Spalatin, George

Spalatin, George (shpä`lätēn), 1484–1545, German Protestant reformer. His original name was Georg Burckhardt; he was called Spalatin after his birthplace, Spalt, near Nuremberg. An early friend of Martin Luther, Spalatin was devoted to the Lutheran cause, and as secretary and court preacher to Frederick III, elector of Saxony, he served as intermediary between Luther and Frederick—a factor important to the success of the Reformation. He wrote Annales reformationis, a record of events and rulers of the Reformation period. Many letters to him from Luther are extant.