Luther Committed Suicide?

Here's one from Rome's defenders of the past, they argued Luther committed suicide by hanging:

"Thomas Bozio's book, De signis ecclesiae (Rome, 1591), the first literary representation of the legend of Luther's suicide, called forth a lively dispute on Luther's death, which continued till about 1688. The Protestants contributed nine, the Catholic polemics twenty-six works. The dispute was set in motion again only in 1889 by Majunke, but Majunke was refuted so thoroughly by Nikolaus Paulus in 1896 that the Lugende has seldom ventured to show itself in literature since" [Heinrich Boehmer, Luther and the Reformation in the Light of Modern Research (London: G. Bell and Sons LTD., 1930) pp. 361-362].

Thomas Bozio's account of Luther's hanging is found below in Addendum #1. His account was repurposed centuries later in the nineteenth century by Roman Catholic priest and journalist, Paul Majunke. in his book, Luther's Lebensende. He was thoroughly refuted. Schaff states, 

[Majunke's] story is that Luther, after a hearty supper, in which he, as usual, freely indulged in wine, died suddenly, unexpectedly, and miserably by his own hand. His chief authority is an unknown servant of Luther, who, many years after his death, is reported to have stated that he found his master on the morning of February 18th, 1546, “juxta lectum suum, pensilem et misere strangulatum” ["hanging near his bed and miserably strangled"].  All his other authorities are rabid Romanists—Cochlaeus, Cornelius a Lapide, Sedulius, Bozius, Helmesius, Hosius—and merely repeat, with various modifications and partial contradictions, the rumor of sudden and violent death of Luther, inflicted on him either by his own hand, or by the devil.

What follows are the details from various sources.

Note on the Death of Luther from: A Protestant Dictionary: Containing Articles on the History, Doctrines, and Practices of the Christian Church.

— During the course of 1890, the Rev. Paul Majnnke, Roman Catholic Pfarrer of Hochkirch, near GrossGlogan on the Oder, in Eastern Prussia, published a work on "Luther's Lebensende" (Mainz, Kupferberg, 1890). Herr Majnnke, then a priest, was formerly editor of the Germania and other Roman Catholic papers, and for a time member of the Prussian House of Deputies, and of the German Reichstag. In the pamphlet referred to he has tried to prove by "historical investigation" that Luther did not, as ordinarily believed, die a natural death, but committed suicide, and that the fact was concealed by those who knew the truth of the matter. The pamphlet of Herr Majunke caused much jubilation in Ultramontane circles, and drew forth many pamphlets and articles. Professor Kostlin of Halle, Professor Eawerau of Kiel, and Professor Kolde of Erlangen, with others, however, successfully demolished the "house built upon the sand," and exposed the "cunningly devised" story. Majunke published a reply to Prof. Kolde and his other assailants, entitled Die Historische Kritik über Luthert Leben Ende (Mainz, 1890). The rejoinder of the Erlangen Professor, Noch einmal Luthers Selbstmord, was crushing.

The death of Luther took place on the morning of February 18, 1546. The event was unexpected, and his sudden death was much commented on, not only by the friends, but by the enemies of the Reformation. A professed account of the incidents connected with the examination of the Reformer's body by Civis Manefeldensii, marked by brutal coarseness, is given by Luther's first Roman Catholic biographer, Cochlaeus, in the later editions of his work, De Actit et Seriptit Lutheri, published in 1565 and 1567. It is not in the first edition, published in 1549. But even that account from an anonymous correspondent does not hint at Luther's having committed suicide. Professor Kolde conclusively proves that no Roman Catholic historian of the sixteenth century ventured to express any doubt whatever concerning the truth of the " history " drawn up by Dr. Justus Jonas and the friends present on the occasion. The Roman Catholic historians of that century, of course, are full of such charitable expressions as that "he yielded up his soul to the devil," and that he "descended to Satan." Romish writers of the next century depict Luther as having died in tortures, or having, like Arius, shed out his bowels.

