“The Great Glory of Germany”

Abstract This essay examines the growth and evolution of Erasmus’ correspondence with German humanists. The Netherlandish humanist had virtually no contact with Germans before 1514, but from that point on, epistolary exchanges with Germans comprised about 40 % of his overall correspondence. A series of maps based on that correspondence illustrates how his contacts with Germans changed from a concentration along the Upper Rhine to spread throughout German-speaking lands and beyond. Up through the mid-1520s, Erasmus corresponded with Germany’s most outspoken young humanists, many of whom also supported Luther. By 1525, though, the epistolary network of German humanists had divided into Protestant and Catholic components, and Erasmus belonged to the latter. Prominent among his later correspondents were the Roman Catholic political and social elite in Germany, but Erasmus also stayed in contact with Basel friends who remained loyal to Rome.