Magdeburg Centuries

The Magdeburg Centuries (also Centuries ), published from 1559 to 1574, regarded as the first attempt at a comprehensive history of the Church from the perspective of the Reformation.

Initiator, but probably not the author, was Matthias Flacius ( 1520-1575 ). Main performer was John Wigand (1523-1587), who later became a Protestant bishop of Pomesania ( Prussia) and author of botanical studies. Both were preachers at St -Ulrich - and -Levin Church in Magdeburg, in whose premises were held many of the works. In the first volumes Wigand was supported by a group of scholars who, like him who were in Magdeburg, most notably Matthias Richter Gen. Judex. As a publisher acted the Basel humanist Johannes Oporinus. Because of the division of labor organization is also called by the authors as Zenturiatoren.

The aim of the presentation was to present the Lutheran doctrine as the restoration of the true faith and of the early Church and accordingly to expose the papacy and his church organization as an aberration. However, this was done on the basis of comprehensive source criticism. Thus, among others, the broadcast under the name Pseudo- Isidore canons that directly in the Decree of Gratian, so the Catholic Church law, embracing, exposed as a fake.

The Magdeburg Centuries placed first with a historical work based on a classification according to centuries. They drew on the knowledge of their time (particularly Bartolomeo Platina and Albert Krantz ), but also from previously unpublished manuscripts that have been searched by zealous informers throughout Europe and depreciated for Zenturiatoren. An exhaustive evaluation of the entire work is missing.

Expenditure

• Ecclesiastica Historia Ecclesiae Christi INTERGRAM ideam quantum ad locum, propagationem, persecutionem, tranquillit, doctrine, haereses, Ceremonias gubunationem, schisms, synodos, personas, miracula martyria, religiones Extra ecclesiam: .. Singulari diligentia et fide ex vetustissimis et optimistic historicis, patribus et aliis scriptoribus congesta per aliquot studiosos et pios viros in urbe [Ed: Matthias Flacius, Johann Wigand, Mattheus Judix, Martin Koeppe ]. Basileae: Oporinus 1559-1574.
• Heinz Scheible (ed.): The beginnings of the Reformation historiography: Melanchthon, Sleidan, Flacius and the Magdeburg Centuries ( = texts for churches and theological history, 2). Poppy, Gütersloh, 1966 ( selection).