Majunke asserts that the only account of Luther's end which the biographers of Luther have made use of is the " history " drawn up by Dr. Justus Jonas. The statement, as Kolde points out, is false. Justus Jonas drew up a letter to the Elector at four o'clock in the morning, not two hours after Luther had expired. That letter stated that there were present at his death the Court Preacher, Cœlins, J. Jonas, Luther's two younger sons, Paul and Martin, his servant Ambrose, his landlord Hans Albrecht, the notary, Count Albrecht of Mansfeld and his wife, Count von Schwarzburg, and two doctors. Two letters are extant, written also at the same time, to the Elector by Count Albrecht himself, and by Prince Wolfgang of Anhalt. Another letter, written that same day, by Aurifaber, raises the number of eye-witnesses to sixteen, among whom were Aurifaber himself and Count Hans George of Mansfeld, from the latter of whom also there is a letter written the very same day to Duke Maurice of Saxony. Besides, there is extant another letter written on the same day by J. Friedrich, Councillor of Eisleben, to his uncle, the well-known J. Agrícola. Friedrich was not an eye-witness, but he gives the medical opinion of the doctors, who ascribed the death to a stroke of paralysis, brought on by the closing up of a wound in his leg from which the Reformer had suffered for years.

The Court Preacher, Coelius, delivered on February 20 the first address at the grave, in which he mentions that the corpse of the Reformer had been viewed by a large number of people, who crowded in to see his remains when the sad event was announced. Some time afterwards the " history " or Report of the Christian Death of Luther was drawn up at the request of the Elector by J. Jonas and M. Coilius. The facts mentioned in that Report are confirmed by the evidence already referred to, all of which is totally suppressed by Majnnke.

Forty-three years after Luther's death the Oratorian Thomas Bozius in 1593 asserted, in his De Signa Eccleiiœ, that he had heard from the testimony of one who had as a boy been a servant to Luther, that Luther hung himself with a rope. The same writer asserts that several of the Reformers died awful deaths. Oecolampadius was strangled, Calvin died of the lousy disease, while a horrible devil frightened all those who were present at the deathbed of Martin Bucer. Bozius is the first authority on which Paul Majunke depends. A fuller account is given by Sednlius, in his Prcetcriptionei adtv Heresies (Antwerp, 1606), sixty years after Luther's death, which is reprinted as the fullest and most reliable authority in Majunke's pamphlet, pp. 95-97. The name of the informant, however, is not given, and the writer shows his fitness for the work of a historian, by setting forth as equally trustworthy another account (suppressed without notice by P. Majunke), by one whose name is given, Tileman Bredebach, written in 1587, who states that all the demoniacs, then at the shrine of St. Dymna at Brabant in hope of being cured by that saint, were freed from evil spirits on the day that Luther was buried, and were again possessed by the evil spirits the day after ; the reason being, as discovered by due interrogatories, that the Prince of the Devils summoned them to attend Martin Luther's funeral, which they did in the form of ravens, who in incredible numbers accompanied Luther's corpse to its last resting-place ! !

Such are Herr Majunke's authorities. Other grave misrepresentations of fact abound in his work. It is important to put such misstatements on record, because such charges are often brought up by those who desire to deprave the character of the Reformers. [C. H. H. W.] [source] 

The Suicide Legend: The story of Luther's suicide was revived by P. Majunke (R. C.) in his Luther's Lebensende, Mainz, 1890; 5th ed., 1891. He was answered by E. Bliimel, Luthers Lebensende, Barm., 1890; G. Kawerau, Luther's Lebensende, Barm., 1890 ; T. Kolde, Luthers Selbstmord, Leipz., 1890; G. Rietschel, Luthers sel. Heimgang, Halle, 1890; F. W. Schnbart, Wie starb M. Luther, Dess., 1892. After a thorough investigation of all the evidence, a Roman Catholic scholar, W. Panlus, in his Luthers Lebensende nnd der Eislebener Apotheker, Mainz, 1896 (see Th. Litz., 1897, No. 11) and especially in his Lnthers Lebensende, Freib. i. B., 1897, has reached the same conclusion as the Protestant opponents of Majunke and gives a final quietus to the legend. Philip Schaff gives a resume of the case in his article, Did Luther Commit Suicide? in Mag. of Chr. Lit., N. Y.,Dec., 1890, 161 ff. [source]

