Pope Leo X. excommunicated Luther in January 1521. Normally this would have been followed by the Imperial ban. But the imperial potentates and the noble classes convinced King Charles V to interrogate Luther at the Imperial Diet. Charles guaranteed Luther's safe passage.
None
of the buildings that hosted Luther during his sojourn in Worms in 1521 remain
standing. They were mainly destroyed in 1689 during the Nine Years’ War. But
there are still many places that have tales to tell about the history of the
Imperial Diet and the Reformation.
Although there were signs of economic
stagnation, the Diocesan and Imperial City of Worms in 1521 was an important
urban centre occupying a prime location by the river Rhine. The population can
only be estimated, but it is likely to have ranged between 6,000 and 7,000.
