The article describes the most important modern theatrical productions whose main subject was Martin Luther. Beginning in 1806 with Zacharias Werner's Martin Luther, oder die Weihe der Kraft through the end of World War II, about two hundred of these plays were produced. Werner's Luther first opened in Berlin, and the theaters of this city remained the center of putting Luther and the Reformation on stage in Germany for about 150 years. Reflecting their eras' prevailing view of Luther, the plays were highly successful, although of low literary quality, despite some being written by leading authors such as Strindberg. As an introduction the article sketches the Wittenberg Reformers' attitude towards the theatre and then the presentation of Luther on stage during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. It closes by briefly considering Luther in post-war drama, taking as examples Thomas Mann's Luther Project and Dieter Forte's Martin Luther and Thomas Münzer.

Enthalten in:
Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche; 2019/2 (2019)

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Serie / Reihe: Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche

Personen: Wendebourg, Dorothea

Schlagwörter: Luther Reformation Theater Geschichte Drama Werner, Zacharias