Addendum #1 Thomas Bozius (Tommaso Bozio) on Luther's Hanging
Tommaso Bozio (1548–1610) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and Counter-Reformation historian. In 1591, he wrote a two-volume book entitled De signis ecclesiae Dei libri XXIV (24 Books about the Signs of the Church of God). He cites both Martin Luther and John Calvin at length. In volume two, he writes:

Veniamus ad auctores hareſum noſtri temporis. Lutherus cùm veſpere lautè cœnaſſet, ac lætus ſomno ſe dediſſer, ea nocte ſuffocatus int Audiui haud ita pridem compertum teſtimonio ſui familiaris, qui tum puer illi ſeruiebat, & ſuperioribus annis ad noſtros ſe recepit, Lutherū ibimetipſi laqueo iniecto necem miſerrimam attuliſſe, ſed datum protinus cunctis domēſticis rei conſciis iuſiurandum, ne factum diuulgarent, ob honorem adiecere Euāgelij.

DeepL English translation:

Let us come to the authors of the heresies of our time. Luther, having dined sumptuously in the evening and happily given himself to sleep, was suffocated that night. I heard, not long ago, from the testimony of his own servant, who at that time was a boy in his service, and in later years he joined our side, having brought about Luther's most miserable death by hanging himself with his own noose, but all the household servants who knew of the matter were immediately sworn to keep the deed secret, for the sake of adding honor to the Gospel.

 

Addendum #2 A Firsthand Account of Luther's Last Hours by Justus Jonas

Here is the written report Justus Jonas provided as he spent time with Luther in his final hours. Below is an excerpt via a rough English A.I. translator:

On Wednesday, February 17th, however, the Lords and Counts, and all of us, asked Dr. Martin himself that he would not go into the large room for the negotiations before noon, but rather rest. He then lay in his small chamber on a leather pallet and also walked about and prayed in the chamber. Nevertheless, in the evening and morning, he sat at the table in his chair in the large room. During that last supper (before he peacefully passed away in God shortly before three o'clock the next morning), he spoke many important words and discourses about death and the coming eternal life, saying among other things: "Ah, dear God, twenty years is a short time, yet in that short time, the world becomes desolate."

-snip-

Not long after these words, he stood up and went into his small chamber. His two young sons, Martinus and Paulus, and Master Coelius soon followed him. Following his custom, he lay by the window in the chamber to pray. Master Coelius went back down, and Joannes Aurifaber of Weimar came up. The Doctor said, 'I feel so unwell and anxious, as before, around my chest... When he felt a tightness or pain in his chest, the Countess gave him some unicorn (shaved horn). He asked if he should take it, and the Doctor said yes. Meanwhile, Johannes, before going to the Countess, hurried down to call Dr. Jonas and Master Coelius, who had been away for no longer than it takes to say two Our Fathers, and they quickly ran back up.

When we came up, he complained bitterly of the pain in his chest. Following his usual habit as he did at home, we immediately rubbed him well with warm cloths, which he found helpful, and he said he felt better. Count Albrecht himself then came running with Master Johannes, bringing the unicorn. The Count asked, "How are you, dear Herr Doctor?" To which the Doctor replied, "There is no need for worry, gracious Lord; it is beginning to improve." Then Count Albrecht himself shaved the unicorn for him.

After the Doctor felt some relief, the Count left him again, but one of his councilors, Conrad von Wolframsdorf, remained with us—Dr. Jonas, Master Coelius, Johannes, and Ambrosius—to stay by his side.. The doctors requested that he be given the shaved unicorn horn again in a spoonful of wine. Conrad von Wolframsdorf first took a spoonful himself so that the Doctor would be less hesitant to take it.

