Luther and the German language
During his involuntary stay at the Wartburg, despite "the pestering of the Devil", Luther devoted his time to a major project: translating the New Testament from Greek into German in only eleven weeks. Later the work would be edited by Melanchthon and other specialists (for example, Caspar Cruciger), and was published in 1522 as the so called September Bible. Through this Bible, Luther became the creator of the New High German written language.The September Bible and later also the complete Bible, published in 1534, had tremendous sales in Protestant areas. This would not have been possible without the new inventions in printing which allowed for quick circulation of the books.
In Catholic areas, Luther's translation did not become popular until the 18th century.
Furthermore, Luther's Table Talks (Tischreden) are noteworthy. Both the Tischreden and Bible translation exemplify how Luther "looked the people in the face".
These Table Talks were held with his family and a few friends and were later printed. Accounts of the Luther's family life came about later.
