Martin Luther

"Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk, priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. His teachings inspired the Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines and culture of the Lutheran and Protestant traditions, as well as the course of Western civilization.

Luther's life and work are closely connected to the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Era in the West. His translation of the Bible furthered the development of a standard version of the German language and added several principles to the art of translation. His translation significantly influenced the English King James Version of the Bible. Due to the recently developed printing press, his writings were widely read, influencing many subsequent Reformers and thinkers, giving rise to diversifying Protestant traditions in Europe and elsewhere. Luther's hymns, including his best-known "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", inspired the development of congregational singing within Christianity. His marriage on June 13, 1525, to Katharina von Bora reintroduced the practice of clerical marriage within many Christian traditions. Today, nearly seventy million Christians belong to Lutheran churches worldwide, with some four hundred million Protestant Christians, tracing their history back to Luther's reforming work." ~ Wikipedia

This statue was originally dedicated in 1903 at the Concordia's original location in downtown St. Louis. When the seminary moved in 1926 to its present campus the statue was moved. The statue is an exact replica of one that exists in Worms, Germany. The statue in Germany is located where Luther made his famous speech at the Diet of Worms, "Here I Stand."