The second class status of marriage became one of the principal issues in the Reformation. Martin Luther, the Augustinian friar, had barely posted his ninety-five theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg when he took himself a wife.

Germaine Greer
About This Quote

The Reformation in Germany in the 1500s was when Martin Luther (1483-1546) started his protest for religion to be more open to the people. It lead to many changes, including making the Bible in German instead of Latin, but it also lead to the freeing of women from the bonds that bound them. For example, when Luther married Katharina von Bora (1489-1542), she became free to live her life unrespected by her family. However, her husband did not give up on his belief that women should be second class citizens. Women still could not vote or own property, and they could only inherit what their brother left behind.

Source: The Female Eunuch

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