Melanchthon Correspondence (MBW)

The humanist Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560) was a colleague of Martin Luther’s as a professor in Wittenberg and became his most important and closest collaborator in the introduction of the Reformation. In addition to his teaching at the university, he authored numerous textbooks, commentaries on ancient writings and biblical books, as well as works on the natural sciences, history, and theology; he served in university administration and was called upon to serve as a consultant for the establishment of schools and universities outside the university. The enormous scholarly breadth of his writings and his contribution to the development of the Christian-humanist educational system are the reasons why he was known as “Praeceptor Germaniae,” or “Teacher of Germany.” As an advisor to the Saxon electors and a participant in Imperial Diets and religious debates, he played a decisive role in shaping the Protestant Reformation.

The mission and goal of the Melanchthon research project is the critical and annotated complete edition of Philipp Melanchthon’s Correspondence, which comprises approximately 9,800 items. This edition is one of the fundamental source collections for research into early modern German and European history. It documents Melanchthon’s extensive correspondence for the first time in a philologically critical manner and with precise chronology. This highlights Melanchthon’s preeminent role in Reformation theology and church history, as well as the central significance of his universal humanism for the history of European education.

About the History of the Research Project

In connection with the 400th anniversary of Philipp Melanchthon’s birth in 1897, it was decided for the first time to publish a critical new edition of his Melanchthon Correspondence, and work on it was begun. However, a series of adverse circumstances involving personnel issues—and not least, two world wars—subsequently caused the plan to fail. It was not until 1960, the 400th anniversary of Melanchthon’s death, that the project was revived: After extensive research and a thorough collection of the material (9,722 letters), Heinz Scheible drafted a detailed plan for carrying out the project. Accordingly, the critical and annotated complete edition of the Melanchthon Correspondence will be realized in two parts and thus in two phases: the catalog of letters and the critical textual edition. The first, foundational phase of the project was funded by the Baden Regional Church and the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.

In 1963, Heinz Scheible founded a Melanchthon research project in Heidelberg on behalf of his teacher Heinrich Bornkamm; in 1965, at Heinrich Bornkamm’s request, the project was incorporated into the research programs of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The center was steadily developed into a fully functional specialized institute, with two full-time research positions since 1969 and three since 1985, along with a three-quarters position for administrative and research support, student assistants, a carefully curated specialized library, and a computer network.

By the 500th anniversary of Melanchthon’s birth in 1997, the Melanchthon Research Project had produced the eight-volume catalog of his Melanchthon Correspondence, the first two volumes of the textual edition, and numerous individual publications in the fields of humanism and the Reformation. With the publication of the addenda and concordances, the place index, and the name index, the catalog of correspondence is now complete. Volumes of the text edition have been appearing since 1991. Work on the text edition is now the Research Center’s primary task and is being carried out continuously and expeditiously.

In 2010, the year marking the 450th anniversary of Melanchthon’s death, the project made the transition to the Internet; the regesta previously published in print were made available online in a database with various search options and are accessible to users free of charge.

The edition Melanchthon Correspondence

The Regesta

The Regesta with indexes and a manuscript catalog. The regesta are German summaries; they provide an initial analysis through explanatory notes and precise dating. Letters, expert opinions, prefaces, and related documents from the years 1514 to 1560 are analyzed in terms of content, annotated, and their connections highlighted (vols. 1–9). Separate index volumes cover the places (Vol. 10) and people (Vols. 11–16) mentioned in the correspondence. This series of “Melanchthon Correspondence” is complete.

The Edition

The critical edition of the letters aims to present the predominantly Latin, but also German and Greek, texts in a reader-friendly manner without distracting embellishments, while ensuring that every addition remains clearly identifiable. Logical (not historical) punctuation is intended to facilitate understanding of the texts. However, the editor’s task is not merely to present the texts, but also to comprehensively list and characterize the manuscript and printed traditions, as well as to prepare the texts for textual criticism in three apparatuses:

an apparatus for textual variants where the autograph has been preserved;
one for textual criticism in the narrower sense, particularly for texts transmitted solely through copies;
an apparatus for the history of reception in cases where earlier editors have presented a corrupted but widely accepted text.

The critical apparatus documents the history of the text’s origin, textual criticism, and reception history, and provides references to sources, quotations, and literary allusions. To date, 24 volumes containing texts from 1514 through March 1555 have been published. A particular focus is also placed on the documentation of quotations and literary allusions in a fourth appendix, which constitutes another part of the commentary. The sources documented here are indexed at the end of each volume.

The typesetting of the edition, including the aforementioned line-by-line apparatus and registers, is carried out by the scholarly editors themselves with the aid of TUSTEP (Tübingen System of Text Processing Programs). The encoded file, which serves as the print template, is created during the course of the scholarly editing process. This ensures the consistency of the edited text while also reducing the effort required for proofreading and lowering printing costs.

Examples of Editions

The presentation of a piece in MBW follows a fixed format. The title line, including the number, sender, recipient, place, and date, is taken from the regesta. In the introductory section that follows, the complete manuscript and printed traditions of the text are listed. Before the text of the actual letter begins, the so-called “Text from” line indicates the source from which the edition is derived.

The most common cases are described here:
If the autograph or a copy of a letter has been preserved, the edition is naturally based on it. Corrections and changes in the original are recorded in the so-called historical apparatus (E).

If a copy serves as the source, important variants from other copies are listed in the textual-critical apparatus (T). A historical-reception apparatus (W) documents textual changes in 16th-century editions of the letters and in the “textus receptus.” Quotations, allusions, and documents mentioned in the text are identified whenever possible and listed in the source apparatus (Q).

The edited letter text also follows the paragraph division of the register.

Autograph

Letter text

Edited text with markings

A special group of autographs consists of Melanchthon’s letters to his lifelong friend Joachim Camerarius, which are preserved in the Bibliotheca Vaticana (Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Cod. Chis. J VIII 293 and 294).

Nikolaus Müller (1857–1912), who later became a professor of church history in Berlin, had carefully collated the manuscript volume during his time as a fellow at the German Archaeological Institute. He had a copy of the edition of Melanchthon’s letters—edited by Joachim Camerarius in 1569—cut up and had a blank page inserted after every sheet. In this copy, he then meticulously noted, in a special shorthand, all the discrepancies he identified when comparing the printed text with the autographs. He was able to decipher almost all of the deletions made by Melanchthon in the original and record them in this personal copy. By examining the ink, he was able to distinguish whether a deletion had been made by Melanchthon or by Camerarius. This personal copy is still preserved at the research project today and is consulted during the editing of the Camerarius letters.

Sample pages from Müller’s copy

Edition of a preface
287 entries in the MBW are prefaces; by far the majority of these were written by Melanchthon. He wrote some prefaces for others, but most were published under his own name. Since the first edition is thus, in effect, the original, it serves as the basis for this edition. The title page of the first edition is reproduced diplomatically, and the text is reconstructed according to the rules that apply to the MBW in general. The increasing digitization of early modern prints greatly facilitates access to the copies.

Bibliography:

Melanchthon Correspondence.

Critical and Annotated Complete Edition, edited by Heinz Scheible and Christine Mundhenk on behalf of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Frommann-Holzboog Publishers, 1977 ff.

Walter Thüringer, The Melanchthon Research Project in Heidelberg: Founding, Development, Achievements, in: Dona Melanchthoniana. Festschrift for Heinz Scheible on His 70th Birthday, ed. by Johanna Loehr, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Frommann-Holzboog, 2001, pp. 521–536.

Christine Mundhenk, Melanchthon Correspondence. In: Volker Sellin, Eike Wolgast, and Sebastian Zwies (eds.), Research Projects of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities 1909–2009. Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter, 2009, pp. 155–161.

The Catalog of Manuscripts

As part of the cataloging process, the texts first had to be arranged chronologically. To this end, it was necessary to understand the content of even the encrypted private letters and relate them to known events in contemporary history. The individuals, who were often identified only by their first names, had to be identified. Based on all this information, the paraphrased and annotated summaries (regesta) were ultimately compiled according to established rules (see the introduction to Volume 1 [1977]). This phase of the project is now complete; the entire correspondence is documented in a 9-volume collection of regesta.

Another task involves compiling indexes of places and persons based on the regesta. These indexes also serve a commentary function: In the place index (Vol. 10), the 1,475 places are identified according to both their political affiliations at the time and their current ones. The index of persons (vols. 11–16) provides biographical data on the approximately 7,000 individuals mentioned in the Melanchthon Correspondence, along with further reading. Since 2010, the regesta have also been available online as a database.