Around nine o’clock, he lay down on the daybed and said: "If I could slumber for half an hour, I hope everything would be better." He then slept softly and naturally for an hour and a half until half past ten. We—Dr. Jonas, Master Michael Coelius, along with his servant Ambrosius and his two young sons, Martin and Paul—remained by his side.

When he woke up exactly at ten o’clock, he said: "See, are you still sitting here? Shouldn’t you go to bed?" We answered: "No, Herr Doctor, we shall stay awake and watch over you." With that, he desired to get up and rose from the daybed. He went into the chamber right next to the room, which was protected from all drafts with windows. Although he did not complain of anything there, as he stepped over the threshold of the chamber, he said: "As God wills, I am going to bed. Into Your hands I commend my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth.

When he went to bed, which was well-prepared with warm boards and cushions, he lay down, shook hands with all of us, said goodnight, and spoke: "Dr. Jonas and M. Celi, and you others, pray for our Lord God and His Gospel, that it may go well with it; for the Council of Trent and the wretched Pope are very angry with it." Dr. Jonas, his two sons, Martinus and Paulus, his servant Ambrosius, and other servants remained with him in the chamber that night. 

Throughout these twenty-one days, lights were kept in the chamber every night, but that same night the little room was also kept warm. He slept well, with natural snoring, until the clock struck one. Then he woke up and called his servant Ambrosius to heat the room. But as it had been kept warm all night and Ambrosius the servant returned, Dr. Jonas asked him if he felt weak again. He replied: "Ah Lord God, how I am in such pain! Ah dear Doctor Jonas, I believe I shall remain here in Eisleben (where I was born and baptized). Upon this, Dr. Jonas and Ambrosius the servant answered: "Ah, Reverend Father, God our heavenly Father will help through Christ, whom you have preached." Then he went through the room into the small chamber without help or being led by the hand. As he stepped over the threshold, he spoke these words as if he were going to bed: "In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum, Redemisti me Domine DEUS veritatis" (Into your hands I commend my spirit, You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth). He also walked back and forth once or twice in the small chamber, then lay down on the daybed and complained that the pressure around his chest was very hard, but it still spared his heart.

Then, as he had requested and as was the custom in Wittenberg, he was rubbed with warm cloths, and cushions and pillows were warmed for him, for he said it helped him greatly when he was kept warm. Before all this, and as the Doctor lay down on the daybed, Master Coelius came running quickly from his room next to ours, and soon after him, Johannes Aurifaber. Then they hurriedly called the host, Johann Albrecht, the town clerk, and his wife were awakened, as were the two medical doctors in the city who, because they lived nearby, all came running within a quarter of an hour.

First came the host with his wife, followed by Master Simon Wild, a physician, and Dr. Ludwig, a medical doctor. Shortly thereafter, Count Albrecht arrived with his consort, the Countess, who brought various spices and refreshments and tirelessly devoted herself to reviving him with all kinds of restorative measures. But in the midst of all this, the Doctor said, "Dear God, I am in great pain and anxiety; I am passing away, I will surely remain here in Eisleben." Then Dr. Jonas and Master Coelius comforted him and said, "Reverend Father, call upon your dear Lord Jesus Christ, our high priest, the only mediator; you have had a great, good sweat, and God will grant that it becomes better."

He answered and said, "Yes, it is a cold death-sweat; I will give up my spirit, for the illness is increasing." Thereupon he began and said:

"O my heavenly Father, a God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you God of all comfort, I thank you that you have revealed to me your dear Son Jesus Christ, in whom I believe, whom I have preached and confessed, whom I have loved and praised, whom the wretched Pope and all the godless shame, persecute, and blaspheme. I pray you, my Lord Jesus Christ, let my soul be commended to you [(He spoke {this} so soulfully) that he was actually, without a doubt, humbling himself before God, as if he were to say: "What a poor creature am I compared to You, You great, infinite, and eternal Majesty!"]  O heavenly Father, though I must leave this body and be torn away from this life, yet I know for certain that I shall remain with you forever, and no one can pluck me out of your hands."

