On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 theses to a Wittenberg church. His beliefs were startling in a culture where individuals paid for sin forgiveness. Martin Luther, a monk, just wanted to examine the difficulties he observed in the Catholic Church. But his criticism ripped open the door for other Protestants and Catholics to discuss issues without fear of persecution. Martin Luther's criticisms led to debates about worship practices, the role of priests, and the nature of salvation that continued well after his death. Luther was born on February 14th 1483 in Eisleben, Germany. He was the second child of Hans Luther and Catherine Koch. His father was a wealthy brewer who owned land all over Germany. When Martin was nine years old, his family moved to Wittemberg so his father could take over as mayor. In 1505, when Martin was 21, his father died while traveling home from a meeting with German princes. After her husband's death, Catherine tried hard but was not able to make ends meet. She sold some of their property to pay their bills. In 1507, at the urging of friends, Martin Luther started attending school in Erfurt where he studied Greek and Latin literature. However, it wasn't long before he began to criticize the teachings of his teachers and the methods by which they learned these subjects.