Regesten-Online: Search

Melanchthon's Autographs

As part of numerous digitization projects, many large and smaller libraries and archives are making handwritten material available on their websites, thereby making it accessible not only to scholars but to anyone interested. Among these digitized manuscripts is a substantial number of original letters by Philipp Melanchthon, some of which have been preserved as individual items, while others are compiled into entire volumes.

To serve as a bridge between our edition and the manuscripts, we have compiled a list of the digitized versions of Melanchthon’s letters known to us and provide links for easy access to these manuscripts. Only Melanchthon’s autographs were included; copies or letters addressed to Melanchthon were not included.Autographs (by Location)

https://www.hadw-bw.de/

sites/default/files/2026-03/Tabelle_Melanchthon-Autographen_MBW_2021.pdf">Autographs (by MBW number)

MelLit Bibliography

The “MelLit” bibliography was compiled as part of the edition of Melanchthon’s Correspondence at the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. It provides access to scholarly works on Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560) published since 1991 and supplements existing bibliographic resources on the life, work, and influence of the humanist and reformer. In addition to monographs and anthologies, the bibliography also includes articles and other short works. The bibliography is continuously updated.

to the MelLit Bibliography

The Camerarius Edition of Letters

Liber Continens Continva Serie Epistolas Philippi Melanchthonis Scriptas Annis XXXVIII. Ad Ioach. Camerar. Pabep.

The Melanchthon Correspondence between Philipp Melanchthon and his lifelong best friend, the Greek scholar Joachim Camerarius (1500–1574), comprising some 670 surviving letters from the years 1522–1560, constitutes an exceptionally extensive and well-preserved collection of correspondence. Camerarius himself was primarily responsible for preserving these letters: He carefully collected Melanchthon’s letters addressed to him and published them nine years after the reformer’s death. His edition, published in Leipzig in 1569, contains no fewer than 591 letters from Melanchthon addressed to him. The fact that only nine additional letters from Melanchthon addressed to Camerarius have survived elsewhere impressively highlights the historical significance of the 1569 edition: For centuries, it served as the *textus receptus* of this individual correspondence and still forms the basis for the first ten volumes of the *Corpus Reformatorum* (published 1834–1842), which include the *Melanthonis Epistolae*. In Melanchthon Correspondence, it is designated as CamD.

When, in the 1870s, two manuscript volumes from the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Cod. Chis. J VIII 293 and 294), which had come into the possession of the Roman noble family Chigi in the 17th century, the autographs of Melanchthon’s letters to Camerarius were discovered and made accessible; it turned out that Camerarius had altered these letters quite significantly for his edition: In doing so, he not only made formal, orthographic, or stylistic changes, but also frequently modified the wording by replacing proper names in the letters with pseudonyms, toning down Melanchthon’s critical remarks, or generalizing specific statements. At times, he also omitted passages or interpolated individual phrases or entire sentences.

The philologist and church historian Nikolaus Müller (1857–1912), who resided in Rome from 1883 to 1885, carefully compared the Camerarius text with Melanchthon’s autographs in the Chigi Library on site. For this purpose, he had his personal copy of the 1569 edition interleaved with blank pages and rebound. In the copy prepared in this manner, Müller meticulously recorded all deviations of the printed version from the autographs, documenting not only the changes made by Camerarius—most of which had already been corrected in the respective autograph—but also Melanchthon’s own deletions and corrections, the occasional use of red ink, deviating spelling, changes in capitalization, and even such marginal details as the original spelling of “et” instead of the ligature “&” used in the print. This last detail alone (“et” instead of “&”) is noted thousands of times in Müller’s collation! Just how meticulously he worked is also evident in his 1901 standalone edition of Melanchthon’s famous Greek letter dated June 16, 1525 (MBW 408), through which Camerarius was informed of Luther’s marriage.

Müller’s unique personal copy, which found its way from his estate to the Melanchthon research project in Heidelberg via several intermediaries (see MBW, vol. 1, p. 23), with its delicate entries in Sütterlin script—further condensed by numerous abbreviations and written mostly in red or black ink, though occasionally in pencil—has always been an important working tool for the editors in Heidelberg. In the MBW text volumes, the preface to Melanchthon’s letters to Camerarius explicitly refers to this copy. On the initiative of the research project, it was digitized in 2017 as part of a collaboration with the Heidelberg University Library and made freely available to the public.

Bibliography

Nikolaus Müller: Melanchthon’s Letter to Joachim Camerarius of June 16, 1525, Concerning Luther’s Marriage, in: Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte 21 (1901), pp. 595–598.

Heinz Scheible: “Tradition and Editions of Melanchthon’s Letters,” in: Heidelberger Annual 12 (1968), pp. 139–142.

Christine Mundhenk: “Letters,” in: Günter Frank (ed.): Philipp Melanchthon. The Reformer between Faith and Knowledge. A Handbook (2017), pp. 306–308.

Matthias Dall’Asta: Melanchthon’s Letters to Joachim Camerarius—A Reinterpretation in Light of Their New Edition, in: Thomas Baier (ed.): Camerarius Polyhistor. Knowledge Transmission in German Humanism (2017), pp. 301–322.

Regarding the Camerarius edition

Additions, Supplements, and Corrections to the Volumes of “Melanchthon Correspondence” (MBW.T)

Updates through November 2025

Research Center Director

Dr. Christine Mundhenk

Staff Members

Dr. Matthias Dall'Asta
Heidi Hein
Tobias Gilcher, M.A. (Secretariat)

Members of the Advisory Committee

Prof. Dr. Anthony Ho (Heidelberg)
Prof. Dr. Andreas Holzem (Tübingen)
Prof. Dr. Gerlinde Huber-Rebenich (Bern)
Prof. Dr. Kai Johnsson (Heidelberg)
Prof. Dr. Nicole Kuropka (Wuppertal)
Prof. Dr. Thomas Maissen (Heidelberg)
Prof. Dr. Irmgard Männlein (Tübingen)
Prof. Dr. Christoph Strohm (Heidelberg), Chair
Prof. Dr. Dirk Werle (Heidelberg)
Prof. Dr. Eike Wolgast (Heidelberg)

Published Volumes

Bibliographic information

Melanchthon Correspondence. Critical and Annotated Complete Edition, edited by Heinz Scheible on behalf of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and by Christine Mundhenk beginning with Volume T 11. Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, https://www.frommann-holzboog.de/">Frommann-Holzboog Publishing House.

The volumes are published in two series: the Regesta and the text volumes.

Regesten and Registers

Volume 1: Regesten 1–1109 (1514–1530).

Edited by Heinz Scheible. 1977. 456 pp.

Notable topics in the regesta from these years include the Wittenberg Movement of 1521–22, the first church visitation of 1527–29, the Pack Affair of 1528, the Second Diet of Speyer, the Marburg Religious Colloquy in 1529, and the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. Among the correspondents are Reuchlin, Erasmus, Pirckheimer, Luther, Spalatin, and Camerarius.

Volume 2: Regesta 1110–2335 (1531–1539).

Edited by Heinz Scheible. 1978. 487 pp.

It covers the origins of the Schmalkaldic League, the right of resistance, the League’s alliance negotiations with England and France, the papal council and its consequences within Protestantism, the resolution of the Eucharistic controversy through the Wittenberg Concord in 1536 and the Schmalkaldic Diet of 1537 with its confessional documents, and finally the Frankfurt Agreement of 1539.

Volume 3: Regesta 2336–3420 (1540–1543).

Edited by Heinz Scheible. 1979. 466 pp.

The confessional division of Germany proved insurmountable. In accordance with the Frankfurt Agreement of 1539, a futile attempt was made to save the spiritual and religious unity of the Empire through religious discussions. Melanchthon was the spokesman for the Protestants, an interpreter and defender of Reformation theology.

Volume 4: Regesta 3421–4529 (1544–1546).

Edited by Heinz Scheible with the collaboration of Walter Thüringer. 1983. 477 pp.

The correspondence provides insights into Melanchthon’s daily life. His good relationship with Luther withstands a final dramatic strain. A genuine friendship binds Melanchthon to J. Camerarius in Leipzig, V. Dietrich, and H. Baumgartner in Nuremberg, as well as with the Protestant Bishop Georg von Anhalt in Merseburg, whereas criticism of his own sovereign grows. The Imperial Diets of Speyer and Worms, the Council of Trent, and the Schmalkaldic War are all reflected in the correspondence.

Volume 5: Regesta 4530–5707 (1547–1549).

Edited by Heinz Scheible with the collaboration of Walter Thüringer. 1987. 551 pp.

