Ulrich von Hutten (1488–1523) was a German scholar, poet, and reformer, recognized for his contributions during the Renaissance and Reformation periods. He allied himself with Martin Luther and other reformers, advocating for religious and political change in Germany. He also supported the dissolution of Germany’s ties with the papacy.
Born into the minor nobility in Burg Steckelberg, near Schlitz, Hesse, Hutten received a humanist education and became a vocal critic of the Church’s corruption and political power.
Hutten published Vadiscus, sive Colloquia menippeae (1518, Dialogue of Vadiscus,) a satirical work criticizing the Roman Curia and advocating for reform within the Church. Another notable publication was Epistolae Obscurorum Virorum (1515–17, Letters of Obscure Men,) a collection of satirical letters mocking the scholasticism and corruption of the clergy. His vigorous series of satiric pamphlets on Luther’s behalf, which were first published in Latin, were subsequently translated into German in his Gesprächbüchlein (1522; Little Conversation Book.)
Ulrich joined the forces of Franz von Sickingen in the Knights’ War (1522) against the German princes. Following the defeat of their cause, Ulrich fled to Switzerland, where he was refused help by his former friend Erasmus. The legend of Ulrich as a warrior for freedom has been much romanticized in German literature, notably by C.F. Meyer in Huttens letzte Tage (1871; Hutten’s Last Days.)
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That charity which longs to publish itself, ceases to be charity.
—Ulrich von Hutten
Topics: Charity
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