The first thing we need to note about Germany before the Reformation is that it is not to be confused with the modern nation of Germany. The Reformation in Germany, unlike expression such as the Reformation in England or Scotland, does not refer to the Reformation in the "country" of Germany but among the German-speaking people. The German nation as we now know it did not come into existence until the hundreds of small German-speaking principalities and dukedoms were united under the leadership and political inventiveness of Otto von Bismarck in the latter half of the 19th Century.
At the time of the Reformation, the German "nation" formed part of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled over by an emperor (the Kaiser). The emperor ruled until is retirement or death, but his son did not automatically descend to the throne. The new emporor was, instead, elected by seven "prince-electors," the powerful princes and archbishops of seven principalities designated by the treaty (the Golden Bull) which brought the Empire into existence. While this principle provided for the election of any suitable ruler to the throne, in reality it was mostly occupied by a small number of powerful families, the most famous of which was the extremely powerful Harpsburg. By the time of the 16th Cent, the Harpsburg ruled not only the territories of the Empire, including their own homeland (Austria) but also, by inter-marriage, Spain. Powerful as he was, the Emperor was nonetheless constrained often in what he could do by the powerful Electors. From time to time, consultations (or Diet) of the Emperor and the Electors would be called; these were usually remembered by the cities in which they were held. So the Diet of Worms, at which Martin Luther was called to defend himself, took place in the city of Worms. Martin Luther escaped death then only because Frederick the Wise, the prince of Saxony (Luther lived in Saxony), was one of the Electors, who was powerful enough to dare protect Luther because the Emporer, Charles V, was young and only elected recently.
Life in Germany before the Reformation showed no signs whatsoever that such a storm as the Reformation was to become would soon sweep over them. But, then, Luther never intended to rouse a storm; he merely wanted to question the spiritual value and validity of the Indulgence that was being put up for sale in the neighbouring province.
©ALBERITH
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