Robert Paterson has a blog looking underneath the surface of things, also Organizations and Culture, where he posted recently about "The New Reformation - The Importance of the Princes":
"But we also have to remember the importance of the German Princes who protected Luther from the Pope and the Emperor and why they did this.
This is a picture of the Castle at Wartburg where Frederick II, the Elector of Saxony, who "owned Luther's University, hid Luther after the Diet of Worms. He also arranged the safe conduct for Luther. Luther wrote his translation of the bible into German there.
Without Fredrick's support, Luther may well have gone to the stake or been murdered on the road. Luther then wrote directly to many German Princes and offered a deal. If they took up Protestantism, they could avoid paying taxes to Rome and to the Emperor. They would be free. Most agreed and Northern Europe became not only Protestant but also much more prosperous because the culture became more open.
I think that Google and Intel may be the German Princes of our time."
Read more here.
