New Magdeburg is a Kingdom of God community, and wilderness homestead destination.
It’s our passion at New Magdeburg to offer individuals an opportunity to learn, and to grow,. New Magdeburg's moto is “All of Christ for all of life”, and is the expression of the teaching of God's word.
We offer many ways for you to explore what it means to live a life with and for Christ, through educational programs, and daily life. We invite you to spend some time with us.
The History
The orignal Magdeburg, Founded by Charlemagne in 805 as Magadoburg ( from Old High German magado for mighty and burga for fortress), the town was fortified in 919 by King Henry the Fowler against the Magyars and Slavs.
The Christian citizens constantly struggled against the Catholic archbishop, becoming nearly independent from him by the end of the 15th century. In the spring of 1497, the then twelve-year-old Martin Luther attended school in Magdeburg, where he was exposed to the teachings of the Brethren of the Common Life.
Magdeburg's version of German town law, known as Magdeburg rights, spread throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Until 1631, Magdeburg was one of the most prosperous German cities and a notable member of the Hanseatic League.
In the following years, Magdeburg gained a reputation as a stronghold of Protestantism.
In Magdeburg, Matthias Flacius and his companions wrote their anti-Catholic pamphlets and the Magdeburg Centuries, in which they argued that the Roman Catholic Church had become the kingdom of an antichrist.
In 1548, Charles V issued his infamous Augsburg Interim - an attempt to smash the Protestant Reformation. While all of Protestant Germany conformed to his decree, one city decided to take a stand and resist his authority - the City of Magdeburg.
The pastors of Magdeburg issued their Confession and Defense of the Pastors and Other Ministers of the Church of Magdeburg on April 13, 1550 AD.
Five months after issuing their Confession, Charles V’s forces marched on Magdeburg. The people of Magdeburg burned everything outside the city walls and closed the city gates.
The Siege of Magdeburg had begun...
Magdeburg attracted protestant refugees from many parts of Germany (the population, due to the refugees, had risen to 40,000), and in the city publications by uncompromising theologians rejecting the Augsburg Interim were printed; the city was nicknamed "Our Lord's Chancery".
Duke Maurice of Saxony was charged with leading an expedition against the city.
The fighting lasted over a year, when all was said and done, the besieging forces had lost over 4,000 men and Magdeburg only lost 468 men.
The Protestant Reformation had been saved!
The Magdeburg Confession was a statement of faith.
The first Protestant religious justification of the right of defense against unjust higher authorities.
Theodore Beza saw the Magdeburg Confession as an example of how to respond to political abuse of tyranny, and that it was a "major distillation of the most advanced 'resistance theories' of the day, which the reformed Christians absorbed."
It was written by nine pastors of the city of Magdeburg in 1550 in response to the Augsburg Interim and the imposition of Roman Catholicism.
The Confession explains why the leaders of the city refused to obey the imperial law, and were prepared to resist its implementation with force if necessary. The Magdeburg Confession calls for resistance to political tyranny, and argues that the "subordinate powers" in a state, faced with the situation where the "supreme power" is working to destroy true religion, may go further than non-cooperation with the supreme power and assist the faithful to resist.