Thirty-five Years of Luther Research/New Editions of Luther's Works
III. NEW EDITIONS OF LUTHER'S WORKS
It was of the greatest importance, when in 1883 the Prussian secretary of the interior allowed himself to be influenced by Koestlin and others, to guarantee the means necessary for a new critical edition of Luther's works, and to entrust its leadership to the already mentioned Knaake, who was to work in connection with a special commission created for this purpose. Even though at that time no one had a true conception of the wealth of material that has been discovered in the course of time, yet, now a storehouse was held in readiness for all new findings, and the possibility that the work would remain uncompleted through lack of funds was ruled out. It will ever remain a splendid page in the history of the House of Hohenzollern that it called upon students of theology, history and German culture and supported so generously their united endeavors toward completing a national edition of Luther that was commensurate with his importance. And it was a true sign of the religious as well as of the national bent of mind that prompted church and science, city and nobility, authorities and individuals to stand together and guarantee the production. In the proclamation of 1883 it was said:
"The great national memorial whose early stages should adorn the coming fête day can not be what it should be unless all of Protestant Germany cheerfully does its part. The word of the 'greatest man of the people, the most popular character Germany ever possessed,'27 as one of the famous men in Germany once called Luther, can not only appear before the nation in all its monumental greatness, it must, like once when it set aflame the hearts of all the people, be heard by and become the warp and woof of the people. The new complete edition of Luther's works must be accorded a reception among the German people that is in proportion to its work. It is the duty of the German Church and German Science and of her highest dignitaries and her best representatives, to grasp the importance of this edition fully and wherever possible to endorse it warmly to others. It is the duty of Protestant princes and the German government to supply the means, so that this complete edition will never be absent in those places where the treasures of German literature and science are collected and kept. It is the duty of all protestant cities and of their authorities to arrange it so that the writings of Luther in their original form are made accessible to every class. It is the duty of that Christian nobility of the German nation, that Luther once called to his aid in his reformatory labors, to accord its practical co-operation to this national memorial. It is the duty of all the friends of German language and German literature, of German culture and German thought, to work everywhere for the spread of these works of Luther, that will always remain the emblem of the German spirit."
This proclamation was not in vain, as the ever-increasing number of subscriptions testified. The edition has been called the "Weimar Luther Edition," because it was printed by Herman Boehlau at Weimar. Or, it has been called the "Kaiser Edition," because the German Emperor sponsored the undertaking from the very start. Today 52 parts of it are complete in 60 volumes, to which must be added the volumes containing the German Bible and the table-talk (at present five volumes), which are counted separately. It is not free from errors, and at different times the controlling spirits did not prove themselves above bias, but, taken all in all, it marks the completion of a stupendous piece of work, commensurate with the period of the most intensive research in the life of Luther and certainly its pinnacle of achievement. Much was also accomplished here in the way of printing, something which only he can appreciate who knows a little of the typographical difficulties in connection with a work of this kind, and who, like the writer of this, has had an opportunity to look into the different phases of the proof sheets.28 At the head of this undertaking at first stood Knaake, then Pietsch, and at the present time Drescher, all of whom were subordinated to the greater commission. Among the collaborators I shall name Kawerau, Walther, Buchwald, Cohrs, Albrecht, N. Mueller, J. Ficker, Thiele, Koffmane, Kroker and Brenner. After the appearance of every single volume Kolde wrote a valuable and thoroughly critical review in the "Goettinger Gelehrte Anzeigen." Brieger, of Leipzig, did the same for a number of years in "Zeitschrift fuer Kirchengeschichte." The researches, especially in regard to the volume containing the catechisms, extended far beyond the limits of Germany.