The vicissitudes of the Schmalkaldic War, including Melanchthon’s flight to Zerbst and Nordhausen, his return to reopen the University of Wittenberg under the new sovereign Moritz of Saxony, and his subsequent role as an expert on church policy regarding the Augsburg Interim and its effects on Electoral Saxony are the most significant events of the years 1547 through 1549. Numerous official documents and letters have been precisely dated for the first time.

Volume 6: Regesta 5708–6690 (1550–1552).

Edited by Heinz Scheible and Walter Thüringer. 1988. 400 pp.

Daily life at the university and at home: scholarly publications and the marriages of the two surviving children are the main topics. Deliberations regarding the Council of Trent draw Melanchthon back into high politics. The war, which had never truly subsided in neighboring Magdeburg and Lower Saxony,Melanchthon in Nuremberg and prevents him from continuing his journey to Trent. Theological disputes also need to be resolved, particularly the issues of justification and Christology raised by Andreas Osiander and Francesco Stancaro.

Volume 7: Regesta 6691–8071 (1553–1556).

Edited by Heinz Scheible and Walter Thüringer. 1993. 529 pp.

This volume provides a vivid picture of the multitude of affairs and the flood of newsthat flooded in on Melanchthon daily. Together with Camerarius, Melanchthon had to inspect the princely schools and examine scholarship students, as well as interrogate recalcitrant preachers, for the dispute over the adiaphora was still not over. For Prussia, Pomerania, and the imperial city of Nuremberg, the Osiandrian controversy over the correct doctrine of justification had to be assessed. The Electorate of Brandenburg demanded clarification on Christological issues, which led to the creation of Melanchthon’s most subtle theological treatise after months of work. In Augsburg, there was a demand for clarity regarding Schwenckfeld’s teachings—a laborious and unresolved task for Melanchthon. With Petrus Canisius, the first Jesuits came into his field of vision. His correspondence with the Danish king remained unclouded. His close relationship with the neighboring princes of Anhalt suffered a bitter loss due to Georg’s untimely death.

Volume 8: Regesta 8072–9301 (1557–1560).

Edited by Heinz Scheible and Walter Thüringer. 1995. 470 pp.

This final volume of regesta, covering the period up to Melanchthon’s death, begins with an attempt to settle the dispute between the Flacians and Melanchthon and the Wittenbergers. This was intended to enable the Protestants to present a united front at the Second Worms Religious Colloquy in 1557. Both efforts failed. The documents and letters concerning this matter constitute the largest body of material from these final years. In addition, the dispute over the Lord’s Supper had flared up again. Melanchthon advised his friend Hardenberg in Bremen, and he wrote his expert opinion for Elector Frederick III of the Palatinate, which ultimately led the latter to Calvinism. The Counter-Reformation visitation—or inquisition—in Bavaria inspired Melanchthon to make a final reckoning with Roman doctrine, to which he himself attached testamentary weight.

Volume 9: Addenda and Concordances.

Edited by Heinz Scheible and Walter Thüringer. 1998. 403 pp.

After Volume 8 presented the dated and datable letters up to Melanchthon’s death in the form of regesta, Volume 9 marks the beginning of the catalogingvolumes. In its first part, this volume presents the regesta that are undated or cannot be precisely dated in sequential numbering, followed by the dated supplements with subnumbers, and finally additions and corrections to the regesta of Volumes 1–8. The second part consists of concordances, which make it easy to locate the letters from earlier editions in *Melanchthon Correspondence*; included are the *Corpus Reformatorum* and the editions by Bindseil, Krause, *Supplementa Melanchthoniana*, *Selected Works of Melanchthon*, and finally the pieces from Melanchthon’s correspondence contained in the letter volumes of the Weimar Luther Edition.

Volume 10: Places A–Z and Itinerary.

Edited by Heinz Scheible. 1998. 725 pp.

The alphabetical index of places mentioned in the Melanchthon Correspondence identifies these locations—as an integral part of the commentary—according to their political affiliations both at the time and today. The chronological arrangement of Melanchthon’s places of residence constitutes his itinerary, which was compiled from sources outside the Correspondence and supplemented .

Volume 11: Persons A–E.

Edited by Heinz Scheible with the assistance of Corinna Schneider. 2003. 426 pp.

The biographical index to the regesta is another part of the commentary on the Melanchthon Correspondence. The selection of individuals is based on their appearance in theregesta volumes 1–9. This index is intended to be exhaustive. The biographical information serves primarily to aid understanding of the Melanchthon Correspondence. The interconnections within this corpus, particularly family relationships, are listed in full; relatives not mentioned in the *MBW* are included only if they aid in a better understanding of the person in question, such as their social background. The bibliography following the biographical entry is intended to facilitate further study of the biography and documents the person’s level of prominence. For individuals mentioned only sporadically in the *MBW*, a very brief characterization is provided before the date of birth to facilitate quick orientation. For well-known individuals, who are covered in many encyclopedias, kept brief and limited to the facts of their life story. Works are cited only if they are relevant to the author’s entry in MBW. The exact references can be found in the bibliography of the text volumes.

Reviews of this volume:

Herbergen der Christenheit 27 (2003), pp. 187–189 (Günther Wartenberg)
Actualidad Bibliográfica de Filosofia y Teologia 82 (2004), p. 263 (Josep Boada)
Dansk teologisk Tidsskrift 67 (2004), p. 239ff (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Dialogo Filosofico (2004, No. 60), p. 560
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 84 (2004), p. 360ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung (2004, No. 92), p. 11 (Johannes Schnurr)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 73 (2004), pp. 190ff (Rudolf Keller)
Journal of the History of the Upper Rhine 152 (2004), pp. 572ff (Hermann Ehmer)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 67 (2005), pp. 523ff (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Journal of Palatinate Church History and Religious Folklore 72 (2005), pp. 427–430 (Gustav Adolf Benrath)
Germanistik 46 (2005), pp. 795ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Rottenburg Annual of Church History 24 (2005), p. 251 (Helmut Feld)
Theology and Faith 95 (2005), p. 268ff
*Vigiliae Christianae* 59 (2005), p. 477 (Johannes van Oort)
*Wolfenbütteler Renaissance Mitteilungen* 29 (2005), pp. 180ff (Heribert Smolinsky)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (2006) (Isabelle Deflers) (online)
The Sixteenth Century Journal 37 (2006), pp. 206f (Timothy Wengert)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 131 (2006), col. 181–183 (Michael Beyer)
Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique 102 (2007), pp. 251–253 (Joseph Vercruysse)
Lutheran Quarterly 37 (2023), pp. 466ff (Timothy J. Wengert)

Volume 12: Persons F–K.

Edited by Heinz Scheible with the collaboration of Corinna Schneider. 2005. 479 pp.

Reviews of this volume:

Actualidad Bibliográfica (2005), pp. 277ff (Antoni Borràs)
Blätter für pfälz. Church History and Religious Folklore 72 (2005), pp. 427–430 (Gustav Adolf Benrath)
Dansk teologisk Tidsskrift 68 (2005), p. 240 (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Germanistik 46 (2005), pp. 795ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Luther 76 (2005), p. 170ff (Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen)
Luther Yearbook 72 (2005), pp. 192ff (Helmar Junghans)
Positions luthériennes 53 (2005), pp. 341ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 85 (2005), p. 588 (Matthieu Arnold)
Vigiliae Christianae 59 (2005), p. 477 (Johannes van Oort)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 74 (2005), pp. 257ff (Rudolf Keller)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 67 (2006), pp. 651ff (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (2006) (Isabelle Deflers) (online)
Sixteenth Century Journal 37 (2006), pp. 1147ff (Timothy Wengert)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 131 (2006), cols. 181–183 (Michael Beyer)
Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie 128 (2006), pp. 342ff (Lothar Lies)
Church History and Religious Culture 87 (2007), pp. 248–250 (Sachiko Kusukawa)
Rottenburg Annual for Church History 26 (2007) p. 373 (Helmut Feld)
Lutheran Quarterly 37 (2023), p. 466ff (Timothy J. Wengert)

Volume 13: Persons L–N.

Edited by Heinz Scheible. 2019. 582 pp.

Reviews of this volume:

Journal of Bavarian Church History 88 (2019), pp. 242–244 (Rudolf Keller)
Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 83 (2020), p. 160 (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 147 (2022), cols. 705–708 (Michael Beyer)
Lutheran Quarterly 37 (2023), pp. 466ff (Timothy J. Wengert)

Volume 14: Biographies O–R.

Edited by Heinz Scheible. 2020. 555 pp.

