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The fifteenth descendant of Martin Luther, Christian Priesmeier, offers us a valuable insight into his lineage, especially regarding the great figure of Protestantism. From Germany, this 58-year-old theologian points out that Luther «was perfect for the time in which he lived.»
Martin Luther’s legacy in human history is not limited to the religious sphere; his contributions range from strengthening German identity and language to improving access to education, freedom of belief, reading and printing, and the mass dissemination of ideas. Luther is famous for spreading his 95 Theses, which later led to a split even greater than the one that occurred earlier with the Orthodox Church. Protestant churches do not answer to any hierarchy like the Catholic Church; they have complete local autonomy. One of his descendants reflects on Luther’s legacy and its relevance in contemporary life, asserting that his ancestor “would feel quite embarrassed by the fact that people don’t attend church on Sundays” today.
I couldn’t miss the opportunity to ask him about a controversial aspect of Luther, referring to his ancestor’s antisemitic writings. In this interview, Priesmeier delves deeper into the topic, stating that “Luther’s writings were misinterpreted” and should be read according to the context of his time.
Priesmeier studied business economics, religious philosophy, intercultural theology, migration, and congregational leadership. He is a member of a brotherhood called “Familiaritas” at the Amelungsborn Monastery, a Lutheran part of the Cistercian order. He is also a lay priest in a church community in Germany. Since 2015, he has served as president of the Lutheriden Association, an institution that brings together all descendants of Luther.
What personal significance does your family’s historical lineage hold for you?
When I was a kid, my grandma always told me that I’m a descendant of Martin Luther, and when I was young, it was very interesting for me. When we had school lessons in history about the Reformation and all those things. I’d always tell my schoolmates, «Well, I’m a descendant of Martin Luther,» and they would laugh and giggle at me.
At that time, my mom had a book where all the descendants were written. In this book, my mom was listed, along with all her children, including me and my brother. So, I always had to explain that this is my mom, and I’m her son, so I’m also a descendant.
It wasn’t anything really special to me because, I mean, well, it was part of the family story. Later, as I grew up and became a young adult, it was more and more important to me, and I feel quite lucky that I’m alive, as well as my mom and the rest of the family. I think about Luther’s trial as a young monk. He could have been killed, but he wasn’t. I’m very glad he survived everything.
Which branch of Martin Luther’s descendants do you come from? Tell us more about the history of Luther’s family, including his children and his wife, Katharina von Bora.
I descend from Paul Luther and am in the 14th generation of the line of descendants. Dr. Paul Luther was the fifth child of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora and was not only a professor but also a personal physician to dukes and electors. This son of Luther died and was buried in Leipzig. In addition to his, there are two other lineages that extend to the present day. Paul was also the one who, together with his brother Johannes, sold the Black Monastery (Lutherhaus) in Wittenberg to the university.
In total, there were six children: Johannes, Elisabeth, Magdalena, Martin, Paul, and Anna Margarethe. The parents suffered greatly with their daughter Magdalena, who died in her first year of life. Luther suffered greatly from this death at the time, which had a lasting influence on his approach to mourning in other people.
Martin Luther was not only a historical figure but a person of flesh and blood, with feelings and faults. This brings him closer to me and makes him more understandable.
Do you or your family possess any tangible items that belonged to Martin Luther?
Nothing. The only thing I can touch from Martin Luther is my nose (giggling). None of the family really has anything left that belonged to Martin Luther because most of these things were sold by the early descendants—they sold the house in Wittenberg. Most of what remains in the world is now in museums or libraries, so I don’t think anyone in the family has anything that directly came from Martin Luther. The only thing we have is the memory of what he has done. We can be glad that we had the chance to live, of course, and try to honor his life by keeping his history in the memory of all the children who come after us.
Tell me more about the Lutheran Association. What projects are you currently working on?
We are currently working on the 100th anniversary of our association, which is to take place in Eisenach in 2026. It was founded in 1926 in Eisenach at the Wartburg. For this anniversary, there will be a commemorative publication in German and English that will take into account the latest genealogical findings about the ancestors of Martin Luther, but also of Katharina von Bora.
Another aspect of this is to consider the history of the association and also to tell the emigration stories of the descendants in other countries. Although many of the descendants live in the United States, Australia, and scattered across Europe, ultimately, people can be found all over the world who are related to Luther.
