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An article on Martin Luther's "Ninety-Five Theses" indicates that he posted the document on the church door according to "university custom". The reference included indicates various books. I recall hearing that this was the source of the public defense of some university degrees, but I cannot recall the source. Is this attribution correct or apocryphal?

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    That was more a church custom, to publish documents/announcements on the church door. The church near my home has a board on which e.g. church activities, upcoming christenings and so on, are regularly posted to the parishoners. Luther's theses became viral, reproduced by the (then very new) printing press, and what was a minor local complaint became the reformation. This has liitle (if any) relationship to thesis defenses.
    – vonbrand
    Feb 24, 2016 at 13:34
  • Possible duplicate: academia.stackexchange.com/q/20542/19607
    – Kimball
    Feb 25, 2016 at 2:09
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    If it is according to university custom, then the practice must have existed before Luther.
    – adipro
    Apr 12, 2016 at 14:03
  • Could you link to the article you read?
    – jvriesem
    May 2, 2017 at 17:33
  • It wasn't an article. I recall hearing it somewhere, so that's why I asked the question.
    – SabreWolfy
    May 2, 2017 at 21:40

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