continued to be the capital of Saxony until 1547, when the
electorate passed to the Albertine line of the house of Wet-
tin. The University of Wittenberg (founded 1502) was
made famous by two of its teachers who were leading re-
ligious reformers—LUTHERand MELANCHTHON. The RE-
FORMATIONis taken as beginning in Wittenberg in 1517
when Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the doors
of the church of All Saints. Lucas CRANACHwas court
painter at Wittenberg from 1505. Notable buildings from
this time include the castle (1490–99) and the town hall
(1524–40). The Augusteum, erected (1564–83) on the site
of the Augustinian monastery associated with Luther, be-
came a Lutheran seminary in the 18th century.
Witz, Konrad (c. 1400–c. 1445) German painter
Witz was probably born near Württemberg or near Baden;
little is known of his life, although his father was an artist
working for the duke of Burgundy, and Witz probably
traveled with him to France and Flanders. His work shows
the influence of contemporary Flemish painting. He
moved to Basle around 1430, and all his known work was
executed in Basle and Geneva. Witz stands at the end of
the Gothic artistic tradition, rejecting its patterns and el-
egant curves for an accurately observed realism, and using
light in his paintings in a dramatic and innovatory way.
His surviving works are panels from altarpieces, of which
the latest, Christ Walking on the Water and the Miraculous
Draught of Fishes from the St. Peter altarpiece (1444;
Geneva), is a remarkable achievement. The figures, the
water, the reflections, and the various effects of light are
all finely observed, and the landscape around the lake is
clearly that of Lake Geneva. This represents one of the ear-
liest depictions in European art of a real, recognizable
landscape.
Wolf, Hieronymus (1516–1580) German humanist
scholar
Wolf was born in Oettingen and was the pupil of both
Philipp MELANCHTHONand Joachim CAMERARIUS. Despite
a peripatetic life, he managed to produce editions of the
Greek orators Isocrates (1548) and Demosthenes (1549)
that formed the basis of a definitive critical edition (1572)
unsuperseded for more than 200 years. From 1551 to
1557 he was employed as secretary and librarian to the
FUGGER FAMILYin Augsburg. In the latter year he began
publication of the works of Byzantine historians, with the
object of assembling the complete corpus of Byzantine
historiography. Also from that year he was head of the
Protestant school in Augsburg, a post which he combined
with that of city librarian until his death.
Wolgemut, Michael (1434–1519) German artist
A native of Nuremberg, Wolgemut was apprenticed to his
father Valentin. The altarpieces attributed to him at
Zwickau in Saxony (1479), Feuchtwangen (1484), and
Schwabach (1508) show him painting in a predominantly
Netherlandish style. His major importance resides how-
ever in his development of the WOODCUTas a medium for
BOOK ILLUSTRATION. The blocks for the famous and hand-
some Nuremberg Chronicle (1493) were a product of
Wolgemut’s prolific workshop, but most important of all,
he was DÜRER’s master in the technique of woodcut, and
the refinements that Wolgemut had introduced were
brought to fruition in the work of the younger artist.Wolsey, Thomas (c. 1473–1530) English cardinal and
statesman
The son of an Ipswich butcher, Wolsey attended Magdalen
College, Oxford, of which he was bursar before becoming
chaplain to Henry VII (1507). He was appointed almoner
under HENRY VIII(1509) and had become a leading coun-
cilor by 1513, when his efficient organization of a military
expedition to France recommended him to the king. His
willingness to manage the routine of government and
most affairs of state appealed to the pleasure-loving Henry,
and Wolsey virtually governed England from 1515, when
he became chancellor, until his fall from favor in 1529,
over his failure to secure the annulment of Henry’s mar-
riage to CATHERINE OF ARAGON. He died at Leicester, on his
way to London to answer charges of treason.
Wolsey’s main interest was foreign affairs, in which he
strove to maintain England’s security in a Europe domi-
nated by the Hapsburg–Valois rivalry, while also preserv-
ing his own position as papal legate (from 1518) and
indulging Henry VIII’s unrealistic desire to revive the glo-
ries of the Hundred Years’ War. He was not unsuccessful
until 1529, when a temporary Hapsburg–Valois rapproche-
ment left England isolated. In domestic affairs he was no
great innovator but an energetic administrator who kept
the government functioning efficiently. His most enduring
achievement was the firm establishment of the court of
chancery as the court of equity in civil cases. As arch-
bishop of York from 1514 and a cardinal from 1515, he
ruled the English Church by virtue of his legatine com-
mission, reducing the archbishop of Canterbury to a ci-
pher. Perhaps his weakest area was finance, as he
consistently failed either to obtain sufficient taxes or to
cut expenditure.
Wolsey used his position to amass a large personal
fortune. Its basis was his collection of ecclesiastical posts:
in addition to the archbishopric of York he held other
bishoprics in England—Lincoln (from 1514), Bath and
Wells (1518–24), Durham (1524–29), and Winchester
(1529–30)—and was bishop of Tournai (1513–18) and
abbot of St. Albans (from 1521). His annual income was
as high as £35,000 (six times that of the richest peer), en-
abling him to found colleges at Ipswich and Oxford (Car-
dinal College, 1525; refounded as Christ Church, 1546),
build HAMPTON COURT PALACE, and enjoy an ostentatious
way of life.WWoollsseeyy,, TThhoommaass 5 50055