Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles
available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Johann Tetzel
(1465 in Pirna - 11 August 1519) was a Dominican preacher accused of
selling indulgences and for a couplet attributed to him, "As soon as a
coin in the coffer rings / the soul from purgatory springs." In 1517, it
was believed that Tetzel was trying to raise money for the ongoing
reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica, though in actual fact the money
went towards helping the Archbishop of Mainz, Albert of Brandenburg,
under whose authority Tetzel was operating, to pay off the debts he had
incurred in securing the agreement of the Pope to his acquisition of the
Archbishopric. It is believed that Martin Luther was inspired to write
his Ninety- Five Theses, in part, due to Tetzel's actions during this
period of time.
