Katharina Zell

Katharina Schütz Zell (1497/8 - September 5, 1562) was a Protestant reformer and writer during the Protestant Reformation. She was one of the first Protestant women to marry a clergyman. Katharina lived all of her life in Strasbourg. Strasbourg incorporated within the Holy Roman Empire during this time period, but today is located in France close to the border of Germany.

Katharina Schütz Zell was most likely born in early 1498 to Elisabeth Gerster and Jacob Schütz in Strasbourg. She had two older brothers, Jacob and Lux, and two older sisters, Elisabeth and Barbara. After she was born her parents had five more children, Margaret, Magdalene, Ursula, Andrea, and Jacob. The Schütz’s were most likely one of Strasbourg’s established families, though not of higher ranks. The family was not overly wealthy, but most-likely lived comfortably.

Katharina’s family devoted a large portion of their personal finances to the education of their numerous children. Katharina herself received an excellent vernacular education. The exact form of schooling Katharina received is not clear, but it is clear that she learned to read and write German fluently, and eventually developed some basic knowledge of Latin. Katharina’s interests in learning were mainly religious, as well as professional training, particularly preparation for an independent profession. This was also not the end of her education. She took it upon herself to continue independent learning throughout the rest of her life.

When Katharina was still fairly young, the Protestant Reformation was just coming about. Around this time, the teachings and writings of Martin Luther gained fame and began to spread. Katharina was introduced to much of these new teachings and views of religion by Matthew Zell, the pastor who took charge of the St. Lawrence Cathedral in Strasbourg in 1518. Katharina eventually started to take these beliefs as her own through Zell’s sermons and Luther’s teachings.

A few years after Matthew came to Strasbourg, he and Katharine got married. They were married by Martin Bucer at 6:00am on December 3, 1523. The reason behind her marriage was mainly vocational, “Katharina Schütz was convinced that she was called to marry Matthew Zell as an expression of her faith in God and her love for others.” Katharina’s marriage is also interesting because she was one of the first people to get married to a pastor, even before the marriage of Martin Luther, something that was not necessarily thought too highly of at the time. Her marriage was what would be seen as a true equal partnership in a society that required that the good wife be silent and obedient, and in which women usually only achieved independence as widows. Katharina had two children with Matthew, although they both died at very young ages. Mathew died in January 1548. Though Katharina mourned and grieved his death, this did not stop her work. She dealt with her grief by intensifying her Bible study. Katharina herself became ill in 1561 and died on September 5, 1562.

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