Lutheran History

August 11, 1519: Johann Tetzel, the German Dominican priest whose peddling of indulgences inspired Martin Luther to write his 95 Theses, dies. Throughout Germany he infamously preached, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” Even the papal envoy eventually criticized him. As for Luther, though he once called Tetzel “the primary author of this tragedy,” when he heard Tetzel lay dying, wrote the friar a letter of comfort: “Don’t take it too hard. You didn’t start this racket” (see issue 34: Luther’s Early Years).