Leonhard Von Eck Analysis

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Leonhard Von Eck was a German chancellor, or head of government of Bavaria, therefore held a high status and role in society, revealing him as a probable reliable source (doc 1). As chancellor, Von Eck regulated order in society and was accustomed to the behavior of the peasants during this time period. He states that “the peasants are blinded, led astray, and made witless”, which displayed their lack of knowledge (doc 1). Ignorance of the peasants revealed that they, themselves are not dependable, thus, not reliable. Von Eck demonstrates this idea through the quote, “they could change their minds within an hour.” However, Von Eck showed accuracy as he emphasizes facts instead of opinions. His purpose in writing this report was to express his disagreements about Protestantism and how the “Word of God”, “the Gospel” in addition to “brotherly love”, were critical influences in their religious lives. Their “blindness” as Von Eck states, was caused by the utmost control of the Catholic Church. The Peasant Parliament of Swabia in March of 1525, implied the demands of the peasants as a unified faction. (doc 3) The Parliament stressed that as “poor serfs”, they have distressed and …show more content…

The peasants desired “suitable compensation”. They argued that they should not be forced to labor without being rewarded, but will continue to assist lords at “proper times” in return. Thus, this document is held as a credible source. Lorenz Fries, chief advisor to the Archbishop of Wurzburg, also argues about economic equality in June of 1525 (doc 8). Unlike the preachers however, he wrote a secret report, which was not meant to be read by the public, specifically, the peasants. This fact makes the probability of the document more believable, increasing the liability of honesty displayed by Fries (doc 8). The intention of Lorenz Fries was to inform the archbishop of rumors among the peasants, which would claim to change his views on economic prejudice and biased

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