Martin Breuer | |
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Martin Breuer as President of the Magi | |
President of the Magi | |
Reign | 1533-1543 |
Predecessor | Hugh the Heir |
Successor | Thomas Jung |
Head of the Grand Synod/ Primate of Germany | |
Reign | 1515-1571 |
Predecessor | Title Created |
Born | 17 July 1515 Plaue, Thuringia, Holy Roman Empire |
Died | 4 April 1571 Gera, Thuringia, Rätian Union |
Religion | Jungism |
Martin Breuer (17 July 1515 – 4 April 1571) was a religious reformer and theologian during the Protestant Reformation, who served as the de facto "Primate of Germany" and the third President of the Magi in the Jungist Räterepublic of Thuringia. After the death of Konrad Jung, Breuer emerged alongside such figures as Johann Freud as one of the preeminent figures of the Reformation, and later in life was nicknamed the "Second Jung". Breuer would be a major proponent of the synodic form of church hierarchy. In 1515 the Council of Dresden, held between representatives of Jungism, the Archbishop of Mainz, and Papal legates, transferred the title of "Primate of Germany", and thus the theoretical leadership over all the Catholic Churches in Germany, to a synod that included Breuer. This would be done in an attempt by the Archbishop of Mainz to repair the Protestant-Catholic Schism, by creating a shared council for cooperation between both camps, but in practice became a vehicle for Breuer to lead reforms within local Catholic churches. Breuer would rise from a representative to the de facto spokesperson of the "Grand Synod", leading to Breuer being known as the de facto Primate of Germany in his own right.
In 1533 Breuer would be selected through random chance to become the third President of the Magi for Thuringia, becoming a prominent figure in the nation's leadership leading up to the creation of the Rätian Union. While a Jungist in personal practice, Breuer would walk a careful line in appealing to the select number of Catholics under his leadership. During the Gunpowder Plot he would serve as a primary investigator of the plot, ruling that the conspiracy had actually been arranged by Catholics in an effort to frame Jungists.
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