Ursula Cotta

Ursula Cotta (née Schalbe, 1450–29 November 1511), also known as Ursula van Cotta, was a German benefactor in Eisenach. She took in and supported the young Martin Luther during his school years at the Georgenschule in Eisenach from 1498 to 1501.

Biography

Cotta was born as Ursula Schalbe. Her father was Heinrich Schalbe, a landowner of Ilfeld and Burgomaster of Hefield from 1495 to 1499 and her mother was Angelika Schalbe (née Gelen). Her husband Conrad Cotta was a rich patrician in Eiesenach.[1]

Cotta took in and supported the young Martin Luther as a foster mother from 1498 to 1501. She took him in after she heard him singing as a mendicant,[2] supporting his attendance to a Franciscan school and enabling his learning when it seemed he would otherwise have to discontinue his education.[3][4]

Cotta gave Luther his first instrument, a flute.[5] He also tutored Cotta's son and Kaspar Schalbe, her younger brother.[6]

Cotta's role in his Luther's was recounted by his first biographer, Johannes Mathesius.[7] Mittenzwey calls her an influencing factor in his life and career.[4]

Cotta is represented in an engraving by Gustav Ferdinand Leopold Konig, in a painting in the Luther House in Eisenach and on a 50 Pfennig notgeld of the city of Eisenach (1921). In some imagery Luther is shown signing outside her door for bread.[8]

References

  1. ^ The Ladies' Repository. L. Swormstedt and J.H. Power. 1863. p. 158.
  2. ^ Brecht, Martin. Martin Luther, Volume 1. Fortress Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-4514-1414-1.
  3. ^ Arnold, Jack L. (21 March 1999). "Martin Luther: From Birth to His Conversion (1463-1516)". thirdmill.org. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  4. ^ a b Mittenzwey, L. (1898), Mittenzwey, L. (ed.), "Ursula Cotta", Frauengestalten: Ein Historisches Hilfsbuch, gewidmet der Schule und dem Hause (in German), Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 118–120, doi:10.1007/978-3-662-25768-5_34, ISBN 978-3-662-25768-5, retrieved 30 November 2025 {{citation}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  5. ^ Sarver, Lydia (3 April 2019). "A Musical Reformation: Martin Luther's Influence on Sacred Music". The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019). Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Protestlieder und Psalmgesänge". Luther als Musiker: Luther2017 (in German). Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  7. ^ Mathesius, Johann. Historien von des ehrwirdigen inn Gottseligen theuren Manns Gottes, D. Martin Luthers Anfang, Lehre, Leben [...] Sterben, Nürnberg 1588, p. 3r.
  8. ^ König, Gustav Ferdinand Leopold; Gelzer, Heinrich (1857). Dr. Martin Luther: der deutsche Reformator in bildlichen Darstellungen (in German). R. Besser.
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