Credo: Martin Luther - Wittenberg 1517

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Movie
Original title Credo: Martin Luther - Wittenberg 1517
Country of production GDR
original language German
Publishing year 1967
length 17 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Rudi Mueller
script Rudi Müller ,
Manfred Freitag ,
Jochen Nestler ,
Irmgard Ritterbusch
production Jupp Maigré
music Jean Kurt Forest
camera Rudi Mueller
cut Waltraud Hartmann

Credo: Martin Luther - Wittenberg 1517 is a film shot in the GDR from 1967, which was made for the 450th birthday of the Reformation under the direction of Rudi Müller . The documentary explains the position and importance of Martin Luther in the history of the GDR . Paintings, documents, books and some places where Martin Luther worked are shown.

action

Wittenberg , a city in the socialist part of Germany, at the end of the sixties. The famous monument of Martin Luther , the doctor of theology , the reformer and the Bible translator stands on the market square . Luther's memory is cherished in the city of Wittenberg, which everyone can see. The film begins with these images and a question from the narrator speaking from the off . The question is: “Does this man really belong to those who have earned services for the advancement of mankind?” In the following course of the film the narrator gives an answer to this question, which should basically be more clearly formulated: “Are Lutheranism and socialism compatible with each other? "

The film answers this question with the help of the picture "The Reformers in the Lord's Vineyard" by Lucas Cranach the Younger . The picture shows the reformer in a friendly way at his peaceful work. At this point in the film, the actions of Luther are mentioned in passing. It is mentioned that Luther struck the 95 theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517 . The viewer is presented with a print of the 95 theses and the commentator continues that the theses of the West Thuringian Augustinian, as Engels wrote, ignited like lightning in a powder keg. The translation of the Bible is also mentioned. The key to the success of the Bible translation, explains the narrator, was that early capitalist development necessarily needed the medium of a uniform language that the Luther Bible produced .

The reformers in the vineyard of Mr. Lucas Cranach the Elder J.

But the explanations for the picture “The Reformers in the Lord's Vineyard” are not yet finished. In the painting, the papists are not working in the Lord's vineyard, they are destroying him. According to the commentator, the church was the pillar of the feudal order in Luther's time and was at the same time the greatest feudal power of that time, because it owned around a third of the land in Germany. In contrast to the paptists, the reformers, the story goes, are trying to bring about a better order in the country. At this point in the film another question is asked, it is: “Were the reformers the ones who wanted to make the wealth available to the general public?” This question is immediately answered by the authoritarian narrator. He claims that for the middle class, as opposed to the princes , the nobility and the clergy , the work would have had a greater significance. When Luther upgraded the status of work, the bourgeoisie showed enthusiasm for it. By the way, Luther's father was a small business owner who made money in mining. Luther's follower Lucas Cranach the Elder , now generally known as a painter, was also a printer, pharmacy owner and at times also mayor of the city of Wittenberg. In addition, through Luther's theology, the faithful citizen gained more direct access to his God. This made priests unnecessary. The commentator of the film explains that the old church had become too expensive for the citizens. The bourgeois class, the bourgeoisie, was thus, according to the narrator, strengthened by Luther's theology. This can be seen in the rich town houses from this time. But the bourgeoisie forgot and ignored the class of peasants and workers . The way was therefore not consistently followed by Luther and the citizens.

This, too, explains the commentator, can be recognized by the picture “The Reformers in the Lord's Vineyard”. Karlstadt cannot be found in the picture. The revolutionary Thomas Müntzer , who wanted to bring the matter to an end for the peasants and workers, was also missing. Both wanted to realize the freedom of a Christian person on earth. But the German bourgeoisie and its representative Martin Luther had withdrawn in order to preserve their own privileges. This is how Luther wrote the text Against the Murderous Rotten Peasantry . The bourgeoisie allied with the princes. The revolution was stifled. But the ideas of the early bourgeois revolution remained in the world and led to the Dutch liberation struggle , the English revolution , the North American wars of independence and the French revolution . According to the speaker, Luther's ideas belong in this process.

The film ends with the words: “Lutherstadt Wittenberg, a city in the German democratic republic. In the state where the correct lessons have been drawn from history and where all progressive traditions naturally have a home. To honor the memory of Luther is a logical consequence in this sense. ”With these words an answer to the initial question of the film is given, from a socialist point of view. The market square with the Luther monument in Wittenberg is shown for the last time.

background

The film was made by the DEFA studio for documentary films (Berlin / East) The music came from the national prize winner of the GDR Jean Kurt Forest . The winner of the Heinrich Greif Prize Rudi Müller took over the camera and direction . Gerhard Zschäbitz and Gerhard Brendler were available for technical advice .

Progress Film-Verleih (Berlin / East) took over the distribution of the film .

The short documentary was shown for the first time on October 27, 1967, four days before Reformation Day , which in 1967 also marked the 450th birthday of the Reformation . In 1956 the GDR film Thomas Müntzer - A Film of German History was released, which portrayed the life and work of Thomas Müntzer from a socialist perspective. In the said feature film, Luther's life and work were almost entirely absent. This gap has now been closed with the film Credo: Martin Luther - Wittenberg 1517 .

The documentary was titled differently. At the beginning of the film only the short title Wittenberg 1517 can be seen. The film was probably also carried out under the title Martin Luther . The speaker of the narrator or the commentator is not mentioned in the opening credits or in the closing credits and is therefore unknown.

media

  • Credo: Martin Luther - Wittenberg 1517 included as bonus material on the DVD The Life and Fate of Pastor Thomas Müntzer - Icestorm Entertainment

References and comments

  1. ↑ The DVD: "The life and fate of Pastor Thomas Müntzer" - Icestorm Entertainment GmbH, which contains the documentation as bonus material, is marked as "Approved from 6 years of age". The film Credo: Martin Luther - Wittenberg 1517 seems to be rather "unchecked".
  2. ↑ See: Dähn, Horst: Luther und die DDR. Berlin, 1996, page 45
  3. ↑ At this point in the film it becomes clear that the narrator does not interpret the picture spiritually, but worldly.
  4. ↑ This is where the movie alludes to the common priesthood .
  5. ↑ The credits literally read: “Produced in the DEFA studio for popular science films . Bearer of the order 'Banner of Labor' ”.
  6. ↑ Is explicitly mentioned in the credits.
  7. ↑ a b c d Credo: Martin Luther - Wittenberg 1517. In: filmportal.de . German Film Institute , accessed on May 5, 2018 .
  8. ↑ See: Dähn, Horst: Luther und die DDR. Berlin, 1996, page 45

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