Changsha, 6.1.

2025
Part 1 Informal Letter

Liebe Alina,

guten Tag! Freut mich! Wie geht’s? Die Weihnachtspause ist endlich zu Ende. Ich wollte mit dir
sprechen, aber im Urlaub du ist sehr beschäftigt. Nun schreibe ich dir diesen Brief.

Mein Name ist Alice. Ich bin achtzehn Jahre alt und komme aus China. Ich habe eine kleine Familie
mit vier Personen. Meine Mutter, Linda, ist Lehrerin und arbeitet viel. Mein Vater, Hardin, ist
Maschineningenieur. Er liebt es Videospiele zu spielen. Ich habe nur ein Geschwister, mein Bruder
Ryan. Er ist acht Jahre alt, aber sehr intelligent. Er liebt Mathematik, Chemie, Englisch, Physik und
Deutsch. Wie ist deine Familie? Wie viele Personen sind in deiner Familie?

Ich liebe Tanzen, Bücher lesen, Schreiben, Laufen, Tennis spielen, Zeichnen und Fahrrad fahren.
Und ich liebe Englisch, Deutsch, Literatur und Psychologie. Und dir? Was ist dein Lieblingsfach?
Was sind deine Hobbys?

Ich habe auch ein Haustier. Es ist eine Katze. Ihr Name ist Kitty. Hast du ein Haustier?

Ich freue mich auf deine Antwort! Danke!

Bis bald,
Deine Alice

Part 2 Report

The Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation (1517-1648) refers to the widespread religious, cultural, and social
upheaval in Europe in the 16th century that broke the rule of the medieval church, allowed the
development of individual interpretations of Christian teachings, and contributed to the formation of
the modern nation-state. The Protestant Reformation laid the foundation for modern democracy,
skepticism, capitalism, individualism, civil rights, and many other modern values.

The Protestant Reformation began in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517, when Martin
Luther, a teacher and monk, published a document called Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of
Indulgences, later known as the 95 Theses (Wilkinson). According to tradition, Luther nailed these
to the door of the Wittenberg church, and aroused turmoil because this document expresses the idea
that directly contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church. Thanks to the invention of the printing
press c. 1440, they were quickly spread throughout Germany in 1518, arriving in other countries,
including England and France, in 1519.

In the aspect of politics, the massive upheavals caused by the Reformation had a lasting impact on
European politics. Soon after the Catholic Church identified Martin Luther as a "Protestant,"
Europe was divided by religious beliefs and territorial divisions. The religious upheavals of this
period led to wars within most states and between many. This war, especially the Thirty Years' War
from 1618 to 1648, devastated Europe (Foundation).The reform changed the medieval politics
mode in which the church was the political force and the Pope claimed power over secular rulers,
leading to the growth of individual freedom and the power of the monarchy. Reformers preached
the equality of men, following their own conscience and achieving salvation in their own way. This
individual freedom from a religious perspective also had political implications and led to the
development of democracy.

On the social front, the Protestant Reformation is “claimed to have shaped major features of
Western culture, including freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, personal dignity, and
political democracy” (Karant-Nunn). The range and degree of education of the population has also
increased, and with a higher literacy rate, society is less susceptible to deluded and misled. It could
say that the Reformation broke the shackles and restrictions of the Catholic Church on society and
allowed ordinary people to realise individualism and express their thoughts freely.

Religiously, the Reformation clarity many misunderstandings in the doctrines that Catholic Church
is teaching. Before the Reformation, the only Bible readily available to the Western church was in
Latin, and the Catholic Church took advantage of the small number of people who could read Latin
and did not allow lay people to interpret the scriptures themselves. Martin Luther broke this
limitation by translating the New Testament into German. This is consistent with the Reformers'
insistence on the authority of Scripture in faith and practice, and with the need for individuals to
enjoy God's word for spiritual nourishment. This was Luther's dream-that people “might seize and
taste the clear, pure Word of God itself and hold to it” (Trimmer). In addition, the Reformation
broke the deadlock of authoritarian control over the religion in the Catholic Church, allowed the
public to argue over some doctrine and express different interpretations. Constructive forms of
several different Christian traditions arise, such as Lutheranism and Calvinism (Klingerman).

In short, the Protestant Reformation was a major breakthrough and revolution in both religious and
secular aspects. On the religious side it led to a reformulation of certain basic principles of the
Christian faith and to a split in Western Christianity between the Roman Catholic and neo-
Protestant traditions. At the same time, the Reformation had a profound influence on the political
pattern, economic development and social structure of Europe.

Work Cited
Foundation, Saylor. “The Political Impact of the Reformation.” The Political Impact of the
Reformation, 2025, resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/wp-
content/uploads/2013/02/HIST103-3.2.1-ReformationPoliticalImpact-FINAL.pdf.

Karant-Nunn, Susan, & Lotz-Heumann, Ute (2017). Confessional Conflict. After 500 Years: Print
and Propaganda in the Protestant Reformation. University of Arizona Libraries.

Klingerman, Author: Brandi. “The Lasting Impact of Martin Luther and the Reformation.” Notre
Dame News, 17 Dec. 2021, news.nd.edu/news/the-lasting-impact-of-martin-luther-and-the-
reformation/.

Trimmer, Wade. “The Reformation That Prompted a Spiritual Revolution!” Training for Reigning:
North Augusta, SC, 14 July 2024, www.tridm.org/wades-weekly-word/post/the-
reformation-that-prompted-a-spiritual-revolution.

Wilkinson, Freddie. “The Protestant Reformation.” Education, 19 Oct. 2023,