In addition, a supplementary volume of the descendant books is pending, which will then not only take into account corrections to the existing descendant lines but also the latest branches.
We would like to present a multimedia exhibition in our library in Zeitz, which is housed in the Moritzburg there, in 2025. This will focus on the lives of Martin Luther’s children and also show their life’s work and social relationships.
By the fall of 2027, we also want to develop a new charter that focuses more on the international connections of the descendants.
Our family newsletter, which appears twice a year, should focus more on people abroad. Therefore, we are working on creating these editions in two languages in the future. Another task is to strengthen the relationship with the Luther Foundation and the places where Luther worked. Our main task, however, is to keep Luther alive in the minds of his descendants and to deal with him critically.
How do you think Martin Luther would view today’s world and the evolution of the Protestant churches? Are there aspects that you think Luther would question or change today?
In my opinion, Luther would be someone who belongs in his historical context, in his specific era. In today’s world, he wouldn’t be able to force change the way he did back then. He was perfect for the time he lived in because he had the strength to move things forward, and people needed someone like that, very straightforward. Nowadays, it’s different. We need people who can balance things, who can communicate with different perspectives. It’s not as black and white as he saw it, with Catholics and Protestants. There was a clear dividing line between two sides back then, and that lasted for a long time. He was living in a small area of Germany and only dealt with his immediate surroundings. The world is much bigger today.
Luther wasn’t even thinking about people living far away in distant countries. Our culture is more complex, and living together is more intricate than it was in his century.
Which of Luther’s values do you feel are still present in your life or family?
For me, it’s living in faith, of course. This is something I really appreciate from him, and it makes me happy because I can read the Bible today and form my own understanding about it and how to believe. This is the kind of thing that truly makes me glad.
On the other hand, his way of living—in the strength of faith—focused on God and on what he believed in and worked for. It’s about standing by your beliefs and not letting anyone else change them.
Talking about Christianity, Why is Europe becoming less Christian every year? We see churches being demolished or turned into museums, bars, etc. Why do you think Europe is less Christian than ever?
This quite a complex question. When I studied theology, we had something called the «Movement of Christianity.» When Christianity started in Jerusalem, it shifted to Turkey and Greece, then to Rome, and eventually to Europe, where it remained for a long time. Then, there was also the spread of Islam, which moved into many regions that were previously Christian. Eventually, Christianity spread to America—first North America, then South America—and also to Africa. So, there has been a major shift, or movement, of Christianity around the world.
Secularization is also a factor; people feel they no longer need God. Maybe we forgot to show our children the importance of believing in God. Perhaps we lost the habit of praying in the morning or going to church every Sunday.
A lot has really been lost in the cultures of European countries. There are two things, I think, that happen: people tend to return to Christianity or some form of belief in God during times of hardship. When there are bad times—wars, floods, or other crises—churches become a focus, as people look to find meaning or even assign blame. Every time there’s a major shift in life, people think about God. But on an everyday basis, from morning to evening, when wages arrive and everything seems fine, people forget to think about God.
What is your vision for the future of Protestantism? What challenges do you think it will face?
The emergence of Protestantism was initially strongly influenced by Luther. However, it developed further over time and adapted to cultural and social circumstances time and again. Luther lived at a time of great historical upheaval. Martin Luther should therefore never be detached from his historical, temporal framework and viewed in isolation according to today’s standards. He and the Lutheran Church that ultimately emerged from him must be consciously viewed in the context of his time.
His motives or the deeper meaning behind what Luther created, wrote or said, which gave rise to the origin and core of the Protestant movement, must be reassessed today.
For today’s questions of meaning and the contemplation of the self or the individual, as they are often asked today, were not questions of the Renaissance, just like the modern desire for spirituality without being bound to church structures.
Religious diversity, as well as areligiosity, including atheism, was not the focus or even the social basis for the orientation of Luther’s actions. These aspects and dealing with diversity are a task for the modern church landscape, also in the interplay of ecumenism.
There are several writings by Martin Luther that are considered anti-Semitic, such as “On the Jews and Their Lies.” How do you handle or interpret these aspects of his legacy within your family or community, considering that you are his descendant and also German?
Let me start from the beginning. When Luther wrote this text, he truly believed he had found the right way to believe in God. He thought that, having unveiled these truths, the Jews would follow him. In the beginning, he even had a good relationship with some Jewish people and exchanged letters with them. Later, however, he realized that Jews would remain in their faith, because that is their belief, and he couldn’t persuade them to join the Protestant church. So, I imagine he may have felt angry or disappointed; I’m not sure, as I can’t know his exact feelings.
