Nearly 500 years later, Wittenberg, Germany, continues to celebrate the wedding of Martin Luther to Katharina von Bora.

Few wedding anniversaries are celebrated beyond the lifetime of those directly involved. Martin Luther’s marriage to Katharina von Bora in the 1500s, however, is celebrated annually in Wittenberg, Germany. For three days each June, “Luthers wedding” festival recalls the marriage, which in its time, created quite a stir.

Wedding festival

Each year, the locals dress in berets, hoods and doublets to greet visitors in the traditional garb of the town’s most famous resident. Craftsmen and peasants sell their goods at a medieval market. Musicians and other artists provide entertainment. Innkeepers keep everyone in good spirits with their spirits.

In the Luther House courtyard, a wedding banquet is celebrated features a variety of music. For children, there are activities and “chances to prove one’s courage,” according to the tourist office. But the festival’s highlight is a historical pageant featuring about 1,000 participants.

Katharina's life

While much is known about Luther’s life, his bride, Katharina is a bit more of a mystery. Her mother died when she was quite young and her father quickly remarried, sending 5-year-old Katharina to a Benedictine Cloister. She took her vows to become a nun when she was 16. She grew dissatisfied with her religious life after several years and conspired with a few other nuns to flee the convent.

It was Luther who helped Katharina and the other nuns. He helped arrange employment, homes and marriages for each of them with the exception of Katharina. Although it is said she had numerous suitors, the matches never worked out. She then told one of Luther’s fellow reformers, Nikolaus von Amsdorf, that she would be willing to marry either him or Luther. Twenty-six-year-old Katharina and 42-year-old Luther married in June of 1525.

Clergy marriages

The marriage, although not the first, set the stage for clergy marriages. Luther had condemned celibacy vows, but his marriage surprised many. Because of the marriage and her actions therafter, Katharina is thought to be one of the Reformation’s most important women.

Life as a married couple

A year later, Luther, who had previously said he would never marry, confided to a friend: "Catharina, my dear rib ... is, thanks to God, gentle, obedient, compliant in all things, beyond my hopes. I would not exchange my poverty for the wealth of Croesus.”

As Luther’s partner, Katharina managed the holdings of the monastery, worked with breeding and selling the cattle, and dealt with running the brewery. During times of illness, she opened an on-site hospital and helped with the sick. Luther nicknamed her the “morning star of Wittenberg,” because she rose so early and the “boss of Zulsdorf,” which was the name of their farm.