs) practised by ordinary people

A loaf of bread baked and blessed on Good Friday would help avert fire

Blessed candles ensured light through the year

Touching the altar cloth was thought to be a cure for epilepsy

Processing consecrated bread could help to ward off bad weather

Fragments of consecrated bread sewn into clothing would ensure a safe journey

True or false: the elites were more concerned than the majority of ordinary people about official Church doctrine and the afterlife?

True

How many holy relics did the Elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise, have in his collection?

Over 19,000

What was the name of the German humanist who would also become the leader of the Knights' War?

Ulrich von Hutten

What is the term used to describe the practice of selling positions in the Church to the highest bidder (rather than these being awarded to the best candidate)?

Simony

True or false: the level of abuses were often exaggerated in anti-clerical literature

True

What proportion of German land was controlled by the Church?

One-sixth

How much of every person's income or produce had to be handed over to the Church (the 'tithe' tax)?

One-tenth

In what year had Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in Mainz, Germany?

1440

Name two ways in which the printing press was very important for the German Reformation?

Books can now be mass produced relatively cheaply.

Access to knowledge increases dramatically.

Literacy increases.

Affects science, language (standardisation) and religion.

Helps to make the Reformation international and permanent.

The church could no longer contain 'heresy' - ideas against the teachings of the church.

Luther's ideas will spread widely as a result of the printing press. Reformers will exploit it.

Many printing presses found in the towns and cities of the Holy Roman Empire.

Also used to produce powerful images which could be widely circulated amongst the peasantry.

What was the name of the Pope who had seven children and was associated with poisoning, murder and extortion?

Alexander VI

What was the name of the Pope at the start of the Reformation?

Leo X

Name two methods used by the Papacy to extract huge amounts of money from Germany each year?

Taxes, sale of dispensations, indulgences, sale of offices

What was the role of the Pope?

Head of the Church, supreme legislator and judge, rules over most of central Italy

What nationality are most Popes?

Italian

Who does the Pope elect?

Cardinals

Who was the Pope served by?

The Curia/Papal Civil Service

What does the Papacy need to protect?

Land from foreign powers

What was the Church always in need of at this time?

Money (from Germany)

Who was Pope at the time?

Alexander VI

What did Cardinals do?

Elected the new Pope from their members

Who were the secular clergy?

The Pope, Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops, and Priests

What was the role of the Pope?

Head of the Church - supreme in all matters of faith e.g. Bible interpretation

What was the role of the Archbishops?

They were in charge of a province

How many Archbishops were there in the Empire?

6

How many bishops were there in the Empire?

40

What was the role of priests?

Part of a parish - the smallest section of a diocese

How was the Church important in day to day life?

The Church was the centre of community, often the most substantial building in a village and the only one made of stone, centre of festivals, people often relied on the Church for charity

How many sacraments were people expected to take part in?

7

How was the priest important?

Viewed as a vital connection between the common people and the Church

How was the Church important in relation to finance?

People paid taxes to the Church, the Church made money from selling Indulgences

What were sacraments?

Special ceremonies only the Church could perform

Who were the regular clergy?

Monks and friars were included in the regular clergy as well as the Curia

Who were enclosed monastic orders?

Monks who lived in monasteries with little contact with the outside world - prayed for salvation

Who were open monastic orders?

Friars who worked within society, preaching and teaching in universities or helping the poor and sick

Who were the Curia?

Civil service based in Rome

Give three examples of enclosed monastic orders.

Benedictines, Cistercians and Carthusians

Give three examples of open monastic orders.

Augustinians, Dominicans and Franciscans

What did the Church teach would happen to perfect souls after death?

They would enjoy entry into Heaven

What did the Church teach would happen to people who had minor sins on their conscience when they died?

Their souls went to purgatory until their sins had been cleansed.

What happened to people in purgatory?

They suffered tortures as they were cleansed for their earthly sins

What happened to people whose sins were cleansed?

They went to heaven

What did people buy to reduce time in purgatory?

Indulgences

By being obedient to the Church what did people think they could minimise?

Time in purgatory

What did people have to do to be obedient? (6 points)

Attend church, take past in annual cycle of religious ceremonies and rituals, obey the ten commandments, perform good works e.g. pilgrimage and charity, show devotion to Mary and the saints, participate in the seven sacraments

How did the living attempt to help those in purgatory?

The would say a requiem Mass, pray for the dead or buy Indulgences

What did people believe about people in purgatory?

They were still part of the spiritual church + could be helped by the living

Were the majority more concerned about this life or the afterlife?

This life

Why were the majority not really bothered about the Church's teachings?

The seven sacraments = low priority; some = one in a life time; penance = annual; Eucharist might only be three times a year, and services were done in Latin so most people don't understand official doctrine anyway

What did the majority's religious needs involve?

