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Electors of Saxony in Luther’s Time: Frederick the Wise

© John L. Hoh, Jr.

During Luther's career in Wittenberg, he served under and was protected by three Electors of Saxony. This meant that the ruler of that portion of Saxony, known as Electoral Saxony, had a vote in the election of the Holy Roman Emperor. Seven people had a vote in the election of this so-called emperor: three spiritual or cleric electors (the bishop of Mainz, the bishop of Trier, and the bishop of Köln) and four temporal or lay electors (the king of Bohemia, the count Palatine of the Rhine, the elector of Saxony, and the margrave of Brandenburg). The Holy Roman Empire (sacrum Romanum imperium) covered roughly modern day Germany.

The first Elector in Luther's career was the second elector in the Ernestine line of Electors of Saxony, named after the founding elector, Elector Ernst of the House of Wettin. This elector was Friedrich III, known commonly as "Frederick the Wise." Frederick himself had little personal contact with Luther and remained Roman Catholic. It is believed the only time Frederick and Luther were in the same room together was at the Diet of Worms. He communicated with Luther chiefly through his chaplain and secretary, Spalatin.

Friedrich was born in 17 January 1463 at Hartenfels Castle, Torgau. He was the first son of the Elector Ernst of the House of Wettin. His mother was Elisabeth, daughter of Albert, Duke of Bavaria.

In 1486 he succeeded his father (together with his younger brother John) as the sovereign of the Ernestine Saxony, which had been formed after the Leipziger partition of the estate in 1485. Historians portray Frederick as a man of peaceful conciliation who kept his territory out of all warfare during his reign.

Friedrich was an avid promoter of knowledge and art. He transformed the town of Wittenberg into his representative residence through the construction of his Castle, the Castle Church and the university (founded in 1502). During Luther's lifetime Wittenberg became the home and intellectual center of the Reformation movement. Frederick and his successors became reliable protectors, although Frederick stayed active in the background. Friedrich was deeply imbued with late medieval devoutness, but recognized the necessity of a reformation of the erstwhile Papal church. A reason he protected Luther was that he resented "good Saxon money flowing to Rome." He forbad John Tetzel from selling indulgences in Saxony (although Saxons still crossed the river to buy them anyway).

Pope Leo X nominated Frederick as a candidate for Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, but Frederick instead helped secure the election of Charles V.