Leonhard Kaiser (around 148016 August 1527; also spelled ''Lienhard, Lenhard, Kaysser, Kayser, Keizer, Käser'') was a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

theologian and reformer who was burned as a heretic.

Biography

Kaiser was born in Raab in the Bavarian

Innviertel The Innviertel (literally German language, German for "Inn Quarter"; officially called the ; ) is a traditional Austrian region southeast of the Inn (river), Inn river. It forms the western part of the States of Austria, state of Upper Austria a ...

c. 1480 to a middle class family. He studied theology at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

, and earned a baccalaureate degree in 1501. He was ordained as a priest in

Passau Passau (; ) is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the ("City of Three Rivers"), as the river Danube is joined by the Inn (river), Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north. Passau's population is about 50,000, of whom ...

and, among clerical services, became a vicar in

Waizenkirchen Waizenkirchen is a municipality in the district of Grieskirchen (district), Grieskirchen in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Geography Waizenkirchen lies in the Hausruckviertel. About 10 percent of the municipality is forest, and 80 percen ...

. In 1524, he was accused of Lutheran heresy and jailed, until he revocated. Plagued by a bad conscience, Kaiser moved to

Wittenberg Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, north of Leipzig and south-west of the reunified German ...

where

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

taught and enrolled at the

University of Wittenberg Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (), also referred to as MLU, is a public research university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg. It is the largest and oldest university in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. MLU offers German and i ...

in 1525, becoming Luther's student and friend. He returned to Raab, his home village, in 1527 to see his terminally ill father again. He extended his stay due to his own illness. His Lutheran attitude was reported to Petrus Doerffel von Suben, pastor of Raab.

Ernest of Bavaria Wittelsbach- Hapsburg aristocrat Ernest of Bavaria () (17 December 1554 – 17 February 1612) was Prince-Elector-Archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne and, as such, Archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire and Duke of Westphalia, from 158 ...

, who administrated the

Diocese of Passau The Diocese of Passau (; ) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany that is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.Johann Eck Johann Maier von Eck (13 November 1486 – 13 February 1543), often anglicized as John Eck, was a German Catholic theologian, scholastic, prelate, and opponent of Martin Luther. Life Johann Eck was born Johann Maier at Eck (later Egg, near M ...

and made confessions of his faith in Luther's teachings of the

sola fide (or simply ), meaning justification by faith alone, is a soteriological doctrine in Christian theology commonly held to distinguish the Lutheranism, Lutheran and Reformed tradition, Reformed traditions of Protestantism, among others, from th ...

principle, and communion in bread and wine, and his rejection of consecration of priests and last rites as sacraments, and of the authority of popes and councils. He said that he would revoke only when he was proven to be wrong by the Bible. Kaiser wrote a testimony of his convictions titled ''Grace through Christ''. While imprisoned, he received a letter of consolation from Luther, urging him, whether freed or not, to "recognize, bear, love and praise with a good heart the fatherly will of God in him." He received a similar supporting letter from

Philip Melanchthon Philip Melanchthon (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, an intellectual leader of the L ...

, but it was discovered much later. Several influential rulers, such as

John of Saxony John of Saxony is the name of: * John the Old Saxon an Anglo-Saxon scholar and abbot of Athelney * John I, Duke of Saxony (1249–1285, Duke 1260–1282) * John of Saxony (astronomer) (fl. 1327–1355). * John, Elector of Saxony Joh ...

and Kasimir of Brandenburg, interceded on his behalf. Leonhard kaiser

In a public hearing in front of the

Passau Cathedral St. Stephen's Cathedral () is a baroque church from 1688 in Passau, Germany, dedicated to Saint Stephen. It is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Passau and the main church of his diocese. History Since 730, there have been many churches built ...

, on 18 July 1527, Kaiser was declared guilty of heresy, his priesthood was revoked and he was sentenced to death. He was executed by burning on 16 August 1527 in

Schärding Schärding ( , Bavarian name: Scharing) is a town in the northern Austrian state of Upper Austria, the capital of the district of the same name, and a major port on the Inn River. Historically, it was owned by the Wittelsbach family, which is r ...

Legacy

In December 1527 (dated 1528) Martin Luther published ''Von Er / Lenhard Keiser ynn Beyern umb des Evangelii willen verbrandt'' (For honour / Lenhard Keiser burned in Bavaria for the Gospel's sake). Luther based it on Kaiser's reports and his testimony, and also on a written eyewitness account of the trial in Passau and the execution in Schärding. He was greatly moved by the violent death of his student. The work appeared in nine editions. On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Kaiser's death, a memorial stone was unveiled on the banks of the Inn outside the gates of Schärding. Its inscription reads: "Leonhard Kaiser, preacher and martyr of the Gospel of Christ; burned at the "Gries" near Schärding on August 16, 1527. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (

Matthew 5 Matthew 5 is the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It contains the first portion of the Sermon on the Mount, the other portions of which are contained in chapters 6 and 7. Portions are similar to the Sermon on the Pla ...

:10). Leonhard Kaiser's memorial day in the Protestant Calendar of Saints is 16 August.

Biography

Legacy

References

Further reading