Reviews of this volume:

Journal of Bavarian Church History 90 (2021), pp. 210–213 (Rudolf Keller)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 147 (2022), cols. 705–708 (Michael Beyer)
Lutheran Quarterly 37 (2023), pp. 466ff (Timothy J. Wengert)

Volume 15: Biographies, pp.

Edited by Heinz Scheible. 2021. 487 pp.

Reviews of this volume:

Journal of Bavarian Church History 90 (2021), pp. 213–216 (Rudolf Keller)
Lutheran Quarterly 37 (2023), pp. 466ff (Timothy J. Wengert)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 149 (2024), col. 1044–1048 (Michael Beyer)

Volume 16: Entries T–Z and Addenda.

Edited by Heinz Scheible. 2022. 420 pp.

Reviews of this volume:

Lutherjahrbuch 89 (2022), pp. 276–278 (Johannes Schilling)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 91 (2022), pp. 394–397 (Rudolf Keller)
Lutheran Quarterly 37 (2023), pp. 466ff (Timothy J. Wengert)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 149 (2024), columns 1044–1048 (Michael Beyer)

Text volumes

Volume T 1: Texts 1–254 (1514–1522).

Edited by Richard Wetzel. 1991. 558 pp.

The first volume of texts documents Melanchthon’s development from a seventeen-year-old Reuchlinist in Tübingen through the turbulent beginning of his tenure as a professor in Wittenberg to the consolidation of the Reformation following Luther’s return from the Wartburg. The entire corpus of texts is cataloged, evaluated, and clearly presented. In the process, older editions such as the *Corpus Reformatorum* have been consistently improved; in the case of Luther’s Wartburg letters, previously overlooked readings have even been identified as correct. The quotations and allusions have been verified.

Volume T 2: Texts 255–520 (1523–1526).

Edited by Richard Wetzel in collaboration with Helga Scheible. 1995. 563 pp..

This second volume addresses central issues in the history of the Reformation, such as the right to resist, the Peasants’ War, Luther’s dispute with Erasmus, and the founding of the Nuremberg school. As in the first volume, all sources are clearly presented and, where necessary, briefly characterized. This highlights the varying degrees of circulation among the individual texts. Circulation can range from being quite obscure—such as the original version of the Greek letter on Luther’s marriage—to as many as 35 reprints, as in the case of the prefaces to the edition of Terence or to the Proverbs of Solomon. The variants are presented in special appendices, depending on whether they concern autograph drafts, textual criticism, or the history of reception. The quotations and literary allusions have been carefully traced; they are documented in a fourth appendix.

Reviews of this volume:

Zeitschrift für die Geschichte des Oberrheins 152 (2004), pp. 571ff (Hermann Ehmer)

Volume T 3: Texts 521–858 (1527–1529).

Edited by Richard Wetzel. 2000. 726 pp.

Central themes of the third volume of texts include Melanchthon’s inspection tours—for which many new sources are provided— the relocation of the University of Wittenberg to Jena due to an epidemic, the Reformers’ dispute over the correct understanding of penance and the Lord’s Supper during the Marburg Religious Colloquy, the imperial political affair known as the “Pack Controversy,” and the Diet of Speyer in 1529, at which Melanchthon’s original texts reveal, in some cases, views that are entirely different from those transmitted by discreet editors.

Reviews of this volume:

Wolfenbütteler Renaissance Mitteilungen 29 (2005), pp. 181ff (Heribert Smolinsky)

Volume T 4: Texts 859–1109 (1530).

Edited by Johanna Loehr. 2007. 796 pp. in two volumes.

A high point in the history of the Reformation—the Diet of Augsburg in 1530—is so prominently featured in the Melanchthon Correspondence that this topic fills the entire volume: Melanchthon, as an influential advisor, was at the center of events. This resulted not only in the usual documents but also in expert opinions written in collaboration with other authors, the various drafts of which remained in the official records and now pose considerable paleographic and editorial challenges. The correspondence with Luther at Coburg has always attracted considerable attention; its numerous copies and prints are now being fully cataloged for the first time and edited according to the rules of methodical textual criticism.

Reviews of this volume:

Germanistik 48 (2007), p. 770 (Herbert Jaumann)
Actualidad bibliográfica de filosofía y teología (2008), p. 106 (Josep Boada)
Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte (Book Review) 37 (2008), pp. 31ff (Johannes Schilling)
Journal of Palatinate Church History and Religious Folklore 75 (2008), pp. 425–428 (Kęstutis Daugirdas)
Fast Reviews of Books in Renaissance Intellectual History (2008) (Manuela Kahle) (online)
Quick Reviews of Books in Renaissance Intellectual History (2008) (Heinrich Kuhn) (online)
Lutherjahrbuch 75 (2008), pp. 211–213 (Helmar Junghans)
Positions Lutheriennes 56 (2008), pp. 415–417 (Matthieu Arnold)
Renaissance Quarterly 61 (2008), pp. 282–284 (Markus Wriedt)
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 88 (2008), pp. 545ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Vigiliae Christianae 62 (2008), p. 527 (Johannes van Oort)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 77 (2008), pp. 347ff (Rudolf Keller)
Journal of Catholic Theology 130 (2008), p. 382 (Lothar Lies)
Dansk teologisk Tidsskrift 72 (2009), p. 74ff (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Luther 80 (2009), pp. 131–134 (Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen)
Rottenburg Annual for Church History 28 (2009), pp. 271f (Helmut Feld)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 72 (2010), pp. 224–226 (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Church History and Religious Culture 90 (2010), pp. 91–93 (Eugène Honée)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 135 (2010), pp. 465–468 (Michael Beyer)
Zeitschrift für bayerische Landesgeschichte 73 (2010), pp. 541ff (Alois Schmid)
Journal of the History of the Upper Rhine 161 (2013), pp. 569ff (Hermann Ehmer)

Volume T 5: Texts 1110–1394 (1531–1533).

Edited by Walter Thüringer with the collaboration of Christine Mundhenk. 2003. 552 pp.

300 letters spanning three years document the diversity of Melanchthon’s activities and relationships. After a long absence from Wittenberg in the previous years, he now devoted himself once again primarily to his teaching duties and published works on rhetoric and dialectic, Aristotelian politics, and mathematics. The edition of the correspondence includes the programmatic prefaces. The first to be published was the “Confessio Augustana” and its defense. The arduous struggle to formulate the doctrine of justification is reflected in the correspondence. Soon afterward, the commentary on the Epistle to the Romans was completed. The professor continued to be involved in political matters, primarily as an expert witness. Notable expert opinions concern church property and bishoprics, the Council, the treatment of the Anabaptists, and the divorce of Henry VIII of England. After Zwingli’s death, thanks to Bucer’s initiative, the question of the Lord’s Supper was brought closer to a resolution. This substantial volume has been expanded by 14 new discoveries compared to the regesta. From a textual-critical perspective, the 35 letters to Camerarius, presented here for the first time in their original wording, are particularly noteworthy.

Reviews of this volume:

Herbergen der Christenheit 27 (2003), pp. 187–189 (Günther Wartenberg)
Dansk teologisk Tidsskrift 67 (2004), p. 240 (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Lutherjahrbuch 71 (2004), pp. 296ff (Helmar Junghans)
Positions Luthérienne 52 (2004), pp. 183ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 84 (2004), pp. 359ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Theologie und Glaube 94 (2004), p. 288
*Vigiliae Christianae* 58 (2004), p. 361 (Johannes van Oort)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 73 (2004), p. 189ff (Rudolf Keller)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 67 (2005), pp. 524–526 (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Blätter für pfälz. Kirchengeschichte und religiöse Volkskunde 72 (2005), pp. 427–430 (Gustav Adolf Benrath)
Filosofía - Resenas de Libros 23 (2005) (N.A. Espinosa)
German Studies 46 (2005), pp. 795ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Luther 76 (2005), pp. 169ff (Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen)
Rottenburger Annual for Church History 24 (2005), p. 251 (Helmut Feld)
theologie-online (2005) (Irene Dingel) (online)
The Sixteenth Century Journal 36 (2005), pp. 888ff (Timothy Wengert)
Wolfenbütteler Renaissance Mitteilungen 29 (2005), pp. 179ff (Heribert Smolinsky)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (2006) (Isabelle Deflers) (online)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 131 (2006), cols. 181–183 (Michael Beyer)
Journal for the History of the Upper Rhine 161 (2013), pp. 570ff (Hermann Ehmer)

Volume T 6: Texts 1395–1683 (1534–1535).

Edited by Christine Mundhenk with the collaboration of Roxane Wartenberg and Richard Wetzel. 2005. 588 pp.