It’s important to remember that his writings are not comparable to what the National Socialists did in Germany from 1933 to 1945. His focus was always on religious issues. He was a man of his century, and his writings reflected the attitudes of that time. He wasn’t the only one who held such views or treated Jews the way he did. This historical context should be kept in mind. He didn’t write these things because he hated Israel or Jews as a people; his motivations were rooted in religious disagreements.
What happened later in Germany is different. In Germany, we use the term “anti-Judaism” to describe a religiously focused criticism, whereas “anti-Semitism,” beginning in the 19th century, was not based on religious differences but on political motives and hatred. Because Luther wrote these texts, people later misused his writings, claiming they supported their anti-Semitic ideas. But these later actions were not motivated by religious concerns as Luther’s had been; they were rooted in political and racial hatred.
Every interview I’ve done has included this question, and we cannot deny that he wrote these texts. They existed largely unnoticed for about 400 years until they were revived in the 19th-century anti-Semitism movement, where Luther’s writings were misappropriated. I absolutely do not agree with what he wrote, and it’s a shame that he did. But he wrote it from a different perspective, and in a century that was not friendly to Jews. When we look at the attitudes in the centuries before and after him, we see it wasn’t an idea unique to Martin Luther; it was part of the culture of that era.
Is Martin Luther’s position or teachings sometimes forgotten or misinterpreted?
I’m not really sure. I don’t think it’s forgotten; maybe there are just different interpretations. This could be because, during Martin Luther’s life, he shifted sometimes from what we might call a more “left” position to a “right” position. He focused on reading and interpreting the Bible, but his approach evolved over time. Initially, he wanted the head of the congregation to lead small churches. Later on, he associated with higher-ranking people—dukes, earls, and others—who took on leadership within the state organization.
So, depending on the period he was writing in, certain ideas might become more prominent within the church. There’s the “young Luther” and the “old Luther,” and people sometimes pick teachings from the young Luther because they align with their interests, while others prefer something from the old Luther for the same reason. It’s similar to reading the Bible—you can interpret it in ways that fit your perspective.
Do you think Luther would be satisfied with the effects of his Reformation in the world today, or would he revise some of his ideas?
I guess he would feel quite ashamed about the congregations and the fact that people are not going to church on Sundays. I think he would raise his voice and shout at people to come back to church. Furthermore, I’m not sure if he would be someone who could actually change that today, but I believe he would be disappointed by many things happening in his name.
What influence do you think Martin Luther had beyond faith? Do you see any of this influence reflected in your daily life or environment?
I think his translation of the Bible is one of the most famous things he did. Apart from that, many words we use today in the German language come from him. He played a significant role in shaping the German language, creating expressions that we still have in mind when we speak today. This is truly a legacy for the entire German culture.
He was someone who, in a way, created newspapers; he was one of the first people to strongly publish his ideas to the world. He excelled in spreading his thoughts and ideas through print. This can be seen as the beginning of the widespread dissemination of information. He also utilized art to promote his image. You can see this in the works of Lucas Cranach, whose paintings were part of the effort to raise awareness and engage people.
At one point in the interview, I mistook Martin Luther for Martin Luther King, and he told me an anecdote about it.
The funny story about Martin Luther King. I was invited by an American congregation in 2011. I am also the chairman of the Lutheriden Association, which brings together all the descendants of Martin Luther. So, I was invited to America, and they paid for everything; they covered all the flights, booked everything.
When I arrived in the United States, as usual, I had to go through border control and show my passport. There was a guy in front of me who asked why I wanted to enter the United States. This is a normal procedure, just to make sure I wasn’t someone they didn’t want to have in the country. So, I told him, “Well, I’m a descendant of Martin Luther, and I’m invited to give some speeches and celebrate a service because they’re holding celebrations.” He looked at me and said, “What do you want in the United States?” He repeated this question three or four times, and I kept giving the same answer.
After a while, he just said, “Man, I can’t believe that, because you’re white!” He was clearly thinking about Martin Luther King, not the reformer Martin Luther from Germany. So, we had to clarify this misunderstanding, and then we both laughed at the border. I was able to enter the United States after that. So, just to put it on record, when you said Martin Luther King, it reminded me of a funny story.
