Luther in Eisenach
1497 AD
When Luther was fourteen his parents had managed to scrape together enough money to send him away to school. This was a privilege that only a handful of boys and a smaller number of high-born girls were able to enjoy at the time. Most children ceased schooling at the age of thirteen and were then either sent to work at a trade or taught domestic arts in preparation for an early marriage.
Luther was sent as a charity scholar to Magdeburg where, while his room and board was paid for, he was often compelled to sing, from door to door, for his supper. The schoolmasters were brutal in their treatment of the students but, despite the harsh environment, Luther loved to learn and he thrived.
The only thing that truly depressed him was the dark view of religion that seemed to pervade every aspect of life. Luther grew up in an age of superstition, fable, and fear. His parents had a little altar to Saint Anne, traditionally believed to be the mother of Jesus, in their home. She was the patron saint of miners and members of the Luther family would often pray to her for protection.
Luther's father also taught him that demons and evil spirits inhabited the woods surrounding their home and village. According to popular myths, these evil spirits were responsible for all manner of mischief including inclement weather events. In order to ensure protection from their wiles, the faithful were encouraged to wear charms, say prayers to saints, or engage in a number of other superstitious rituals.
But perhaps the most troubling misinformation Luther subscribed to from his earliest years was his perception of God and the afterlife. Not only did Luther quake at the orthodox medieval understanding of an eternally burning hellfire but he also saw God as nothing more than an angry, relentless judge, ready, at a moment's notice to condemn him and execute severe punishment for his sins.
After a brief period at Magdeburg, financial constraints compelled Luther's father to send him, St. George's School in Eisenach. Probably because his mother's relatives lived nearby and could, potentially, assist with food and other sundries not covered by what his father was able to pay.
At any rate, Luther's experience at Eisenach was no better than his experience at Magdeburg. He was still compelled to sing for his supper and was treated abusively by the angry citizens who found him knocking on their doors.
It was during his time in Eisenach that Luther met Conrad and Ursula Cotta. The fourteen year old Luther had had a difficult evening singing and begging for food. Every door was slammed in his face and he was treated to a colourful array of verbal and physical abuse. In addition to this it was the dead of winter, the ground was frozen and the landscape stripped clean of life.
In a last desperate attempt to find some food and a moment of shelter from the icy wind, Luther knocked on the door of the Cotta's home. While Luther was making his way down the street Ursula had been watching his progress from an upper window. She had seen how poorly he had been treated and when he made it to her home and began to sing, she flung open the door, invited him in and stuffed him full with food.
After a short conversation it was discovered that Luther's parents were related to Conrad Cotta who was a man of some importance in the city. The Cottas offered him room and board in their home, eliminating his need to go on begging for food. Luther lived with them for three years before he went on to study at the University of Erfurt.