The Melanchthon Correspondence, which has been preserved in an increasingly comprehensive manner, offers extensive insights into his public and private life. Of particular note are the negotiations of the Schmalkaldic League with England and France, in which Melanchthon played a key role as a theological advisor, and his unilateral efforts—criticized even at the time—to promote conservative church reform in France, which still merit ecumenical interest today.

Reviews of this volume:

Actualidad Bibliográfica de Filosofia y Teologia 83 (2005), p. 88 (Antoni Borràs)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 67 (2005), pp. 524–526 (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Blätter für pfälz. Church History and Religious Folklore 72 (2005), pp. 427–430 (Gustav Adolf Benrath)
Dansk teologisk Tidsskrift 68 (2005), p. 237 (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Germanistik 46 (2005), pp. 795ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Luther 76 (2005), pp. 169ff (Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen)
Lutherjahrbuch 72 (2005), pp. 193ff (Helmar Junghans)
Positions Luthérienne 53 (2005), pp. 100–102 (Matthieu Arnold)
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 85 (2005), pp. 587ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Rottenburg Annual for Church History 24 (2005), pp. 304ff (Helmut Feld)
Süddeutsche Zeitung 61 (2005, No. 89), p. 14 (Johan Schloemann)
theologie-online (2005) (Irene Dingel) (online)
Theologie und Glaube 95 (2005), p. 268ff
Vigiliae Christianae 59 (2005), p. 227 (Johannes van Oort)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 74 (2005), pp. 256ff (Rudolf Keller)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (2006) (Isabelle Deflers) (online)
Theological Contributions 37 (2006), pp. 51ff (Christian Peters)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 131 (2006), cols. 181–183 (Michael Beyer)
Journal of Catholic Theology 128 (2006), pp. 342ff (Lothar Lies)
Bibliographic News in Philosophy and Theology (2007), pp. 224ff (Antoni Borràs)
Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique 102 (2007), pp. 251–253 (Joseph Vercruysse)
Revue Philosophique de la France et l'Etranger 197 (2007), pp. 98f (Yvon Brès)
Journal for the History of the Upper Rhine 161 (2013), pp. 572ff (Hermann Ehmer)

Volume T 7: Texts 1684–1979 (1536–1537).

Edited by Christine Mundhenk with the collaboration of Heidi Hein and Judith Steiniger. 2006. 613 pp.

The 311 letters included paint a clear picture of Melanchthon’s private life, his reformatory work, and his politicalcommitment. Topics include, among others, his efforts to reach an understanding with the Upper German theologians—reflected in the Wittenberg Concord and Luther’s Schmalkaldic Articles—the negotiations of the Schmalkaldic League with England and France, and the deliberations regarding the Council.

Reviews of this volume:

Archiv für hessische Geschichte 64 (2006), pp. 435ff (Johannes Friedrich Battenberg)
Archive for Reformation History (Literature Review) 36 (2007), pp. 27f (Johannes Schilling)
Bulletin de la Société d’Histoire du Protestantisme Français 153 (2007), pp. 289–292 (Bernard Roussel)
Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 70 (2007), pp. 356ff (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Germanistik 48 (2007/2008), pp. 763ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Lutherjahrbuch 74 (2007), pp. 202ff (Helmar Junghans)
Revue d'Histoire et de la Philosophie religieuses 87 (2007), pp. 480ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 70 (2008), pp. 215ff (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Positions Lutheriennes 56 (2008), pp. 415–417 (Matthieu Arnold)
Rottenburg Annual for Church History 26 (2008), pp. 335ff (Helmut Feld)
Journal of Catholic Theology 130 (2008), p. 255 (Lothar Lies)
*Luther* 80 (2009), pp. 131–134 (Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen)
Theological Literature Journal 135 (2010), pp. 465–468 (Michael Beyer)
Journal for the History of the Upper Rhine 161 (2013), pp. 573ff (Hermann Ehmer)

Volume T 8: Texts 1980–2335 (1538–1539).

Edited by Christine Mundhenk, Heidi Hein, and Judith Steiniger. 2007. 701 pp.

This comprehensive volume contains over 370 letters from the years 1538 and 1539. They provide insight into the grueling daily life of the “Praeceptor Germaniae”: letters of recommendation for students and 10 prefaces to scholarly works document Melanchthon’s’s work as a professor in Wittenberg; 17 letters to Joachim Camerarius in Tübingen and 29 letters to Veit Dietrich in Nuremberg reveal him as a loyal friend. As an advisor and expert, he supported the Reformation in Brandenburg planned by Elector Joachim II and was involved in the difficult introduction of the Reformation in the Duchy of Saxony under Duke Henry following the death of Duke George. In addition, he was preoccupied with theological disputes concerning the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper and good works. Yet the focus also returns to national and international concerns: time and again, the discussion turns to the expectations linked to the (postponed) Council, as well as concerns about peace in Germany due to the Turkish threat and the Schmalkaldic League’s strained relations with the Emperor, France, and England. In several letters to Henry VIII, Melanchthon attempted to win the king over to the Protestant side and persuaded him not to enforce the Heresy Act, enacted in June 1539, for the time being. An epidemic that raged in Wittenberg in 1539, causing the deaths of several people close to him, and his own health problems, Melanchthon was prompted to write his will.

Reviews of this volume:

Fast Reviews of Books in Renaissance Intellectual History (2007) (Manuela Kahle) (online)
Germanistik 48 (2007) p. 770ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Actualidad bibliográfica de filosofía y teología (2008), pp. 106ff (Josep Boada)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 70 (2008), pp. 215ff (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Blätter für pfälz. Kirchengeschichte und religiöse Volkskunde 75 (2008), pp. 428–430 (Gustav Adolf Benrath)
Dansk teologisk Tidsskrift 71 (2008), p. 223 (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Luther Yearbook 75 (2008), pp. 211–213 (Helmar Junghans)
Positions Lutheriennes 56 (2008), pp. 415–417 (Matthieu Arnold)
Renaissance Quarterly 61 (2008), pp. 574–576 (Markus Wriedt)
Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 88 (2008), pp. 545ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Journal of Bavarian Regional History 71 (2008), pp. 871ff (Alois Schmid)
Luther 80 (2009), pp. 131–134 (Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen)
Sixteenth Century Journal 40 (2009), pp. 1271ff (Timothy Wengert)
Church History and Religious Culture 90 (2010), pp. 94–98 (Isabelle Deflers)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 135 (2010), pp. 465–468 (Michael Beyer)
Journal of the History of the Upper Rhine 162 (2014), pp. 538–740 (Hermann Ehmer)

Volume T 9: Texts 2336–2604 (1540).

Edited by Christine Mundhenk with the collaboration of Marion Bechtold, Heidi Hein, Simone Kurz, and Judith Steiniger. 2008. 637 pp.

The thematic focus of this volume is the efforts to resolve the religious dispute. During the preparations for the religious conference announced by the Emperor, Melanchthon and other theologians served as key advisors; among other things, they draftedexpert opinions as the basis for a unified position on the Protestant side. In the spring of 1540, Melanchthon attended the Diet of Schmalkalden. The summer was overshadowed by the double marriage of Landgrave Philip of Hesse, which made Melanchthon so ill that he was unable to travel to Hagenau for the negotiations. Beginning in October, Melanchthon stayed in Worms to participate in the religious colloquy.

Reviews of this volume:

Actualidad Bibliográfica 95 (2009), p. 108 (Josep Boada)
Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte. Literature Review 38 (2009), p. 43ff ([Johannes] Schilling)
Ebernburg-Hefte 43 (2009), pp. 81–83 = Blätter für pfälzische Kirchengeschichte 76 (2009), pp. 413–415 (Kęstutis Daugirdas)
Fast Reviews of Books in Renaissance Intellectual History (2009) (Manuela Kahle) (online)
Positions Lutheriennes 57 (2009), pp. 378ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Vuosikirja Årsskrift 99 (2009), pp. 212–216 (Otfried Czaika)
Church History and Religious Culture 90 (2010), pp. 94–98 (Isabelle Deflers)
Germanistik 50 (2010), pp. 751f (Herbert Jaumann)
Luther 81 (2010), pp. 112f (Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen)
Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique 105 (2010), p. 642ff (Joseph Vercruysse)
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 90 (2010), pp. 100ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Sixteenth Century Journal 41 (2010), pp. 894ff (Timothy Wengert)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 135 (2010), pp. 465–468 (Michael Beyer)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 79 (2010), pp. 189–191 (Rudolf Keller)
Journal of Upper Rhine History 162 (2014), pp. 537 ff. (Hermann Ehmer)

Volume T 10: Texts 2605–2865 (1541).

