In 1535 Martin Luther published a 15-verse hymn, “Vom Himmel hoch” (“From Heaven on High”), that he had written a year earlier, most likely for a Christmas celebration with his family.

The great feature was the singing of Luther's hymns by this immense concourse of people. View Full Article in Timesmachine » Advertisement ...

But in the 16th century, church goers were given much greater access to hymns as a result of the invention of the printing press and the influential German theologian, Martin Luther, who began ...