The House of Mansfeld was a princely German house, which took its name from the town of Mansfeld in the present-day state of Saxony-Anhalt. Mansfelds were archbishops, generals, supporters as well as opponents of Martin Luther, and Habsburg administrators.
Mansfeld in 1650
Mansfeld Castle
Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation, and his theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Western and Christian history.
Martin Luther, 1529
Portraits of Luther's parents, Hans and Margarethe Luther, by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1527
In July 1505, Luther entered St. Augustine's Monastery in Erfurt
Luther's residence at the University of Wittenberg, where he began teaching theology in 1508