The Household's Keeper

Katharina's House

A runaway nun and the man she argued with

Katharina von Bora was sent to a convent as a child and later became a nun. By 1523, Luther's writings had changed her mind. She and eleven other nuns escaped. Tradition says they hid among fish barrels on a merchant's wagon. On June 13, 1525, Katharina married Luther. A former monk marrying a former nun shocked plenty of people.

They lived in the Black Cloister, the old monastery where Luther had once been a monk. Katharina turned it into a busy home. It had a farm, an orchard, and a small brewery. Students and guests paid to live there. She kept the accounts and the animals, by most reports better than Martin could have. She also raised their six children.

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Same story, three ways to learn it.

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At the kitchen table

A 10-minute guide for parents, grandparents, and mentors

You don't need the answers. Just ask, and listen.

“God, thank you for everyone who makes our home work. Amen.”

  1. Katharina von Bora escaped a convent, married Luther, and ran a busy house full of students and guests, plus a farm and a brewery. Who makes our home work, and do we thank them?

    Listen for
    Name the invisible work: cooking, driving, fixing, remembering.

  2. Luther jokingly called her “my lord Katie.” What makes a good partnership, in a family or a friendship?

    If they giggle
    Good. Then ask: what's one thing a good friend does that you want to do too?

  3. What does this mean for us this week?

    Why this question
    Maybe: each person thanks someone at home for something specific.

Share: Tell about someone who ran things quietly and well in your family.