Getting God's help now

How were the religious needs of the majority met?

Sacramentals

What were sacramentals?

A huge array of semi magical practices, rituals and beliefs

Give three examples of sacramentals.

Loaf of baked bread was baked and blessed on Good Friday (averts fire); blessed candles were lit all year round; processing consecrated bread could ward off bad weather

Were the majority satisfied with the Church?

Yes - the church was meeting their needs and had the right answers + people enjoyed celebrations throughout the year e.g. the 12 Days of Christmas

What were the religious needs of the elite more in line with?

Official church doctrine

Were the elite more concerned with this life or the afterlife?

The afterlife

What did the elite want to be reassured by?

The idea that their souls would reach eternal salvation

How many holy relics did the Elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise have?

Over 19,000 holy relics

Give examples of three holy relics in Frederick the Wise's collection.

A twig from the Burning bush, a piece of bread from the last supper and a hair from Jesus' beard

What were the elite's criticisms for the Church usually targeted towards?

The sacramental - viewed as pagan/misleading

How many towns and cities were there in the Empire?

4000 towns and cities

What was the growth in Augsburg's population?

Doubled from 20,000 to 40,000 between 1500 and 1550

How was Spayer impacted by inflation?

Wages trebled between 1521 and 1621; prices of resources like rye, wheat and beans increased between 13 and 15 times

Where was the silver mining industry located?

Saxony, Bohemia and the Tyrol

In the 70 years before 1530 how had output of silver mining increased?

It increased fivefold in the 70 years before 1530

What were Germany's silver deposits like before the discovery of the New World and how were they impacted by the silver deposits?

Germany's mining industry provided most of Europe's bullion, due to large silver deposits, meaning German banking developed

What did Jakob Fugger the Rich of Augsburg do from 1515?

He moved from mine owning to being a financier and trader on an international scale

Who did Jakob Fugger the Rich lend money to in 1519 and why?

Charles V for bribes for the imperial election

How did the population growth along the Rhine and in north Germany impact the economy?

Led to demand for more food improvements in agricultural sector

What improvements were there in the agricultural sector along the Rhine + north Germany?

Careful selection of seeds + breeding of animals; better tools and deeper ploughing

What was the impact of an increased need for demand for consumer goods on manufacturing sectors in towns like Augsburg and Munich?

This led to a boom in textile production and manufacturing, which in turn led to a boom in trade on rivers that criss crossed the river.

Where did trade occur? (Which rivers)

Trade along the rivers Rhine, Danube, Elbe, Wesser and Spree

Where were the economic frustrations of the miners, manufacturers and merchants usually directed at this time?

Inept patrician city councils which were out of touch with the latest economic developments + yet thwarted all attempts of newly wealthy and upwardly mobile burghers to share their power

What was the problem of the myriad of borders in the empire? (in relation to trade)

The myriad of borders had to be crossed as one traded in the empire and customs duties were to be paid at each one

What was the problem of at North Germany's Baltic Ports? (in relation to trade)

Ports = in decline because in 1473 the Baltic's herring shoals had moved to the North Sea. The Baltic ports had depended on herring fishing for their livelihoods.

What was the problem with the Hanseatic League (an organisation of Baltic trading towns)?

They went into decline, made worse by Atlantic seaboard trade taking off in the 1540s. Originally, 120 towns had been in the League but by 1557 it had shrunk to 63.

What percentage of the empire's population were peasants?

70%

What was the population of the Empire?

12 million

How did population growth have a negative impact on peasants?

The custom of subdividing land equally between sons led to smaller and smaller landholdings, meaning many peasants would starve through a poor harvest (as it could mean hunger + high food prices)

What did Landlords to the west of the River Elbe do?

They increased rents + restricted the ability of peasants to tap into traditionally free sources of food by declaring hunting and fishing illegal + by enclosing land used for common grazing

Wat did Landlords to the east of the River Elbe do?

They reintroduced serfdom - forcing peasants to work harder and longer for no money and forbidding them from moving

How many peasant revolts were there between 1500 + 1525?

18

How many peasant revolts were there between 1400 and 1500?

21

How had inflation impacted urban labourers?

Negative impact -> their wages rarely kept up with food prices

How were urban labourers suffering in terms of their towns?

Towns had become segregated with the disadvantaged living in slums

How were urban labourers dealing with tensions?

There were tensions between classes leading to riots and anti-Semitic ideas

What was the problem of peasants who streamed into towns to escape rural poverty?

They failed to find work + many turned to begging; they were accused of being troublemakers + being criminals + carriers of diseases like the pox

What was the response of town councils to peasants?

Introduced laws to have beggars arrested, whipped + expelled