Thomas Murner als Kontroversfigur im Lichte der (prä-)reformatorischen Öffentlichkeit und im Urteil der Nachwelt

The Alsatian Franciscan Thomas Murner is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating figures of the early Reformation. Among the traditionalist theologians involved in the controversies, he can be regarded as a media expert who posed a threat to his opponents precisely for that reason: Reformation pamphlets depict a caricature of the cat-headed mendicant monk as Luther’s archenemy. Hardly any other representative of the old church has been so thoroughly targeted and victimized by damning, mocking propaganda, whose distorted portrayals have shaped scholarship right up to the modern era.
These volumes aim to provide a critical analysis and reassessment of Murner’s activities directed against the Strasbourg and Swiss Reformations, addressing questions of the history of communication and historiography. Using his example, the study explores the possibilities and limitations of public criticism of Luther in the 1520s. To this end, the study examines the close relationship between image-shaping prefigurations and the construction of identity-forming enemy stereotypes in the Reformation public sphere, as well as their impact on the scope for communicative action. A network analysis reveals the significance of the personal relationships—which often remained behind the scenes—with fellow activists, friends, and patrons, which ensured the survival of opponents of the Reformation, such as Murner, both literally and in the realm of public discourse. The sources underlying the study, including Murner’s correspondence, round out the study in the second volume.