Beginning with 1883 editions have also been published to meet the requirements of the cultured home, for the great critical Weimar edition can never be common property, for the reason that it is too voluminous and expensive, and because of its entire arrangement. I shall only direct attention to the three volumes, "Luther als ein Klassiker" (Frankfurt, 1883), to the three small volumes, "Martin Luther ausgewaehlt und erlaeutert durch R. Neubauer" (Halle, 1903), to the volume "Luther's Werke, ausgewaehlt fuer das Volk und herausgegeben von J. Boehmer" (Stuttgart, 1907). All of these are excelled by an edition of Luther, undertaken by Buchwald, Kawerau, Koestlin, Rade, Schneider and others, printed by C. A. Schwetschkc und Sohn in Braunschweig (later in Berlin, therefore generally called the Berlin-, formerly the Braunschweig-edition), a work that at the present time is in its second stereotype edition. Its introduction takes special cognizance of the situation, as created by Janssen. Here we read: "Today it is being attempted not to cause external strife among the German people, but internal. With a dazzling show of scientific research, the ground is being undermined, from which every German hitherto drew his nourishment. The attempt is being made to draw down into the mire the men and their intellectual works for which other nations envy us. But, you German people, will not allow yourself to be robbed of them, as long as you understand them; you will understand them as long as you read them; you will read them as long as you retain the freedom that Luther pried loose for you." This edition completely deserves the widespread recognition it has received. It offers the Latin writings in a good German translation, gives short historical introductions, contains explanatory notes, and represents, especially since two volumes have been added containing the two writings, "De Votis Monasticis" and "De Servo Arbitrio," a selection through which one may actully learn to know Luther as he lived. Above all things, no German Lutheran parsonage in America, if it holds no larger edition, should do without the services of this selection.
It is by no means to be considered as a competitory undertaking, when that careful investigator of Luther, Otto Clemen, who since 1896 through articles concerning the different phases of the life and work of Luther, steadily was making a reputation for himself, published a new edition of selected works of Luther by Marcus and Weber at Bonn since 1912. By reason of the circumstance, that it contents itself with four volumes (however, a fifth volume is planned as a complement), and that it reproduces the original form of the writings, even in regard to the spelling, punctuation and form of type, it has become an edition for students that satisfied a long felt want. In the reproduction of the texts and in its concise introductions it is sometimes even more correct than the edition of Weimar (at least as far as the first volumes of this work are concerned). Neither is the selection published at Muenchen, which is still in the first stages of its making, strictly speaking, a competitory undertaking. It is since 1914 edited by H. H. Borcherdt, under the collaboration of Barge, Buchwald, Kalkoff, Schumann, Stammler and Thode, and is introduced by Thode's separate essay, "Luther und die deutsche Kultur" (Muenchen 1914). It wishes to place the emphasis upon the writings that are of value to history in general, and to history of culture, and offers many illustrations. From the fifteen volumes, according to the plan of its editors, we have the second before us. It contains the principal writings of 1520 and in its most excellent introduction of one hundred and eighty-six pages a fine description of the procedure of Rome against Luther up to 1520 from the pen of that thorough student, Kalkoff.
In America the thanks of the church is due to the Synod of Missouri for the fact that it has undertaken and successfully completed an edition of Luther's works. Since the Pastoral Conference of the Western District of this Synod decided in 1879 to undertake a republication of the old Luther-edition of Walch, this work began. Anno 1880-1881 the first two volumes put in their appearance. Only later on it became apparent what a mighty undertaking had been attempted. For the antiquated Walch-edition did not only need to be reprinted, but its German volumes had to be compared with the original, its Latin volumes had to be newly translated for the greater part, and all of the introductory paragraphs had to be remolded to meet the requirements of the knowledge of the day. Since 1885 Prof. R. F. Hoppe devoted his entire time and energy to this undertaking. Easter 1910 he wrote the preface to the last, the twenty-third, volume, which contains the valuable "Hauptsachregister," also the index for sayings, together with corrections and appendices.
This edition should be prized more highly in our land than is generally the case. True, it does not meet the requirements of a learned Luther-scholar, but at the same time what an accomplishment the translations reveal! For example, Kawerau has the following to say concerning Hoppe's translations of the Latin letters: I have examined a part of the newly translated letters of Luther, and have found them almost always reproduced in faithful and trustworthy manner, even there where difficulties were to be overcome." (Studien und Kritiken, 1908, p. 336). Hoppe's work concerning the table-talk (vol. 22) especially has been recognized. As late as 1906 Tschackert said: "The best edition, until now, the one of Foerstemann and Bindseil, is far excelled in point of critical selection and careful use of the known sources (i. e., published sources, for the manuscripts were inaccessible to Hoppe) by the work of Prof. Hoppe in the renewed edition of Walch" (Kurtz, Lehrbuch der Kirchengeschichte, Leipzig, 1906). Even if the following statement of Kroker (Weimar edition, Table-Talk, vol. 2, p. 32) must be restricted by the fact that Hoppe (following the lead of Wrampelmeyer) allowed himself to be deceived in his estimation of Cordatus' collection, it is still of importance what Kroker did say, after Haussleiter before in the "Theol. Literaturblatt' had laid special emphasis on his demand for a recognition of Hoppe's accomplishment: "But the translations are so excellent that one can only lament the fact that the rejuvenated Walch could not translate Dietrich's notes, Schlaginhaufen's book, Lauterbach's diary for 1539, the Matthesian collection of 1530 and other notes in the same manner (like the collection of Cordatus and Lauterbach's diary for 1538); among the footnotes also are several propositions, well worthy of mention, for improvement of the text."
