GOUTTES Ulrich von (Hutten Ulrich von)

(1488-1523)
Born April 21, 1488 in the fortress Shtekkelberg, near Fulda (Hessen, Germany). Scion of a shabby sort of chivalry predicted to become a monk, he received an excellent education in the Benedictine monastery of Fulda school, but lost his faith and became an inveterate anti-clerical. After leaving the school in 1504, chose the life of a wandering scholar. After a short stay in Cologne and Erfurt Hutten entered the newly founded University in Frankfurt an der Oder, . where he earned a degree and unveiled the first of the many poems in Latin, . that continued to come to light until about 1516,
. In 1511 Hutten published a treatise on the Art of versification. He was in Pavia (Italy), studied law, when in 1512 the Swiss invaded and looted the city. After moving to Bologna in 1513 had to be hired for military service. In 1514 he returned to Germany, with the help of relatives has made protection of the new Elector of Mainz, Archbishop Albert of Brandenburg.
In 1514, Hutten became acquainted with Erasmus, who warmly received his writings. A year later, a cousin of Hutten, Hans von Hutten, was killed by Ulrich, Duke of Wurttemberg, and Hutten in the press with a fierce attack on the duke, then he brought down his wrath on all other independent princes of the Holy Roman Empire. Then he became one of the authors of the famous Letters of ignorant people (Epistolae obscurum vivorum), be published in 1515-1517. Letters denounced the clergy of Cologne and the Elector Albert, terrified riot speeches Hutten, removed him from the court. Hutten joined Martin Luther, became his friend and soul mate. Luther's Appeal to the common people Hutten reinforced exhortations of the upper classes, in Latin and German bitterly denouncing the papacy and the Roman Catholic clergy. This forced the Emperor Charles V to deny him the patronage, and Hutten fled Germany to Switzerland. Sick and destitute, he made his way to Basel, where Erasmus refused to meet with him, dissatisfied unrestrained his later writings. A misunderstanding between two humanists turned into a bitter feud. Further wanderings Hutten led him finally to Zurich, where U. Zwingli, Swiss religious reformer, gave him refuge in o.Ufenau (on Lake Zurich). There Hutten, and died August 29, 1523.