First contacts with Italy / Frank L. Borchardt -- The Plowman from Bohemia / Antonin Hruby -- Nicholas of Cusa: precursor of humanism / Robert Joda -- The pagan influence of the Italian renaissance on German life and letters, 1450-1520 / Gerhart Hoffmeister -- Sebastian Brant: The ship of fools / Gerhard Dunnhaupt -- Desiderius Erasmus: cosmopolitan Christian humanism / Wayne A. Rebhorn -- Erasmus: the praise of folly / James Hardin -- Ulrich von Hutten: representative of patriotic humanism / Sam Wheelis -- Letters of obscure men / Peter Schaffer -- Luther as renaissance writer / H.G. Haile -- Reaction and revolution: antihumanism and the reform movements / Duncan Smith -- Humanism and popular culture / Josef Schmidt -- The history of Dr. Johann Faustus / Marvin S. Schindler -- The role of classical humanism in the copernican achievement / Robert K. DeKosky.