9 Nonnen fliehen

Martin Luther, the rebellious idol; Martin Luther, the dedicated reformer and modernizer of the German language; Martin Luther, the power-hungry opportunist: three acts, in which Rolf Hochhuth sketches the multi-faceted image of one of the most influential people in world history. It begins with nine nuns – Kathatrina von Bora among them – who escape from their convent to join Luther’s movement in Wittenberg, hoping for a quick end to burning of witches and the reigning, rigid sexual ethics. Shortly thereafter, Luther and Bora become romantically involved. His groundbreaking translation of the bible made Luther a celebrity, but financially, he is still struggling, and society overall has changed frighteningly little. Eventually, Luther becomes more and more the focal point of outspoken criticism. His “personal painter” Lucas Cranach is not the only one to complain that he ignores earth in favor of “the eternal heaven”; in addition, the German Peasants’ War has begun, and rather than joining them, Luther allows himself to be corrupted by “the establishment”.