Luther, Martin (1483-1546) German religious reformer; founder of the Reformation and of Protestantism. He became an Augustinian friar in 1506 and was ordained priest in 1507; he was a theology professor from 1512-46. On October 31, 1517, he nailed to the church door at Wittenberg 95 theses questioning the value of indulgences sold by the church and condemning the means used to sell them. Luther's theses were translated from Latin into German and, aided by the printing press, were widely disseminated. He rejected the belief that freedom from God's punishment could be bought and preached the doctrine of salvation by faith rather than by works. He denied the supremacy of the pope and taught that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge. When he was excommunicated by Pope Leo X in 1521, he publicly burned the bull. Luther's translation of the Bible into German made it widely accessible. His marriage to Katharina von Bora, a former nun, gave the stamp of approval to clerical marriage. His virulent anti-Semitism, rationalized by his failure to convert the Jews to Christianity, left an enduring legacy.

Autograph Manuscript Signed "Martinus Luther D," one page, 13¼ x 8 7/8 in. (340 x 225mm), 1543. Seventeen lines in German, commenting on the seventh verse of Psalm II, with subscription, "Credo & Salvus eris," and signature in Latin, three ownership inscriptions on the lower portion of the leaf, and an incorrect German translation of Luther's subscription written beneath it in a different hand. Some discoloration, minor worming, stain in lower left corner, possibly obliterating an inscrition. The manuscript begins: "Der Herr sprach zu mire du bist mein Son / Heute hab ich dich gezeuget [The Lord said to me, "Thou are my Son / Today have I begotten thee]. He continues, "In diesem Spruch ist bekand Das Gott sey ein Gott ynn drei personen unterschiedlich…Zu Welchen Engel hat er ehe mals gesagt Du bist mein Son, Heute habe ich dich gezeuget?"

The survival of the original manuscript of this commentary was unknown when the text, previously known only from a transcript and earlier printed versions, was prepared for publication in the Weimar edition of the Werke (xlviii, 22, no. 28, Weimar 1927). The present manuscript is, however, described on page XXXIX of the Introduction to the same volume, which was completed later. It is said to have been recently discovered there as the flyleaf of a folio Wittenberg Bible of 1541.

Provenance

1. In the 16th century, it belonged to "M.R." who added a two-line inscription in Latin between Luther's signature and the date 1543. He may have been the original recipient.
2. Johannes Mylichius, Minister of the church in Panizsch ("in Ecclesia Panizschensis Minister Crucis et [Lunt.?] 2 Sept"). 16th century.
3. Matthias Rossmeussell, in the 17th century Pastor in Dornreichenbach (diocese of Grimma, near Chemnitz), who added his signature with a two-line inscription between Luther's subscription and signature.
4. Otto Richter, bookseller in Chemnitz in 1926. He owned the Bible, with the manuscript leaf, and published his discovery in the Chemnitzer Allgem. Zeitung on 18 February 1926, before making the Bible available to the editors of Luther Werke, Weimarer Ausgabe (where the manuscript was published in 1927).

The Bible, including the Luther manuscript, was probably in the Chemnitz or Leipzig area from an early date. We do not know when after 1927 the leaf was extracted from the Bible.
Estimated Value $25,000 - 50,000.
Christie's, Nov. 24, 1993, lot 109, £15,000 ($22,000).