Bora, Katharina von

BORA, KATHARINA VON: Luther's wife; b. of an old family of Klein-Laussig, near Bitterfeld in Meissen, Jan. 29, 1499; d. at Torgau Dec. 20, 1552. She was placed in the Cistercian convent of Nimpsch at Grimma (17 m. s.e. of Leipsic) when a child and became a nun in 1515; with the cognizance of Luther she and eight other nuns fled from the convent Apr. 4, 1523, and repaired to Wittenberg. She is said to have refused an offer of marriage from Dr. Kasper Glatz, vicar at Orlamünde, and at the same time to have expressed a preference for Amsdorf or Luther. She was married to the latter June 13, 1525, and bore him six children. She proved a true wife, was a good housekeeper, and the marriage was a happy one. After Luther's 234death (Feb. 18, 1546) she remained at Wittenberg, much of the time in poverty. Her death was due to an accident which occurred as she was on the way, with her children, to Torgau to escape the plague at Wittenberg.

Bibliography: W. Beste, Die Geschichte Katharinas von Bora, Halle, 1843; F. G. Hofmann, Katharina von Bora oder Luther als Gatte und Vater, Leipsic, 1845; A. Stein, Katharina von Bora, Luthers Ehegemahl, Halle, 1897; A. Thoma, Katharina von Bora, Berlin, 1900. Consult also the various biographies of Luther. The chief of the many libels concerning Luther's marriage is Eusebius Engelhard's (Michael Kuen) Lucifer Wittenbergensis, 2 vols., Landsberg, 1747–49.