16th century revolutionary’s words resonate today: review of new book on Thomas Muntzer
“Who was Thomas Muntzer? Simple: he was a Devil, he was Satan, he was a Ravening Wolf and a False Prophet who stirred up murder, rebellion and bloodshed. Or so, at least, said Martin Luther, the theologian [who] opened the gates to the Reformation movement.”
Andrew Drummond’s marvellous new book, The Dreadful History and Judgement of God on Thomas Muntzer: The life and times of an early German Revolutionary, published by Verso, is “the definitive” biography of the sixteenth century revolutionary, in the words of one Marxist historian.
Drummond explains how Muntzer developed from a radical theologian in the Catholic Church to a revolutionary, and how he used his position as a priest to try to convince the poor to fight for a free society.
Muntzer played a key role in a mass revolutionary peasant movement across Germany in 1524-1525. Drummond argues that they were years “of tremendous excitement and activity in Germany, the like of which were not seen ... until perhaps the chaos and creativity of the revolutionary years immediately after 1918”.
In his book The German Peasant War, Friedrich Engels argued that Muntzer was “a representative of a budding proletariat” and the heart and soul of a revolutionary movement that threatened feudalism. Drummond’s new research confirms it.
From the late fifteenth century discontent was everywhere, from the peasants to town dwellers and even the lower ranks of the aristocracy.
“[Christianity] was the common language of all.” And dissident ideas (heresies) in the powerful Catholic Church were rife. Drummond argues that “heresy was almost the only way in which unrest could manifest itself”.
Luther opposed the Church’s increasing turn to secular money-making by swindling its followers. But he argued that only reforms acceptable to the secular authorities were endorsed by God.
Muntzer went further, arguing that the church—and indeed all the social, economic and political institutions of feudalism—had to be destroyed if the poor were to be free.
Democratic reforms he introduced to church services were popular with the poor. He turned the alter around so the priest addressed the congregation rather than preaching with his back to them. During mass, everyone was given both a wafer representing the body of Christ and a sip of wine, representing his blood—previously only the priest got to drink the wine.
Like other reformers, Muntzer translated hymns and psalms sung in the mass into German from the traditional Latin. But his were very “liberal” translations; “guides to action” says Drummond. They sang in the church about overthrowing their oppressors!
His sermons in Allstedt in 1523 attracted up to 2,000, many of whom walked long distances, including miners from 20 kilometres away.
Drummond documents the massive rebellion over large areas of Germany. The peasantry mobilised in bands, created democratic councils, and marched across the country burning down castles and churches. They regarded the riches they plundered as the product of their toil and used it to provision their armies.
In response, Luther argued that violently suppressing the peasants was Godly work. It is said that anything between 100,000 and 300,000 out of a population of 4 to 5 million were slaughtered by reactionary armies.
Drummond writes of the rival theologians: “In May 1525, Muntzer stood with the lowest members of society, Luther with the highest”. This explains why Luther is much better known than Muntzer.
Drummond’s portrait of Muntzer provides a role model for socialists today.
He passionately believed that the peasants and the poor could, and must, win a free society themselves.
His visceral hatred of the rich and powerful comes across even when he writes to a Count he is trying to placate: “you miserable, wretched sack of maggots—who made you a prince over the people?”
In the face of counter-revolutionary savagery, Drummond finds that he “did not shirk his revolutionary duty”. He was tortured then beheaded along with his close collaborator, Johanne Pfeiffer, in May 1525.
Drummond concludes:
“Perhaps he did not achieve much, but he saw beyond the present and aimed for the future. Read his words ... their relevance has not aged ... ‘Look: the origin of usury, theft and robbery lies with our lords and princes, who treat all creatures as their own: the fish in the water, the birds in the air, the plants in the earth—everything must be theirs. And they then proclaim [that] God has commanded that you shall not steal. But of course that does not apply to themselves.’”
The words of a sixteenth century revolutionary resonate across the centuries, uniting all the exploited and oppressed in a common struggle for human emancipation. What better reason to learn about him and the movement he led?
Sandra Bloodworth will introduce a session “Black Forest Rebellion: The German Peasant War of the 16th century” at the Marxism Conference over the Easter long weekend.
