Around 1523 she heard the story of a young staff member at the University of Ingolstadt who had been forced to issue a humiliating public recantation of his newfound reformist faith. The young man’s name was Arsacius Seehofer and when the university learned of his Lutheran leanings, they threatened him with both imprisonment and the stake if he did not recant. Seehofer was only 18 years old and a recent graduate of the University of Wittenberg where he had studied under the illustrious Philip Melanchthon, Luther’s best friend and one of the stalwart pillars of the newly emerging reformation.

Outraged at the University’s treatment of Seehofer, Argula wrote them a scathing letter verbally excoriating them for their behaviour while insisting that Luther and Melanchthon did nothing more than preach the word of God. She pointed out that while the Faculty of Theology at the university had condemned their work, they had done nothing to refute any of their arguments from Scripture. Then, to add weight to her argument she denied the authority of the Pope while claiming the supreme authority of Scripture. Interestingly she wrote “you need not think you can pull God, the prophets and the apostles out of heaven with Papal decretals drawn from Aristotle who was not a Christian at all.” She then closed the letter claiming to be a woman driven solely by the word of God. Her letter to the University of Ingolstadt indicates that she was intelligent, well-educated and fearless.

Shortly after a visit to Martin Luther in 1530 Argula’s husband Friedrich died, and she remarried two years later. Her second husband had estates in Bohemia but lived only 18 months after their wedding. After Argula received her dower estates as stipulated by her second husband’s will, she occupied herself by managing those estates while continuing to raise her children.

After her letter to the Diet of Regensburg Argula was strangely silent for the next forty years. She chose to maintain a low profile, not engaging in any activities that would garner public notice. Then in May 1563 Argula thrust herself into the public eye once more by circulating books which were strongly Protestant. She was accused of seducing the citizens of Bavaria away from the service of the only true church and conducting private Protestant worship services in her home. She was arrested then released. This is the last mention of her in the historical record. The exact date of her death is unknown or even the circumstances surrounding it. Fortunately her life tells us everything we need to know about her – she was brave, faithful to God and relentless in the pursuit and preservation of truth even when doing so was hard.