Große Geschichten 63 - Martin Luther

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Christian Martin Luther (Lambert Hamel) follows his calling and becomes an Augustinian monk in Erfurt. But his existence in the monastery confronts him with his fears of a judging God. These are finally taken away from him by the study of his religion, which emphasizes a merciful Creator. As a theologian in Wittenberg, he then appeared in public with 95 theses that criticized the church's trade in the forgiveness of sins in exchange for money. A momentous dispute begins...

The documentary feature film 'Martin Luther' (1983) by Rainer Wolffhardt sheds light on situations from the life of the monk and professor from Wittenberg, which bring the viewer closer to the motives for Luther's actions. In the process, conflicts become clear that determined the dispute that took place long ago and yet continues to have an impact today. It seems certain that Luther did not want the division of the churches in this way and possibly also felt differently than we do today.