He also spoke further: "Sic DEUS dilexit mundum, vt vnigenitum filium suum daret, vt omnis, qui credit in eum non pereat, sed habeat vitam æternam" (For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life). And the words from the 68th Psalm: "DEUS noster DEUS saluos faciendi, & DOMINUS est Dominus educendi ex morte." That is in German: "We have a God of salvation, and a LORD, a Lord, who leads us out from the midst of death."

During this, the Magister tried one more very precious medicine, which he always carried in his pocket for emergencies, of which the Doctor took a spoonful. But he said once more: "I am departing; I will give up my spirit." He therefore said three times very quickly in succession: "Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum, Redemisti me DEVS veritatis" (Father, into your hands I commend my spirit; You have redeemed me, O God of truth)...

As he became so still, Dr. Jonas and M. Celius called out loudly to him: "Reverend Father, will you die steadfast in Christ and the doctrine as you have preached it?" He spoke so that it could be clearly heard, "Yes." With that, he turned onto his right side and began to sleep for almost a quarter of an hour, so that there was even hope for improvement. But the doctors and we all said that the sleep was not to be trusted; they diligently shone lights under his face.

Meanwhile, Count Hans Heinrich von Schwarzenburg arrived with his wife. Soon after, the Doctor's face grew very pale; his feet and nose became cold. He took a deep, yet gentle, breath, with which he gave up his spirit, with stillness and great patience, so that he no longer moved a finger or a limb. And no one could notice (this we testify before God on our conscience) any restlessness, torment of the body, or pains of death, but instead fell asleep peacefully and gently in the Lord, as Simeon sings.

In him, the saying of John in chapter 8 was truly fulfilled: "Truly, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death eternally." This verse from John 8 was his last handwriting, which he also wrote in a Bible as a remembrance for people; and that same handwriting of his came to Elrich Hans Gasman, the Rentmeister of Hohnstein, in the front of a house postil. Our dearest, beloved father also interpreted this saying as follows: (Never see death.)

How unbelievable this speech is, and contrary to public and daily experience! Nevertheless, it is the truth. When a person considers God's word in their heart with earnestness, believes it, and falls asleep or dies over it, they sink and depart thither before they realize or become aware of death; and they are certainly blessed in the Word, in which they have thus believed and considered from within. Under this was written Doctor Martinus Luther, 1546. Occurred on the 18th day of February.

As he had now departed in the Lord, and Count Albrecht, his consort, the one from Schwarzenburg, etc., together with us, were terrified, and still cried out that one should not cease with rubbing and refreshing, everything was done that was humanly possible. But the body became colder and more death-like.

And after the dead body had thus lain on the small resting-bed for three-quarters of an hour, one prepared nearby, from many feather beds, three under-beds and cloths on top, right by the resting-bed, into which he was lifted, in the hope (as we all wished and prayed) that God might still grant grace.

There came, before it was day, around four o'clock, the Serene, High-born Prince and Lord, Lord Wolff, Prince of Anhalt; the Noble, High-born Counts and Lords, Philippus and Johans Jörg, brothers; Count Volradt, Count Hans, and Count Wolff, also brothers, Counts and Lords of Mansfeld, and other lords, and members of the nobility.

The body was left lying on the bed from four until after nine o'clock, which is five full hours. During that time, many honest citizens came and looked upon the dead body with hot tears and weeping. Afterward, he was dressed in a new white Swabian smock, and the body was laid in the chamber on a bed and straw until a tin coffin was cast and he was placed inside. While he lay in the coffin, many of the nobility—both men and women, several hundred in number—who had mostly known him, as well as a very large crowd of people, saw him.

 

Revised, February 2026