Edited by Christine Mundhenk, Marion Bechtold, Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Simone Kurz. 2009. 640 pp.

The year 1541 was also marked by negotiations between the Catholic and Protestant sides. Just six weeks after his return from Worms, Melanchthon traveled in mid-March to the Imperial Diet in Regensburg, which lasted until the end of July. When his carriage overturned, Melanchthon sustained a hand injury that left him with a lasting disability. During the religious discussions, Melanchthon wrote expert opinions, statements, letters, and reports. A great source of joy for Melanchthon was the appointment of his friend Joachim Camerarius to the University of Leipzig that fall.

Reviews of this volume:

Dansk teologisk Tidsskrift 73 (2010), p. 249 (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Germanistik 50 (2010), p. 752ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Positions Lutheriennes 58 (2010), pp. 347–349 (Matthieu Arnold)
Vuosikirja Årsskrift 100 (2010), pp. 237–243 (Otfried Czaika)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 136 (2011), pp. 915–918 (Michael Beyer)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 80 (2011), pp. 510ff. (Rudolf Keller)

Volume T 11: Texts 2866–3126 (1542).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, Simone Kurz, and Christine Mundhenk. 2010. 414 pp.

Following his travels in previous years to Imperial Diets and religious conferences, Melanchthon spends the year 1542 almost exclusively in Wittenberg. From there, he follows the Imperial Diets in Speyer and Nuremberg and exchanged information with his correspondents. The Turks stationed in Hungary and Joachim of Brandenburg’s military campaign against them were observed with great trepidation. Many letters from Melanchthon’s daily life show just how great the professor’s influence was; in addition to numerous letters of recommendation, his involvement in filling several vacant school and parish positions and in the founding of the University of Königsberg is documented.

Reviews of this volume:

Dansk teologiskt Tidsskrift 73 (2010), p. 249f (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Positions Lutheriennes 58 (2010), pp. 347–349 (Matthieu Arnold)
Actualidad Bibliográfica 96 (2011), p. 244 (M. P.)
Germanistik 51 (2011), pp. 262ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 73 (2011), pp. 722–726 (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Journal of Palatinate Church History 78 (2011), pp. 292–294 (Kęstutis Daugirdas)
Luther 82 (2011), pp. 135f (Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen)
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 91 (2011), pp. 590ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 136 (2011), pp. 915–918 (Michael Beyer)
Vuosikirja Årsskrift 101 (2011), pp. 185–190 (Otfried Czaika)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 80 (2011), pp. 511–514 (Rudolf Keller)
*Sixteenth Century Journal* 43 (2012), pp. 823ff (Timothy Wengert)
Church History and Religious Culture 93 (2013), pp. 127–131 (Isabelle Deflers)

Volume T 12: Texts 3127–3420a (1543).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2011. 533 pp.

The year 1543 began quietly for Melanchthon. He was glad to be able to devote himself to his teaching far removed from political affairs. His commentary on Daniel was printed and sent to friends. But soon the Archbishop of Cologne, Hermann von Wied, summoned him to lead the Reformation in the Archdiocese of Cologne. Reluctantly, Melanchthon accepted this call and traveled to Bonn from mid-April to mid-August. He reported on the progress of the work and the intrigues of his opponents. On the Rhine, he also witnessed firsthand the effects of the War of the Geldrian Succession. Many letters reveal his concern for the survival of the Church in the face of current and looming wars.

Reviews of this volume:

Actualidad Bibliográfica 96 (2011), p. 270ff (M. P.)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 80 (2011), pp. 514–516 (Rudolf Keller)
Ebernburg-Hefte 46 (2012), pp. 641ff (Christoph Galle)
Germanistik 52 (2012), p. 234 (Herbert Jaumann)
Positions Lutheriennes 60 (2012), p. 412ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique 107 (2012), pp. 1189ff (Joseph Vercruysse)
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 92 (2012), pp. 672ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 75 (2013), pp. 646–648 (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Church History and Religious Culture 93 (2013), pp. 127–131 (Isabelle Deflers)
Luther 84 (2013), pp. 125ff (Nicole Kuropka)
Lutherjahrbuch 80 (2013), pp. 326–328 (Johannes Schilling)

Volume T 13: Texts 3421–3779 (1544).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2012. 631 pp.

From Wittenberg, Melanchthon follows the events of the Diet of Speyer. The Turks in Hungary and other trouble spots are spreading dangerous unrest throughout Europe and casting a shadow over the daily life of the Wittenberg professor. 369 letters and other documents document the diverse scope of Melanchthon, who laments the heavy burden of his responsibilities. The newly reignited controversy over the Lord’s Supper and tensions with Luther lead him to consider leaving Wittenberg. On a personal level, his daughter Anna’s unhappy marriage causes him great sorrow; deeply concerned, he follows his daughter’s family as they move to distant Königsberg.

Reviewsof this volume:

Positions Lutheriennes 60 (2012), pp. 412ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Actualidad Bibliográfica 99 (2013), p. 125ff (Josep Boada)
Church History and Religious Culture 93 (2013), pp. 127–131 (Isabelle Deflers)
Dansk teologisk tidsskrift 76 (2013), pp. 78ff (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Luther 84 (2013), pp. 125ff (Nicole Kuropka)
Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique 108 (2013), pp. 1223ff (Joseph Vercruysse)
Rottenburg Annual for Church History 32 (2013), pp. 328–330 (Stefan Michel)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 76 (2014), pp. 655–658 (Reinhard Bodenmann)

Volume T 14: Texts 3780–4109 (1545).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2013. 624 pp..

The dominant theme of the year 1545 is religious policy. As early as January, Melanchthon learns that Pope Paul III has convened the Council of Trent—which had been announced for years—for April; however, its start is delayed until December. For the Imperial Diet in Worms, Melanchthon authored several expert opinions. In addition to his university duties, he was involved in numerous appointments and ordinations and championed the cause of young scholars in approximately 50 recommendations and letters of support.

Reviews of this volume:

Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance 76 (2014), pp. 655–658 (Reinhard Bodenmann)
Ebernburg-Hefte 48 (2014), pp. 323ff (Christoph Galle)
Luther 85, Issue 3 (2014), pp. 224ff (Nicole Kuropka)
Positions Luthériennes 63 (2015), pp. 89–91 (Matthieu Arnold)
Vuosikirja Årsskrift 105 (2015), pp. 134–139 (Otfried Czaika)
Church History and Religious Culture 96 (2016), pp. 401–404 (Isabelle Deflers)
Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 79 (2016), p. 79 (Martin Schwarz Lausten)

Volume T 15: Texts 4110–4529 (1546).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2014. 664 pp.

On February 18, February 1546, Luther died. The death of his longtime colleague and friend plunged Melanchthon into deep mourning and great concern for the unity of the Protestant camp. The Council of Trent was not recognized by the Protestant side, and the religious debate at the Imperial Diet of Regensburg ended without a resolution. What had long been feared comes to pass in July: Emperor Charles V declares war on the members of the Schmalkaldic League. Although many students leave Wittenberg, classes at the university continue for the time being; but in November, the Leucorea is closed, and Melanchthon retreats to Zerbst.

Reviews of this volume:

Germanistik 56 (2015), p. 177 (Herbert Jaumann)
Positions Luthériennes 63 (2015), pp. 89–91 (Matthieu Arnold)
Vuosikirja Årsskrift 105 (2015), pp. 139–142 (Otfried Czaika)
Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance (2016), pp. 760–766
Church History and Religious Culture 96 (2016), pp. 401–404 (Isabelle Deflers)
Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 79 (2016), p. 80 (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Ebernburg-Hefte 50 (2016), pp. 326ff (Christoph Galle)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 143 (2018), columns 374–377 (Michael Beyer)

Volume T 16: Texts 4530–4790 (January–June 1547).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2015. 409 pp.

From his exile in Zerbst, Melanchthon observes the horrors of the Schmalkaldic War, yet remains confident that God will preserve the Church and scholarship. He finds comfort not only in the letters he receives but also when he writes himself: Of the 272 pieces contained in the volume, a good 240 are by Melanchthon. Especially amid the chaos of war, he considers solidarity among scholars to be particularly important. Additional grief comes to him with the news of the death of his daughter Anna Sabinus in Königsberg. Following the defeat of the SaxonElector of Saxony at the Battle of Mühlberg, Melanchthon flees with his family to Nordhausen. Several universities, cities, and princes offer him asylum and positions. Before Melanchthon makes a decision, rumors are already circulating about the reopening of the University of Wittenberg by the new ruler, Moritz of Saxony.

