Martin Luther burns his copy of the papal bull Exsurge Domine outside Wittenberg's Elster Gate.

Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation, and his theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Western and Christian history.

A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden seal (bulla) traditionally appended to authenticate it.

Exsurge Domine is a papal bull promulgated on 15 June 1520 by Pope Leo X written in response to Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses, which opposed the views of the Catholic Church. The bull censured forty-one teachings found in Luther's writings Ninety-five theses and other writings. The bull also threatened Luther and his colleagues—one being Andreas Karlstadt—with excommunication unless they recanted their teachings sixty days after the publication of the bull in the Electorate of Saxony—now Saxony, Germany—and its neighboring regions.

Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, 60 kilometers (37 mi) north of Leipzig and 90 kilometers (56 mi) south-west of the reunified German federal capital city of Berlin, and has a population of 46,008 (2018).

December 10 is the 344th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 21 days remain until the end of the year.