Entry #13
This is where the genealogy bug originated for me. No, I am not saying that Martin Luther, the Reformer, was a great family historian. I am sure that he was far too consumed with thinking about the Church and God, and igniting the Protestant Reformation in Germany, to be a genealogist. What I am saying is that from the time I was very small, I knew that I was descended from Martin Luther on my maternal grandfather’s side of the family. Martin Luther and Catherine Von Bora were my eleven times great-grandparents. Unlike a lot of family fables, this was a credible claim. I was a child who was always brimming with questions. How did we know this, I asked my mother? “Well,” replied mom, “Grandpa Lindner has a book. It belonged to Uncle Gus. Uncle Gus was a member of some kind of a society of Luther descendants.” Mom also stated that she thought the Society came to an end after World War II. “The next time we go to Cincinnati to see Grandpa,” she added, “you should ask him to see the book.”
I am not sure how old I was when Grandpa (Richard Max Otto Lindner, born in Dresden, Germany, in 1890) first brought out the book for my inspection. It was, of course, in German – in that fancy script that for me seemed to bestow an extra air of importance. Grandpa opened directly to the page where our family appeared and showed me the entry for his grandfather, Emil Heinrich Max Lindner, born in Sondershausen on 11 April 1831. There was also a supplement from 1936 with an update to our family that included my mother and my aunt. Oh, and there was an enormous chart that went with the book! Grandpa and I would unfold it, spread it out on the floor, and marvel at the number of descendants Martin Luther and Katharine Von Bora had spawned. As I grew older, the family visits to Cincinnati dwindled to once a year, but every time I stayed at my grandparents’ home it was our special ritual to pull out the Luther genealogy. Grandpa would translate our part of the book – it was like reading the Bible – one begat after another with strange German place names and the occupations of ancestors interspersed. One time I took notes on a lined steno pad – I recorded our direct lineage and held on to it for years.
(My grandpa was notorious for writing in the books he owned.)
On 28 November 1988, Grandpa Lindner passed away at the age of 98. When I next saw my mother, she presented me with the book. The proper title is Die Nachkommenschaft D. Martin Luthers in vier Jahrhunderten. Nebst Anhang über Nachkommen seiner Seitenverwandten und vieler anderer Luther, by Otto Sartorius, published in Göttingen in 1926. My grandfather had left instructions that the book be passed down to me.
When the Internet began to blossom, I decided to look for information on the Luther Association. It had not ended with World War II as my mother supposed. I found a website and made contact with the Lutheriden Vereinigung. After a few e-mails back and forth, the Association confirmed my lineage. Although I am not an expert on Martin Luther, he does have a fascinating story. He supposedly made a pledge to enter the monastery if God would spare him when he was caught in a frightful thunderstorm. Eventually, Luther spoke out against the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church, was excommunicated, and married Katherine von Bora, an ex-nun. At first Luther was reluctant to marry, but I understand he treasured his “Katie.” They had six children together: Hans (7 June 1526); Elizabeth (10 December 1527); Magdalene (4 May 1529); Martin (9 November 1531); Paul (29 January 1533); and Margaret (17 December 1534). I am descended from Paul. Supposedly, the male lines died out, so there are no living descendants of Martin who bear the named Luther, although some Luthers may descend from his uncle or brother. There are some people who hold the opinion that the male line did survive, but I believe it is still unproven.
Update! May 2, 2020
Jamie, a reader, said that he/she is related to Martin Luther through the male line. I thought I should do some research before replying. I found new information indicating that a male line has been proven and accepted by the Luther Association. I quote from Wiki-Tree taken from the entry for
ANCESTORS 
DESCENDANTS 
“New information from Germany, 2019: Dear Mrs. Lilly Martin Sahiounie.
As genealogist of the International “Lutheriden-Vereinigung e.V.” our president Christian Priesmeier asked me to answer your inquiry (see copy below).
First of all, thank you for your kind letter with some more information on the fate of soldier Conrad Luther!
Indeed, after checking all available information we can affirm your direct descent from the Great Reformator Dr. Martin Luther (DML) via his son “Dr. Johannes Luther 1526-1575”, whose great-grandson “Simon Luther 1646-1677” was teacher at the Barfüerschule in Erfurt: His great-grandson is your ancestor CONRAD LUTHER, who came to New York 1776 as Hessian soldier and whose complete given name is
“Bernhard Marianus Conrad Luther” 1754–1823 Geburt 28.02.1754 • Erfurt, Thüringen Tod 04.03.1823 • Carolltown, Cambria, Pennsylvania, USA
With kind regards, Yours sincerely Prof. Wolfgang Alt 2019″
Here is the link to this information: Bernhard Marianus Luther
I am delighted to receive new verifiable information. There is so much more access to information in this era and genealogical research is one area that has benefited from the Internet and collaborative efforts. In my earlier version of this post, I stated that there wasn’t much new research that could be done on Martin Luther. Obviously, I was mistaken!
Additional resources for researching a family connection to Martin Luther:
http://www.litzigerlay.de/helmert/luther/luther_stammtafel.h….
Stammbaum der Familie des Dr. Martin Luther zur dritten Secularfeier seines
Die Lutherstiftung zu Leipzig vom 18. Februar 1847 bis zum 18. Februar 1856
2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Read about it here.
Please report broken links through a comment. Thank you.