Reviews of this volume:

Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 96 (2016), pp. 481 ff. (Matthieu Arnold)
Rottenburg Annual for Church History 35 (2016), pp. 287–289 (Stefan Michel)
Theology and Faith 3/2016, pp. 259 ff.
Ebernburg-Hefte 51 (2017) (Christoph Galle)
Church History and Religious Culture 98 (2018), pp. 159–162 (Charlotte Methuen)
Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 81 (2018), pp. 1ff (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 143 (2018), columns 374–377 (Michael Beyer)

Volume T 17: Texts 4791–5010 (July–December 1547).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2016. 356 pp.

Following the end of the Schmalkaldic War, the reorganization of the territories began. 233 letters reveal the many uncertainties brought about by the changed political situation, but also the emotional state of the scholar, who receives many offers from outside his home region yet considers his true home to be wherever he can be with his friends. Melanchthon is a sought-after advisor in the planning the university system. He is involved in negotiations regarding the founding of a university in Jena, but is then summoned to Wittenberg, where discussions are underway about reopening the university there. Without his friends, he feels lonely there, for he misses the collegial exchange; but the pressure of his “dialectic”’ keeps him there. He looks anxiously toward the upcoming Imperial Diet in Augsburg. Melanchthon’s worries are so great that, even at the end of the year, he dreams that Elector Moritz intends to lay Wittenberg in ruins.

Reviews of this volume:

Archiv für hessische Geschichte 75 (2017), p. 425 (J. Friedrich Battenberg)
Seventeenth Century News 75 (2017), pp. 134–136 (William Weaver)
Church History and Religious Culture 98 (2018), pp. 159–162 (Charlotte Methuen)
Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 81 (2018), pp. 1ff. (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Ebernburg-Hefte 52 (2018), pp. 327ff (Christoph Galle)
Luther 89 (2018), pp. 130ff (Nicole Kuropka)
Rottenburg Annual for Church History 36 (2018), 292ff (Stefan Michel)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 143 (2018), cols. 374–377 (Michael Beyer)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 87 (2018), pp. 320f (Rudolf Keller)
Sixteenth Century Journal (2/2020), pp. 555–557 (Amy Nelson Burnett)

Volume T 18: Texts 5011–5343 (January–October 1548).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2018. 650 pp.

While progress is being made on the reestablishment of the University of Wittenberg, the political situation in the Empire is by no means calming down. Following the victory over the Schmalkaldic League, Emperor Charles V attempts to enforce his religious-political goals. With the “Interim,” enacted in June 1548 at the Imperial Diet in Augsburg, he aims to reverse the Reformation in Germany. Through Elector Moritz of Saxony, Melanchthon is informed of the negotiations at an early stage. In numerous expert opinions, he recommends rejecting the Interim. When asked for advice by many pastors, he urges them to keep their decisions regarding Christian doctrine clearly separate from the considerations of politicians. Melanchthon’s infamous letter to the Saxon diplomat Christoph von Carlowitz is published in a critical edition for the first time. A remark about Luther contained therein had already caused a stir at the Diet of Augsburg; this controversial nature likely made the document the Reformer’s most widely circulated letter.

Reviews of this volume:

Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 81 (2018), p. 321ff (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Germanistik 59 (2018), 788 No. 6048 (Herbert Jaumann)
Positions luthériennes 66 (2018), pp. 403ff (Matthieu Arnold)
Church History and Religious Culture 99 (2019), pp. 89–91 (Timothy J. Wengert)
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 99 (2019), pp. 293–295 (Matthieu Arnold)
Rottenburg Annual for Church History 38 (2019), pp. 336ff (Stefan Michel)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 88 (2019), pp. 239–242 (Rudolf Keller)
Archive for Hessian History 78 (2020), pp. 259ff (J. Friedrich Battenberg)
Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique (1/2020), pp. 379–383 (Martin H. Jung)
Journal of the History of the Upper Rhine 168 (2020), pp. 659ff (Hermann Ehmer)
Luther 92 (2021), pp. 75ff (Nicole Kuropka)
Luther Yearbook 88 (2021), pp. 323–327 (Johannes Schilling)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 146 (2021), cols. 189–192 (Michael Beyer)

Volume T 19: Texts 5344–5642 (November 1548 – September 1549).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2019. 621 pp.

The interim decree issued by Emperor Charles V continued to cause considerable unrest in 1549. Melanchthon was willing to make concessions on matters of adiaphora in order to preserve the purity of doctrine and avert the threat of war. In light of the expulsion of Protestant pastors from Strasbourg and Swabia, there is great uncertainty: How many concessions are acceptable without betraying one’s own religious convictions? Melanchthon is asked for advice from many quarters. Yet he also faces fierce hostility from former friends such as Nikolaus von Amsdorf and Matthias Flacius, who flatly reject the Interim and will not tolerate any compromises. Melanchthon’s concern for the survival and unity of Protestant doctrine also takes a toll on his health. Yet he finds comfort in the fact that the unaltered doctrine continues to be taught at the University of Wittenberg.

Reviewsof this volume:

Germanistik 60 (2019), p. 835ff, No. 6304 (Herbert Jaumann)
Positions luthériennes 67 (2019), pp. 370–372 (Matthieu Arnold)
Archiv für hessische Geschichte 78 (2020), pp. 259f (J. Friedrich Battenberg)
Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 83 (2020), pp. 153–155 (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 100 (2020), pp. 421–424 (Matthieu Arnold)
Zeitschrift für bayerische KirHistory 89 (2020), pp. 128–130 (Rudolf Keller)
Journal of the History of the Upper Rhine 168 (2020), pp. 659ff. (Hermann Ehmer)
Luther 92 (2021), pp. 75ff (Nicole Kuropka)
Luther Yearbook 88 (2021), pp. 323–327 (Johannes Schilling)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 146 (2021), cols. 189–192 (Michael Beyer)

Volume T 20: Texts 5643–5969 (October 1549 – December 1550).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2019. 494 pp.

Even in 1550, tensions among the Protestants did not subside. Due to the ongoing polemics of Matthias Flacius Illyricus in the dispute over the adiaphora, Melanchthon felt unjustly attacked and defended himself; with two open letters, their conflict took on a public dimension. Melanchthon receives encouragement and comfort from many quarters. Despite repeated invitations, going to England to thus avoid the disputes and the threat from the emperor is out of the question for him. But theological disputes are also breaking out elsewhere: In the Hamburg controversy over Christ’s descent into hell, Melanchthon and the Wittenberg theologians are called upon as expert witnesses; and in distant Königsberg, the Osiandrian Controversy begins to simmer, centering on the central doctrine of justification. Melanchthon finds distraction in family life; the highlights of which are the weddings of his two children, Philipp and Magdalena.

Reviews of this volume:

Germanistik 60 (2019), p. 836, No. 6305 (Herbert Jaumann)
Archiv für hessische Geschichte 78 (2020), p. 259ff (J. Friedrich Battenberg)
Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 83 (2020), p. 155ff (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie religieuses 100 (2020), pp. 421–424 (Matthieu Arnold)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 89 (2020), pp. 130–132 (Rudolf Keller)
Journal of the History of the Upper Rhine 168 (2020), pp. 660ff (Hermann Ehmer)
Luther 92 (2021), pp. 214 ff. (Nicole Kuropka)
Luther Yearbook 88 (2021), pp. 323–327 (Johannes Schilling)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 146 (2021), pp. 189–192 (Michael Beyer)

Volume T 21: Texts 5970–6291 (1551).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2020. 484 pp.

At the beginning of 1551, Melanchthon expressed a desire to spend his old age in greater peace; yet this wish was not fulfilled. Throughout the entire year, he was preoccupied with the dispute over justification with Andreas Osiander, whose polemics he felt were a personal affront. To avoid acting alone, he sought the approval of other theologians before drafting an expert opinion himself. Melanchthon’s theological authority was also evident with regard to the Council: in May, for the reopened Council of Trent, he composed the “Confessio Saxonica”, a concise and succinct restatement of the Augsburg Confession of 1530, which was endorsed by the leading theologians of Electoral Saxony and other territories. In December, he traveled to the electoral court in Dresden to learn more about the journey to Trent he had been ordered to undertake .

Reviews of this volume:

Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 83 (2020), pp. 156ff (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Germanistik 61 (2020), pp. 998ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Archiv für hessische Geschichte 79 (2021), pp. 362ff (J. Friedrich Battenberg)
Luther 92 (2021), 214ff (Nicole Kuropka)
Luther Yearbook 88 (2021), pp. 323–327 (Johannes Schilling)
Revue d'Histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses 101 (2021), pp. 409–411 (Matthieu Arnold)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 90 (2021), pp. 216–218 (Rudolf Keller)
Positions luthériennes 70 (2022), pp. 281–285 (Matthieu Arnold)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 147 (2022), cols. 705–708 (Michael Beyer)
Journal of the History of the Upper Rhine 170 (2022), pp. 447ff (Hermann Ehmer)

Volume T 22: Texts 6292–6690 (1552).

