In Luther’s birthplace of Eisleben stands St Anne’s Church, which during the Reformation anniversary celebrations has become known for its special painting – the women of the Reformation in the [Central German] region depicted by Mariane Lepadus. In the style of the Last Supper, Lepadus depicted 12 women who were connected with the Reformation.
These 12 women of the Reformation all came from Central Germany. Among them is not Argula von Grumbach, because Argula lived in the southern part of Germany, in Bavaria (read about Argula here). The project “12 Women of the Reformation” took place mainly as research into the women of Central Germany who were active bearers of the Reformation. Who are these women? You will find out from our series of articles. In each article we will get to know 4 women of the Reformation:
Countess Anna II of Stolberg
Anna was born on 28 January 1504 in Germany and at the age of 12 acquired the title of Anna II, succeeding her predecessor Magdalena of Anhalt. Anna II ruled as a princess – abbess of Quedlinburg Abbey from 1516 until the day of her death on 4 March 1574.
Anna II is the first Protestant female ruler. In 1539 Anna turned to Luther’s ideas, but at first did not make this public. After the death of Duke George of Saxony, Anna II began to defend the ideas of the Reformation. This cost her both part of her privileges and part of the governing rights enjoyed by the Catholic rulers of monastic territories. Under the influence of Anna II’s Reformation ideas, both she and the nuns under her authority saw the opportunity to break their vows and leave the convent in order to marry. During Anna’s rule, Protestantism, Lutheranism, literally touched every family home under Anna’s authority. Thus Quedlinburg became a Protestant region.
Noteworthy is the fact that under Anna II’s administration were two monasteries for men, a hospital and nine churches. She established a consistory and set the salaries of school and church employees. She made all the priests who were in her territory swear by the Augsburg Confession. She converted the Franciscan monastery into a school for both boys and girls (this, however, caused her problems from the side of the order). But despite her unambiguous Protestant stance, later, when she felt that because of her age she could no longer lead the monastic territory alone, both the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor gave her permission to choose an assistant for herself.
In this painting, Anna II of Stolberg is depicted with keys in her hands (on the left in the image). The key symbolises power over the monastic territory (which was part of the Holy Roman Empire).
Katharina von Schwarzburg
Katharina von Schwarzburg (on the right in the upper image) was born in 1509 into a noble family. At the age of 15, in 1524, she married Count Henry XXXII, but already in 1538, when Katharina was expecting her sixth child, her husband died. Katharina was left a widow. Despite this, the emperor granted Katharina power over Rudolstadt and Blankenburg, together with Heidecksburg Castle, where Katharina resided and ruled until she died in 1567. After the death of her husband (who was a convinced Catholic), Katharina set about reforming her lands in accordance with the ideas of Protestantism. In accordance with the teaching on the priesthood of all believers, Katharina decided to intervene in church matters as well and to regulate them. The Countess actively participated in both imperial and church politics. She appointed Protestant preachers and teachers and also improved education in the schools. Katharina allowed Protestant preachers who were persecuted in the empire to take refuge in her lands. The most famous Reformation preacher to whom Katharina granted refuge was the priest Caspar Aquila (1488-1560), who was persecuted by the emperor.
In the painting, Katharina von Schwarzburg is depicted with a letter, symbolising her diplomatic skills.
Princess Anna of Denmark and Norway, Electress of Saxony
Anna was born on 22 November 1532 into the family of Christian III, King of Denmark and Norway, and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Anna married the Elector of Saxony, Augustus. Despite the fact that the couple were married for political reasons, Anna and Augustus formed a harmonious family. Anna was always at her husband’s side, and during their 37-year marriage the couple were apart only a few times.
Princess Anna played a significant role in religious politics; she wrote diplomatic letters, of which 25,000 have survived to this day. Anna herself prepared medicines and distributed them to the subjects of her lands free of charge, for which she earned the nickname “Mother Anna.” Anna founded a pharmacy and two laboratories, and invented stomach plasters, eye drops and a water containing medicine to calm the heart. Anna also corresponded with well-known physicians and personally trained young women in the gathering of medicinal herbs, and wrote a book of medicinal recipes.
In the painting, Princess Anna is depicted with a bunch of chamomile, symbolising her skills in healing (on the left in the image).
Katharina of the Stolberg family
Katharina, the abbess or head of Druebeck Abbey, was born around 1463. In 1501 Katharina was appointed head of the abbey. In the unrest caused by the Reformation, she was nonetheless able to keep the life of the abbey going. Step by step she tried to reform the abbey. Two of her brother’s sons studied in Wittenberg, where they became acquainted with the views of Luther and Melanchthon, and themselves became preachers of the new teaching. Through them the Lutheran teaching reached Katharina as well. However, at the time when the Peasants’ War began to reach the region in which Druebeck Abbey was located, Katharina, foreseeing the danger, herself left the abbey and instructed the nuns to return to their families, because the count could not guarantee the safety of these women.
After a year and a half, 20 women returned to the abbey. The time of change had also touched the abbey, for a new owner of the abbey arrived and, because of the reforms, the women could wear only ordinary cloaks. Holy Communion was given in both kinds. Relics lost their significance. Count Botho (Katharina’s brother) supported his sister in having the previous rituals abolished in the abbey and the new teaching introduced. This took a few more years, and at last it became an Evangelical abbey with six residents. In this way Katharina of the Stolberg family became both the last Catholic abbess and the first Evangelical abbess.
In the painting, Katharina of the Stolberg family is depicted dressed in a Benedictine habit with a model of Druebeck Abbey in her hands (in the image at the top – on the right).
Photo: LLSTA
Related articles: Women of the Reformation in Central Germany, Part II