What happens every 31 October in your community or in Germany, Reformation Day? Is there any celebration?
There are church services, of course, and they celebrate in different ways. They sometimes have parties, but a lot of people are also focusing on Halloween that day.
Even in Germany?
Even in Germany. It’s getting more and more common. Halloween is now a significant part of German culture. Nowadays, young kids are celebrating Halloween more than Martin Luther or Reformation Day. So it’s a mixture of everything. Some churches are hosting large programs focused on the Reformation, while others have festival services or common services. It really depends on where you live; one nearby church might be having a big party, while another might only have a simple service.
Is there any member of the family who is a pastor or a bishop?
Down the line from Martin Luther, we’ve had many pastors. We still have a lot of living descendants who are pastors. Among the older descendants, there were many with multiple jobs and professions. You can find anything from a doctor to a pastor.
I’m not sure about a bishop, though—maybe a superintendent, which is a kind of regional bishop, something like that. But I’m not quite sure if there has ever been an actual bishop in the family so far.
Tell me about your church and your role there. If I’m not mistaken, is it Klosternische Amenuchsburg?
That’s the Monastery of Amenuchsburg. This is where I am a brother; I’m part of a brotherhood there. However, I also have a church in the place where I live, so I don’t live in the monastery full-time. I spend three days a month there with the brothers, and the rest of the time, I’m with my family.
In 2017, the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation was celebrated. What activities did you organize or participate in with the government or the community? Is there anything particularly memorable or significant from those celebrations that you would like to share?
The year 2017 was marked by events surrounding the anniversary of the Reformation. There was hardly a newspaper publisher, radio or television station that did not report on Luther and the emergence of the Lutheran Church.
I myself gave many interviews that year and was also invited to Finland and Bulgaria to give lectures there. But two of the highlights for me were the visit of a group from the St. Davids Church and ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) in South and North Carolina, whom I was able to accompany on their trip through Germany for 14 days. On this trip, we visited the most important sites of the Reformation and were finally also at the main celebrations in Wittenberg on October 31.
In addition, we also had our family reunion in Wittenberg that year, with more than 120 descendants in attendance. One of my lectures from 2017, on the “Spirit and Mind of Martin Luther,” was also published in an issue of the University of Plovdiv (Bulgaria).
Are there any aspects of Martin Luther’s life or work that you feel have been forgotten or not given due importance historically?
Luther as a person is much more critically questioned today and, and unfortunately, often pushed into the rabble of the National Socialists. The latter is nonsense, however, because Luther was concerned with the experience of faith, faith in God, without ifs and buts. His writings on Judaism, which for almost 400 years had hardly interested anyone, certainly contributed a great deal to his being placed in this right-wing corner.
Nevertheless, it is right for me that he should not be idolized without critical scrutiny, as has been the case for many years.
Nevertheless, Luther must be seen in the context of his time and his cultural environment. At that time, a crude language prevailed that, in spite of all political correctness, one is no longer allowed to speak today.
Professors Kaufmann and Schilling have considered this fact in their biographies of Luther and have presented his life and work in a very differentiated way. Eric Metaxa has also presented an excellent and differentiated picture in his work.
For me, Luther’s insights are theologically more than sound for his time, and the work and study of the Bible would certainly have done many a bishop and even the Pope good at the time.
But we must not forget that Luther did not do everything alone, but had many other people at his side who supported him. At the forefront is certainly Phillip Melanchthon, whose work and execution of the Augsburg Confession are still binding for the Protestant churches.
What I find important, and this is something significant for me, is that one stands up for one’s convictions and also for one’s faith. That is something we can always take from Luther.
For me, this means standing up for your convictions and not always running after every trend in society. This is something that many believers in the church don’t like, but it’s about the truths of faith and not about the socio-political whirlwind that is the topic of the day.
There is no place for a turncoat mentality in matters of faith.
According to some sources, Luther’s last words were “Wir sind Bettler. Hoc est verum” (We are beggars. This is true). What do you think he meant? How do you interpret it?
We are born in the grace and love of God. We cannot earn this grace, no matter how many good works we do in our lives or how often we pray each day. We can only hope for and trust that we will receive God’s divine love and care. In this sense, we are beggars before God. It is the gift of life that we receive. As a gift, because God loves us, not because we are so good. You can’t buy a gift, you just get it.
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