Perhaps it was the fear of a cake sermon that kept the kronach men away. The women were in any case represented in overwhelming majority on monday evening in the christkus church. It was their own fault – because those who stayed at home missed out on a gripping examination of martin luther as a learned and revered theologian, a struggling believer and an earthly husband. From the perspective of his wife, the former nun catharina von bora, with words that christine bruckner wrote for her in the book "wenn du geredet, desdemona – ungehaltene reden ungehaltener frauen" ("when you spoke, desdemona – unrestrained words of unrestrained women") had put in the mouth.
The berlin actress elisabeth haug brought bruckner's fictitious monologue to life and presented "her" work katharina in all her facets: smart, clever, hands-on, true to life, but also well-read, grubby and critical, always loyal to her famous husband. Thanks to the authentic play by elisabeth haug, it was easy to transport oneself back to the time 500 years ago to the luthers' dining room in wittenberg, which must have been very coarse. The lutherin served 30 to 40 diners every day: in addition to her own family, more distant relatives and, above all, students who, during the meal, which was free of charge for them, hung spellbound on luther's lips and wrote down everything he said.
They earned money with his table speeches, which displeased the economically minded katharina: "the people of wittenberg want the fame and the honor of hosting the lutherstadt, but it is worth nothing to them." the fact that luther's fame has not faded in the last 500 years is evidenced not least by the many events in the reformation year 2017.
But the spotlights also shine on the role of his wife, who, according to dean dorothea richter at the funeral, was a "role model for all pastors' wives and those who want to become one be.
But it was a partnership of convenience that the former monk and the runaway nun had entered into. As a former aristocratic convent schoolmistress, katharina von bora had little to do with the practical life of a housewife. But in the end it was she who took care of order, full pots and the children's education. She had a deep understanding for her husband, but despite the monument, which was already too large in his lifetime, she never overlooked luther as a man with his doubts and shortcomings: "if you are small-minded, I can recognize your true coarseness, but if you grow into the superhuman, then I can also make you smaller again". Where he prays, she grasps, where he wrangles, she weeps, where he condemns, she forgives, what he wants to understand with his head, she accepts in faith, where he is head, she is belly and heart.
In haug's performance, we see a woman who wants to put into practice what she has read about or heard in sermons. And who is not afraid to point out to her husband discrepancies in his thoughts and actions. "I don't like that my husband lives something else than he writes." their interpretation of the bible is true to life and human, their faith is less concerned with extinction in the hereafter, it focuses on the joy of life in this world, because "the adversary of the devil is joy and confidence".
This evening in the christuskirche brought a lot of joy. Between the scenes, one could catch one's breath while listening to jacob david pampuch play his own compositions in the style of the renaissance. When varying the main theme, he is inspired by the atmosphere of the room, the mood of the audience and the effect of the texts, he explained. In this way, each performance creates its own piece of music.