Edited by Matthias Dall’Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. 2021. 576 pp.

At the Elector’s command, Melanchthon set out for Nuremberg at the beginning of 1552, where he was to await further instructions for his mission to the Council of Trent. The Princes’ War prevented him from continuing his journey, so Melanchthon returned to Wittenberg in March. There he once again found himself exposed to the polemics of Andreas Osiander, whose death he learned of in November. Due to a rampant epidemic, the University of Wittenberg was relocated in the summer to Torgau, where it remained until December; Melanchthon stayed in Wittenberg only to oversee the printing of his works. Despite all the dangers and inconveniences, however, there were also rays of hope: Melanchthon took joy in the Treaty of Passau, the return of Duke Johann Friedrich the Elder of Saxony to Weimar, and his granddaughter Anna Peucer.

Reviews of this volume:

Journal of Bavarian Church History 90 (2021), pp. 218–220 (Rudolf Keller)
Germanistik 62 (2021), p. 875 (Herbert Jaumann)
Luther Yearbook 89 (2022), p. 278ff (Johannes Schilling)
Positions luthériennes 70 (2022), pp. 281–285 (Matthieu Arnold)
Journal for the History of the Upper Rhine 170 (2022), pp. 448ff (Hermann Ehmer)
Archive for Hessian History 81 (2023), pp. 369ff (J. Friedrich Battenberg)
Luther 94 (2023), pp. 184ff (Nicole Kuropka)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 149 (2024), cols. 1044–1048 (Michael Beyer)

Volume T 23: Texts 6691–7093 (January 1553 – February 1554).

Edited by Matthias Dall'Asta, Heidi Hein, Regine Klar, and Christine Mundhenk. 2022. 596 pp.

The doctrinal disputes within Protestantism continued even after Osiander’s death; Franciscus Stancarus, Theobald Thamer, and Georg Maior caused fresh tensions in 1553. One hundred years after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, Melanchthon feared for the fate of a Germany torn by internal strife in light of the Turkish threat in the East, as foretold by ancient prophecies. The recatholization initiated with Queen Mary Tudor’s accession to the throne in England filled him with additional concern. In addition to his sovereign, Elector Moritz of Saxony—who had been mortally wounded in July at the Battle of Sievershausen—and Prince Georg of Anhalt, who was terminally ill, Melanchthon had to mourn numerous other deaths. In April, his trusted assistant Johannes Koch died; shortly thereafter, Melanchthon’s wife, Katharina, became seriously ill. In November, he was forced to cancel a long-planned trip to Rostock for the wedding of his student David Chytraeus.

Reviews of this volume:

Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift 86 (2022), pp. 96f (Martin Schwarz Lausten)
Germanistik 63 (2022), pp. 808ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 91 (2022), pp. 397–399 (Rudolf Keller)
Archive for Hessian History 81 (2023), pp. 369ff (J. Friedrich Battenberg)
Luther 94 (2023), pp. 184ff (Nicole Kuropka)
Luther Yearbook 90 (2023), pp. 349–351 (Johannes Schilling)
Rottenburg Annual for Church History 42 (2023), pp. 338ff (Stefan Michel)

Volume T 24: Texts 7094–7454 (March 1554 – March 1555).

Edited by Matthias Dall'Asta, Heidi Hein, Regine Klar, and Christine Mundhenk. 2023. 590 pp.

The dispute with the Osiandrists in Prussia continued into 1554. In May, Melanchthon was summoned to a theological convention in Naumburg, which, however, failed to reach an agreement, since the Württemberg theologians did not arrive in time and others stayed away entirely; his skepticism toward synods grew. Melanchthon lamented the fate of Duke Johann Friedrich of Saxony, who had died in March. He learned of the imprisonment and execution of the Protestant bishops in England and took sympathizes with the plight of religious refugees. Melanchthon signals his approval to John Calvin regarding the burning of the anti-Trinitarian Servetus in Geneva in October 1553. In the summer, he is tormented by kidney stones; in September, a school inspection takes him to Grimma, Meissen, and Schulpforta; in February 1555, he traveled to Dresden for a church inspection. Melanchthon looked with concern toward Augsburg, where negotiations on the religious question had begun at the Imperial Diet that opened in February.

Reviews of this volume:

Germanistik 64 (2023), p. 926ff (Herbert Jaumann)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 92 (2023), pp. 317–320 (Rudolf Keller)
Luther Yearbook 91 (2024), pp. 272–275 (Johannes Schilling)
Luther 96 (2025), pp. 218–220 (Tobias Jammerthal)

Volume T 25: Texts 7455–7802 (April 1555 – April 1556).

Edited by Matthias Dall'Asta, Heidi Hein, Regine Klar, and Christine Mundhenk. 2024. 555 pp.

The Imperial Diet in Augsburg, which opened on February 5, 1555, and the Religious Peace adopted on September 25 receive surprisingly little attention in Melanchthon’s correspondence. Melanchthon was far more intensely engaged —in addition to his duties at the University of Wittenberg—was far more deeply engaged with intra-Protestant disputes. In September 1555, he traveled to Nuremberg together with Joachim Camerarius and others to mediate the Osiandrian disputes there. In Augsburg and Pomerania, Melanchthon’s judgment was also sought, and conflicts broke out in other places as well. The appearance of a comet, which Melanchthon was able to observe from March 5 through April 16, 1556, seemed to him to herald new religious disputes and wars. Regarding the healing spring discovered in Bad Pyrmont , Melanchthon gathered information with great interest and even recommended it to his ailing friend Johannes Mathesius.

Reviews of this volume:

Zeitschrift für bayerische Kirchengeschichte 93 (2024), pp. 293–296 (Rudolf Keller)
Archive for Hessian History 83 (2025), pp. 350ff (J. Friedrich Battenberg)
Luther 96 (2025), pp. 218–220 (Tobias Jammerthal)
Luther Yearbook 92 (2025), pp. 326–329 (Johannes Schilling)
Theologische Literaturzeitung 151 (2026), columns 421–423 (Ingo Klitzsch)

Volume T 26: Texts 7803–8142 (May 1556 – February 1557)

Edited by Matthias Dall'Asta, Heidi Hein, Regine Klar, and Christine Mundhenk. 2025. 616 pp.

In June 1556, Melanchthon was summoned to the electoral court in Dresden. He took the opportunity to pay a brief visit to his ailing friend Johannes Mathesius in Bohemia. This detour is the only pleasant break in Melanchthon’s daily routine; otherwise, the professor frequently laments the heavy workload he must manage. The Regensburg Diet gets off to a slow start; negotiations on a religious settlement are ultimately referred to a religious conference. The internal Protestant disputes also show no sign of abating. Melanchthon reacts with increasing disappointment to the persistent attacks from former students and friends. His bitterness is so great that he is unable to accept offers of peace from Nicolaus Gallus and Matthias Flacius Illyricus. Furthermore, the fear of engaging in dialogue with his critics paralyzes him. Nevertheless, reconciliation negotiations take place in January 1557, but these do not lead to a rapprochement between the Flacians and Melanchthon.

Reviews of this volume:

Luther 97 (2026), p. 149ff (Tobias Jammerthal)
Journal of Bavarian Church History 94 (2025), pp. 261–264 (Rudolf Keller)

Vol. 27: Texts 8143–8472 (March – December 1557)

Edited by Matthias Dall'Asta, Heidi Hein, and Christine Mundhenk. In preparation.

Since the aim of a religious dialogue is to try to reach an understanding between Catholics and Protestants after all, the sixty-year-old Melanchthon set out for Worms in mid-August 1557 at the behest of the Saxon Elector. On the way, he is honored with a reception by the University of Marburg. During the Worms negotiations, he once again vehemently advocates for church unity, but the discord among the Protestants that has come to light is seized upon by the Catholics as an opportunity to push for the termination of the talks. While the negotiations were suspended, Melanchthon spent a few days in Heidelberg, where he had once studied. There, his friend Joachim Camerarius—who had rushed to him from Leipzig specifically for this purpose—delivered the news of the death of his wife, Katharina; Melanchthon was deeply shaken. It was not until shortly before Christmas that he returned from themonth-long journey—which was to be his last major journey—to Wittenberg.