Page:Thirty-five years of Luther research.djvu/30

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Thirty-Five Years of Luther Research

many facts, hitherto entirely unknown. No less an authority than Kawerau as late as 1908 (Theologische Studien und Kritiken, 1908, p. 343) made the following comment on this work: "Kolde has been the first one to bring into the light of history the order to which Luther belonged, in view of its inner development as well as of its propaganda in Germany, in view of its theological tendencies as well as of its inner strifes. He taught us to understand a Proles and a Staupitz, he shed light upon the inner conflicts of the German congregation, which resulted in Luther's journey to Rome. With the aid of the old sources he made us understand the monastery life of which Luther was a part, and acquainted us with Luther's activities as vicar of his district. He pointed out to us the history of the disbanding of a great number of German Augustine monasteries, due to the influence of Luther's initiative." In 1881 Kolde followed his former writings with "Friederich der Weisse und die Anfange der Reformation;" at the same time preparing himself for greater things.

Gustav Kawerau, now Probst, member of the higher consistory in Berlin, like Kolde, Silesian by birth, joined hands with Kolde in the common work. While still a pastor at Klenzig, he published in 1881 an able monograph on John Agricola, of Eisleben, Luther's well known pupil, who already, in 1518, published Luther's sermons on Our Lord's Prayer (Lent, 1517).9 In the next year already Kawerau followed up his previous writings with "Kasper Guettel, ein Lebensbild aus Luther's Freundeskreis." The third, who must be mentioned in this connection was Theodor Brieger, died 1915 at Leipzig, like Kolde, a pupil of Reuter, during the latter's period in Greifswald. Although his book, "Gasparo Contarini und