Bugenhagen was born in Wollin, Pomerania. After his studies at the University of Greifswald and his ordination as a priest, he held several posts as a religious preacher.
In 1517, Duke Bogislav X of Pomerania ordered Bugenhagen, who was a lecturer in a monastery at the time, to write down the history of Pomerania in Latin. The year 1518 is the beginning of historical writing of the combined territory Pomerania.
Bugenhagen soon became one of the most effective reformers. Besides his job as the parish pastor in Wittenberg (after 1523), and personal counsellor of Luther, he also lectured in theology at the university in Wittenberg (today Martin Luther University).
Other than for his theological opinions, Bugenhagen also became well-known because of his organising ability. He was almost predetermined for the Reformation in Northern Germany and Scandinavia. He took an active lead in creating new church regularities for Hildesheim, Hamburg, Lübeck, Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Braunschweig, Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, and Denmark. Not only did he create the new rules, he also established them and convinced people to follow them. Bugenhagen produced rules and regulations for religious service, for schooling, and for social issues of the church. In 1539, he became superintendent of the Church in Saxony.
After the death of Luther, Bugenhagen took care of Luther's widow and children. Bugenhagen died in Wittenberg in 1558.
Hans-Günter Leder, Johannes Bugenhagen Pomeranus – vom Reformer zum Reformator. Studien zur Biographie (Frankfurt-am-Main: Peter Lang, 2002)(Greifswalder theologische Forschungen, 4.) 440 S.
