This woodcut by Lucas Cranach the Elder shows Martin Luther as Junker Georg. This event took place when Luther’s life was endangered. Because his religious Theses were so radical, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had placed him under an imperial ban and he was under the constant threat of arrest or murder. To protect Luther, Elector Frederick the Wise had him abducted and held captive at Wartburg, where Luther remained for the following year disguised as an aristocrat called Junker Jörg (Georg).

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Size: 3600px × 5152px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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