Gregor Brück

His role in the early 16th century in Germany, as legal advisor to Martin Luther, may be said to earn him the title of Lawyer of the Reformation.

In 1506 he went to the University of Frankfurt to study law under Heironymus Schurff, and earned his doctorate in 1509.

[3] Martin Luther was a close neighbour and worked with him on drafting his arguments for the Diet of Worms, a pivotal point in the Reformation.

[5] In the Wittenberg movement of October 1521, Gregor Brück was the chief negotiator between the church, the university and the town council in resolving issues within a legal framework.

[7] On 22 September 1530 Gregor Brück represented the Protestant faith in the formal written declaration to the established Catholic church, delivered at Wittenberg town hall.

In this role he was critical in maintaining peace and mutual acceptance between the diverging faiths in Germany.

He then first went to Weimar, then to Jena in Thuringia, where he became Professor of Law at the Gymnasium, and was instrumental in raising its status to that of a university.