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Luther at the Diet of Worms

© John L. Hoh, Jr.

"Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise."

Almost every Lutheran knows these words which may or may not have been uttered by Martin Luther. These were ascribed to Luther as his conclusion to his answer to the Holy Roman Elector at the Diet of Worms. What was this diet, why was it called, and why Worms?

First, an explanation of the word "diet." This was not a nutritional regimen consisting solely of flexible, living tubes pulled from the ground. Rather, the word "diet" is a word used for an official governmental meeting. In Luther's day, the Pope called the shots and rulers were expected to carry out these orders. Thus we have a religious dispute chaired by a head of state. However, one of the keys of the Reformation is that state leaders began to worry about domestic affairs and often ignored the Pope's wishes. The Pope wanted "heretics" executed; German princes began staking out their turf politically; the Emperor, in a fragile coalition, gave the German princes leeway to maintain unity against outside foes, specifically the Ottomon Turks to the east.

Worms is a small town nestled in the Rhine. It is alleged to be the oldest city in Germany. Worms is a city that is located on the left bank of the Rhine river, about twenty miles northwest of Heidelberg. Its main significance is historical. In Roman times it was known as Borbetonus, and in Merovingian time became Wormatia, where the name Worms then came from. In the 400's,Worms was the subject of many heroic legends, such as the Niebelungenlied.

In the eighth century, a royal palace was built there. The Frankish kings occasionally resided there, including Charlemagne. Worms was also a major religious area, a home to many of the Episcopal bishops. Under the German kings the power of the bishops increased. Bishop Richard I destroyed the palace and built a cathedral in its place.

In 1525 Worms became Protestant. Many religious conferences were held there in 1540 and 1557. Though the city suffered severely in the Thirty Years' War it was reconstructed. Many of the antiquities from the middle ages still remain.

(Today Worms is the center of a rich wine-growing country, growing some of Germany's best wine. Other manufactured goods include machinery, cloth, furniture, chemicals, patent leather, paints, and cork. Because of its location on the Rhine and its excellent harbor, Worms carries on a lot of its trade by water. It is a beautiful city with historical and cultural significance.)