His marriage caused a major scandal
Katharina von Bora spent her childhood at convent schools before becoming a nun. After several years of monastic life, however, she became unhappy with her life in the convent and became interested in the Reformation movement.
She gathered other interested nuns and wrote to Martin, pleading for help. Martin ordered Leonhard Koppe, a trader who frequently provided herring to the convent, to assist the nuns in their escape on Easter Eve 1523. They accomplished this by hiding among the fish barrels in his covered wagon.
In two years, Martin found houses, marriages, or jobs for everyone of the escaped nuns except Katharina, who was insistent on getting married to Martin. Despite careful consideration of the consequences, Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora on June 13, 1525, and moved into the "Black Cloister," where von Bora immediately took over the administration of its large properties.
It was a happy marriage. Luther often called her the "morning star of Wittenberg" throughout their marriage, and the couple had six children together. This sparked a big scandal among Catholics while also allowing other pastors in Lutheran churches to marry. Katharina is regarded as a key figure in the Protestant movement, having helped define Protestant family life and shape its views on clergy marriages.
