The Printer of Wittenberg 1517
1517, Saxony. People are saying an Augustinian friar has nailed ninety-five theses to the door of the castle church. You are a journeyman in a print shop who has been asked to print them.
Historical background
On 31 October 1517 Martin Luther, an Augustinian friar and professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg, sent ninety-five theses criticising the sale of indulgences to Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz; the story that he nailed them to the church door is a later tradition. Within weeks the Latin theses were printed in Leipzig, Nuremberg and Basel, German pamphlets followed, and the printing press became the Reformation's strongest weapon. Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony protected Luther.
In 1520 the pope issued a bull threatening excommunication, and in April 1521 at the Diet of Worms Luther refused to recant before Emperor Charles V. Hidden at the Wartburg, he translated the New Testament into German and published it in September 1522, while in Wittenberg images were smashed in the churches. The German Peasants' War spread in 1524–1525, and the preacher Thomas Müntzer was defeated at Frankenhausen. Among the nuns who escaped from the convent of Nimbschen in 1523 hidden in herring barrels was Katharina von Bora, who married Luther in 1525. The complete German Bible was printed at Wittenberg by Hans Lufft in 1534.
Who you are
You begin as a 23-year-old journeyman in a Saxon print shop. You have neither land nor sword, but you can handle type and ink. Jakob Vogel, the master of the shop, Peter, a fellow journeyman, Margarete, a former nun, and Wolf of Leipzig are the people of this life.
The current of history: The Reformation
An invitation called "Ninety-five theses" arrives, and through the stage that leads to the Diet of Worms you decide whose words your press will print. Your faith and allegiance really change.
Sides you can take
- Luther's side Print and spread the reformers’ writings — the side of the new faith, at the risk of being called a heretic.
- Rome's side Print works refuting Luther on the Church’s side, under the protection of the old order.
- Peasants and preachers Side with the radical preachers and peasants who want to go further than Luther. The most dangerous path.
Tips
Questions and answers
How close is this scenario to real history?
The Ninety-five Theses of 31 October 1517 and their printing, Frederick the Wise, the Diet of Worms in 1521, the German New Testament of September 1522 and the Wittenberg iconoclasm, the Peasants' War and Müntzer, the nuns who escaped in herring barrels and Katharina von Bora, and Lufft's Bible of 1534 are historical. The starting map, realms, real historical figures and the major events of the current of history follow actual history. You and the companions, rivals and loves around you are fictional people who could have lived then, and once you start, history may diverge according to your choices and those of the AI rulers.
What station do I start in?
You start as a 23-year-old common man living in Saxony, a journeyman printer. You have no land.
Is it free? Can I play right away?
Yes. Crown & Plough is a free browser game with no account and nothing to install. The "Start in this scene" button on this page opens the scenario's intro screen directly, and progress is saved automatically in your browser. It works on phones too.
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