How the future Hungarian Palatine Werbőczy tried to “convert” Martin Luther in a completely novel way
1521 marked a turning point in Hungary’s history. In September of the previous year, Suleiman I (1520–1566) had assumed control of the Ottoman Empire. Hungarian intelligence knew one thing with certainty: the Ottoman forces would no longer focus on eastern or African conquests but would instead launch invasions towards the northwest. Hungary became the primary target and desperately sought help from the European powers of the era, especially the Holy Roman Empire. It was in this context that István Werbőczy, a well-educated leader of the Hungarian nobility and later palatine, attempted to persuade Martin Luther through theological debate — possibly the first politician to prefer dialogue over command.
Hungary alone against the Ottoman superpower
The Jagiellonian Kingdom of Hungary (1490–1526) was neither anarchic nor economically collapsed, but it was powerless to stand alone against the Ottoman invaders. This was precisely why the nobles had chosen a Jagiellonian monarch after the death of the great King Matthias (1458–1490). The nobility hoped that the Poland-based dynasty, which had successfully defended the Czech throne against Matthias Corvinus, could stop Suleiman.
In 1521, Louis II was only about fifteen years old but acutely aware of the dangers. He sent envoys mainly to the German Imperial Diets to ask for support. This was plausible: Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and brother of Emperor Charles V, frequently suffered Ottoman raids on his territories, making the German estates more open to funding and sending troops for defence.
A fractured Europe divided further by Luther’s teachings
Europe’s diplomatic landscape was dangerously tangled. Even the most “Christian” kings, such as the French King Francis I, were inclined towards cooperation with the Ottomans. Amid this turmoil, the rapid spread of Lutheran doctrines deeply divided the German states of the Holy Roman Empire.
Since Luther had nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the Wittenberg church door in 1517, a great divide had formed by 1521 between Luther, his critics, and those threatening him with death. After initial neglect, the Pope commissioned theologians to defeat Luther through debate. The aim was to keep the German Church among the strong allies of Rome. After repeated failures, the Pope excommunicated Luther in 1520. However, this papal bull was almost impossible to enforce in most German territories, where resistance soon erupted into violence with fatal consequences.
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Imperial diet to avoid civil war
Fearing civil war, Emperor Charles V summoned the Imperial Diet to Worms with the intention of condemning Luther again — this time with an imperial ban. But the Emperor needed to hear Luther in person, which had not happened before. Until then, politicians had avoided serious debate with Luther, leaving it to theologians, who had failed to make an impact.
Arriving in Worms was the Hungarian delegation led by István Werbőczy — future palatine and compiler of the entire Hungarian legal code, the Tripartitum — alongside Jeromos Balbi (Hyeronimus), Provost of Pressburg and royal secretary. Hungary’s stature was evident, as Balbi rode to the Emperor’s left during the procession and Werbőczy followed behind, Mandiner wrote.
Werbőczy’s well-prepared attempt to persuade Luther
Werbőczy’s goal was clear: alongside cementing the marriages of Jagiellonian Anna to Ferdinand and Habsburg Maria to Louis II, he needed to secure aid from the German estates in the face of the Ottoman threat. Aware that Luther’s ideas could inflame the German states, he invited the former Augustinian friar — now excommunicated by papal bull — to a friendly dinner on the eve of his hearing for a debate.
Historians believe Werbőczy had the right qualifications for this challenge. He had studied in Italy and, supposedly, in Vienna; he spoke Latin, Ancient Greek, and decent German, and possessed theological training. On the way to Worms, he even published a notable anti-Lutheran work in Vienna to study during the journey.
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Although well-prepared, he could not convince the reformer. According to the papal nuncio, Werbőczy performed well in the debate — though the nuncio’s view may have been biased. Nevertheless, it seems Werbőczy was the first politician (or among the first) to seek to persuade Luther with reasoned argument rather than issuing orders for the repudiation of his teachings.
The fall of Nándorfehérvár and growing danger
The Edict of Worms, dated 8 May 1521, imposed an imperial ban on Luther and ordered his books to be burned. However, complying with this proved impossible, much like enforcing the papal bull. Luther’s evangelical message became a political weapon among princes and estates seeking independence from Rome — and was even used against the Habsburgs after Worms.
Meanwhile, Suleiman’s forces advanced in April 1521. On 29 August 1521 — exactly five years before the Battle of Mohács — the key fortress of Nándorfehérvár (Belgrade) fell to the Ottomans. Louis’s forces stood at Mohács because the troops could not be assembled before the end of the harvest. Although they might have attempted to retake the fortress, a plague broke out in the camp, dispersing the army.
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The fall of Nándorfehérvár heightened the sense of threat in the German lands, but meaningful armies still could not be raised to support Hungary. Ferdinand assembled his own troops yearly but was prevented from crossing the Austrian–Croatian border by the Austrian estates.