Martin Luther: Reformer and Anti-Semite

taken from Wikipedia

"On the Jews and Their Lies

(German: Von den Jüden und iren Lügen; in modern spelling Von den Juden und ihren Lügen) is a 65,000-word antisemitic treatise written in 1543 by the German Reformation leader Martin Luther.

Luther's attitude toward the Jews took different forms during his lifetime. In his earlier period, until 1537 or not much earlier, he wanted to convert Jews to Lutheranism (Protestant Christianity), but failed. In his later period when he wrote this particular treatise, he denounced them and urged their persecution.^[1]

In the treatise, he argues that Jewish synagogues and schools be set on fire, their prayer books destroyed, rabbis forbidden to preach, homes burned, and property and money confiscated. They should be shown no mercy or kindness,^[2] afforded no legal protection,^[3] and "these poisonous envenomed worms" should be drafted into forced labor or expelled for all time.^[4] He also seems to advocate their murder, writing "[W]e are at fault in not slaying them".^[5]" 

^{Luther's writings were later cited by Nazis in support of their antisemituc programs. The following is taken from the website History Stack Exchange:}

^{https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/35617/did-the-nazis-ever-cite-martin-luthers-the-jews-and-their-lies-to-justify-the}

^{The writer says:}

From German wikipedia on Luther's relationship to the Jews and antisemitism, translated/paraphrased by me:

• The propaganda organ Stürmer claimed Luther as a ruthless antisemite and that protestant pastors should preach this aspect more (note that ruthless antisemite is meant positive here & apparently the actual quote)
• Julius Streicher (head editor) called, claiming Luther, for the "eradication of the jewish people" and that Luther had warned of the Jews.
• Schoolbooks like from Volk und Führer (7th grade, 1941) and Deutsche Lesebuch für Volksschulen (1943) quoted Luthers antisemite passages extensivly.
• Starting at latest in 1933, some protestants argued (citing Luther) that the protestant church should be more antisemite. No major protestant functionaries protested against the november pogroms of 1938, some defended the progroms by quoting Luther. Antifascists like Dietrich Bonhoeffer seemed to be very isolated within protestant churches.

^{So the Reformation was not all glorious -- far from it.}