Adolf Clarenbach
Encyclopedia
Adolf Clarenbach (circa 1497 – 28 September 1529), burnt at the stake in Cologne
, died as one of the first Protestant martyrs of the Reformation
in the Lower Rhine
region in Germany
.
. His exact birth date is unknown. The house of his birth now bears a memorial plaque to the "Reformer of Berg" ("Bergischer Reformator").
After 1523, Clarenbach, a teacher, sought to spread the principles of the Reformation first in Münster, then in Wesel
, for which he was dismissed from his post by John III, Duke of Cleves
. In 1525 he was driven from Osnabrück
, Büderich and Elberfeld
, also because of his open adherence to the teachings of Martin Luther
.
The religious authorities sentenced Clarenbach to death, to be burnt at the stake on 28 September 1529 outside Cologne
, with another follower of Luther, the "blasphemer" Peter Fliesteden
. The men were burned at the Melatenhof, south of the present-day Melaten-Friedhof ("Melaten Burial Ground") near the crossroads of the Clarenbachstraße and the Lortzingstraße.
Clarenbach's last words were reported as follows:
He is said to have shouted these words to the judge before being led into the straw hut that served as the execution fire.
-Lüttringhausen.
In the Melaten-Friedhof in Cologne is a memorial stone to Adolf Clarenbach and Peter Fliesteden.
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, died as one of the first Protestant martyrs of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in the Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
region in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Life
Adolf Clarenbach was born shortly before the end of the 15th century on "Buscherhof", a farm that belonged administratively to Lennep in the former Duchy of Berg and ecclesiastically to LüttringhausenLüttringhausen
Lüttringhausen is a district of the German town of Remscheid with a population of 17,857 in 2005; 11,829 in 1905; 13,560, mostly Evangelical, in 1910.-Overview:It was founded around the year 1189. At this time, Lüttringhausen belonged to the County of Berg...
. His exact birth date is unknown. The house of his birth now bears a memorial plaque to the "Reformer of Berg" ("Bergischer Reformator").
After 1523, Clarenbach, a teacher, sought to spread the principles of the Reformation first in Münster, then in Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
, for which he was dismissed from his post by John III, Duke of Cleves
John III, Duke of Cleves
John III the Peaceful, Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark was a son of John II, Duke of Cleves and Matilda of Hesse, daughter of Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse.John III became Regent of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg in 1521, and Lord of Ravensberg in 1528.John represented...
. In 1525 he was driven from Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, Büderich and Elberfeld
Elberfeld
Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.-History:The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "elverfelde" was in a document of 1161...
, also because of his open adherence to the teachings of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
.
Execution
On 3 April 1528, Clarenbach was imprisoned and confined for 18 months. Petrus Medmann, an eye witness to Clarenbach's eventual execution, wrote a marginal note about Adolf Clarenbach in one of his books:After two years' arrest he could have escaped the cruel imprisonment if he had only admitted that the laity have no claim to half the sacrament. Twice I heard him in disputation with the so-called theologians: of excellent memory and in every way to the point, he proved all his teachings from the Holy Scriptures; and of the church fathers he particularly quoted Augustine.
The religious authorities sentenced Clarenbach to death, to be burnt at the stake on 28 September 1529 outside Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, with another follower of Luther, the "blasphemer" Peter Fliesteden
Peter Fliesteden
Peter Fliesteden was condemned to be burnt at the stake at Melaten near Cologne, as one of the first Protestant martyrs of the Reformation on the Lower Rhine in Germany...
. The men were burned at the Melatenhof, south of the present-day Melaten-Friedhof ("Melaten Burial Ground") near the crossroads of the Clarenbachstraße and the Lortzingstraße.
Clarenbach's last words were reported as follows:
And when you have killed me, you will still not have your way, but I will have eternal life. So even this death does not terrify me, for I know that Christ has overcome death, the devil and hell.
He is said to have shouted these words to the judge before being led into the straw hut that served as the execution fire.
Legacy
Three hundred years after his death an Adolf Clarenbach monument was raised in his birth place Lüttringhausen at the present Bundesstraße 51. It is reported that at the laying of the foundation stone on 28 September 1829 12,000 people were present. Since 2002 an evening concert in the summer has been arranged there by the Heimatbund Lüttringhausen ("Lüttringhausen Civic Society"), the proceeds of which are dedicated to the upkeep of the memorial. Also in his honour in 1829 a candelabra was presented which is still in the Lutheran church of RemscheidRemscheid
Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on south side of the Ruhr area....
-Lüttringhausen.
In the Melaten-Friedhof in Cologne is a memorial stone to Adolf Clarenbach and Peter Fliesteden.
Sources
- Bluhm, Axel (ed), 1981: Allein Gottes Wort: Vorträge, Ansprachen, Besinnungen anlässlich des 450. Todestages der Märtyrer Adolf Clarenbach und Peter Fliesteden; Schriftenreihe des Vereins für Rheinische Kirchengeschichte 62. Cologne: Rheinland-Verlag; Bonn: Habelt. ISBN 3-7927-0571-0
- Deutsches Geschlechterbuch, vol. 168, pp. 177–416 (genealogy of the Clarenbach family)
- Lauff, Werner, 1997: Adolf Clarenbach. Räudiges Schaf und faules stinkendes Glied oder Märtyrer der Kirche; in: Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen, André Ritter (ed): 100 Jahre Evangelisch-theologisches Studienhaus Adolf Clarenbach. 1897–1997; Schriftenreihe des Vereins für Rheinische Kirchengeschichte 125, pp. 55-78. Cologne: Rheinland-Verlag
- Müller-Diersfordt, Hermann: Der blaue Stein in Köln und Peter Fliestedens Hinrichtung 1529; in: Monatshefte für rheinische Kirchengeschichte Kirchengeschichte. NF 9 (1960), p. 74