Amsdorf, Nikolaus von

Amsdorf, Nikolaus von (nē`kōlous fən äms`dôrf), 1483–1565, German Protestant reformer. He became a devoted supporter of Martin Luther. Elector John Frederick I of Saxony appointed Amsdorf bishop of Naumberg in 1541, but after the elector was captured by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the office was withdrawn (1547). A zealous defender of Luther's doctrines, Amsdorf attacked all who deviated from them in the slightest, including Melanchthon. He took part in the founding of the Univ. of Jena and superintended the Jena edition of the works of Luther.