Martin Luther's Left Turn: The Changing Picture of Luther in East German Historiography

Abstract

IT WAS SOME TWO DECADES AGO that I first began to explore East Germany. The Berlin Wall had gone up in 1961, and diplomatic recognition by United States was still far away. At Museum for German History in former Hohenzollern Armory on Unter den Linden boulevard, East Germany presented its approved view of its past. The figure of Martin Luther, as I recall, was given very short shrift in favor of that of his more radical contemporary, Thomas Miintzer. The major historical event of sixteenth century was not Reformation, but rather Peasants' War. Thus revolutionary vision and zeal of German people were lauded, while blindness and exploitation of upper classes-including their religious leader, Martin Luther-were denounced. 1 The basic interpretive framework for this view had been laid down by Friedrich Engels. His brief book, The Peasant War in Germany, was written in 1850, praising the magnificent figure of Thomas Muenzer, and damning Luther's cowardly servility towards princes. Luther did receive positive recognition from Engels for his early reforming ardor when attacking Roman Catholic Church and for his translation of Bible into vernacular. But then, wrote Engels, Luther betrayed popular movement to princes and turned against peasantry with his well known pamphlet Against Murderous and Plundering Hordes of Peasants. Luther's stance did not surprise Engels, since in his view middle-class moderate Lutheran reform gathered