MARTIN LUTHER -D1

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In 1517, Martin Luther famously nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany, challenging the Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences to finance the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Initially, Luther's writings were sympathetic toward Jews, advocating for their fair treatment and conversion to Christianity. However, as large-scale Jewish conversion did not materialize, Luther grew increasingly hostile to Jews, contributing greatly to German antisemitism. The rapid spread of Protestantism was aided by the newly invented printing press. This sparked 150 years of Holy Wars between Catholic and Protestant states and left an estimated 8 million Europeans dead. 443