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Luther didn't show up to defend himself. He'd already left Worms ten days before
1521 Event

May 25

Edict of Worms: Luther Declared an Outlaw by the Emperor

Luther didn't show up to defend himself. He'd already left Worms ten days before Charles V signed the edict making him an outlaw of the empire. Frederick the Wise had him "kidnapped" by friendly forces and hidden at Wartburg Castle, where Luther grew a beard, called himself "Junker Jörg," and spent ten weeks translating the New Testament into German. The edict banned his writings, ordered his arrest, and made it legal to kill him on sight. It stayed on the books for 346 years. Nobody collected the bounty.

May 25, 1521

505 years ago

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