The English-speaking branch of the American Lutheran Church also busied itself with the works of Luther. First of all Dr. Lenker, who devoted his entire time, strength, tireless energy, and burning zeal to the great task of offering Luther in the English language, must be mentioned. To date fourteen volumes of the Standard Edition of Luther's works, edited by him, with the collaboration of others have appeared — J. Schaller of the Synodical Conference, Gohdes of the Ohio Synod, and Voigt of the United Synod of the South are especially to be mentioned in this connection. These volumes comprise: two volumes of the commentary for Genesis, two volumes of explanation of the Psalms, one volume on the Epistle of St. Peter and St. Jude, one volume of catechetical writings, five volumes of sermons on the Gospels (Kirchenpostille), and three volumes of sermons on the Epistles. Lenker's interest was mainly practical. It was his aim to bring out the hidden treasures of Luther pre-eminently useful for the practical side of the ministry. It was his aim that the Lutheran exegete, preacher, and catechete availing himself of the English language as a medium would be kept within sane confines through the study of Luther, and that our English- speaking Lutherans would have sane and edifying reading matter. And, indeed, this is an aim worthy of the highest endeavor. It is an entirely different question, whether this work is well planned, whether it is placed on a scientifically satisfactory basis, and whether it is harmoniously executed. But even if this work lacks in many directions, the Lutheran Church in America still owes Lenker a great debt for his labors.
On account of these wants, it is to be welcomed with great joy that five members of the Pennsylvania Ministerium (C. M. Jacobs, A. T. W. Steinhaeuser, W. A. Lambert, J. J. Schindel, and A. Steimle) have united for
a new attempt. In those volumes, "Works of Martin Luther with introductions and notes" (first volume appeared in April, 1915), published by A. J. Holman Company at Philadelphia, we find an accomplishment, well worthy of mention and excellently considered in all its aspects. Notwithstanding the fact that it generally follows the Braunschweig-Berlin edition, a decided improvement over this edition is to be noted in this, that it has elected to give the different writings in their chronological, instead of their systematic, order. Only in this manner the gradual development of Luther's personality and of his conception of the truth will be understood. The texts, which the translators used, are, thanks to the reproduction in the edition of Weimar and the appearance of Clemen's edition, far more trustworthy than those of the Braunschweig-Berlin edition The translations are good, without being too literal. The introduc
Luther in the year 1526.
Painting by Cranach.
tions, and notations and literary notes, are correct and satisfactory. There only remains the wish that these volumes will find a ready sale and will be really studied. They should receive the place of honor in every parsonage of our English-speaking Church and should not be missed in any city library. The preface of the Braunschweig-Berlin edition concludes with the following words: "Thus we have undertaken in common labor, German people, to place your Luther into your hands, so that you might learn to know, prize and love him; so that you may take inspiration from his writings, that are imbued with the Holy Spirit, to keep the faith, children, even as your forefathers kept the faith, when you hear the great hero of the faith speak of those things that made him strong and fearless. Learn to know your Luther, not covered with political halo, not the commanding figure, hewn out of solid granite, but Luther as he worked and lived, in his greatness and in his weakness, in his zealousness and in his overzealousness, in his wisdom and his abruptness. Thus allow his word to touch you, if it admonishes you and urges you on, if it strikes you and raises you, if it shows you the reflection of yourself, as you once were, as you are now, and how you shall be, if you but remain true to your German mind and German nature." If you substitute the word "Lutheran" for the word "German," it will also serve literally for this new English edition of Luther.