There are more ways than ever to listen to history daily ad-free.

Listen with Wundery Plus in the Wundery app,

or you can get all of history daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at intohistory.com.

It's June 1517 in the town of Magdeburg, Germany.

Citizens clear the way as a column of robed monks marches through the town's narrow

and filthy streets. At the head of the solemn procession,

the monks carry a large cross, and fluttering in the breeze behind it, the papal standard,

the flag of Pope Leo the 10th. Bringing up the rear is a heavily laden cart.

Johann Tetzel, a monk in sumptuous robes, stands atop it, blessing the crowd as he passes.

Johann is around 50, with a broad belly, a kind face.

And as the procession passes, the town's people flock behind it,

all following the cart toward the marketplace. There, Johann clamors down to the ground,

as the other monks erect the cross in the center of the square and pull folded tables from the back

of the cart. From boxes, the monks grab bundles of parchment certificates which they pile on the

tables, and then finally, they place a large ornate padlock chest on the ground.

By now, a large crowd is gathered. Johann raises his hands, and in a cavernous voice,

he calls for silence. Then Johann begins to speak. His voice echoing across the square.

Johann preaches of God, and heaven, and the torments of purgatory. He's eloquent and persuasive,

but he's as much a street hawker as he is a preacher. He's come here to sell the people of

Magdeburg eternal salvation. Johann tells the crowd that for just a few coins dropped into his

call for, they can buy what's called an indulgence, a parchment certificate from the Pope,

that forgives their sins and guarantees them entry into heaven. For a small extra payment,

...