Martin Luther has again created history with his figurine that was released by Playmobil on the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther, who was most famous for his nailing his 95 Theses onto the doors of a German church, has made found another reason to be included in the history books. This week, the German Protestant reformer had more toys bearing his likeness sold in a three day period than any other toy by Playmobil. All told, 34,000 of the toys sold out, breaking records for figurines and proving that people still enjoy period piece figurines.
500th Anniversary of The Protestant Reformation
The Martin Luther figurine that was released by Playmobil was created to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. This reformation changed the face of modern Christianity, and was started, in part, by Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses regarding the faith onto the church doors at Wittenberg.
There are many reasons that Martin Luther was considered a venerable character for his time. The fact that he took such a strong stance against corruption in the church and wanted to educate as many people as possible among the most common reasons given. Another reason that Martin Luther is considered such an important figure in Christianity is that he translated the Bible into vernacular. This allowed the text to be more approachable by people of lower levels of education, helping to keep Christianity spreading.
Breaking Records
The toy itself is not exactly a perfect likeness of the character, as historians are to be believed. Rather than bearing the small smile, historians have said that it is more likely that he would have been wearing a frown because he was known for being perpetually unhappy and dissatisfied with the church.
The new Martin Luther figurine has become the fastest-selling Playmobil toy of all time: http://t.co/I1EZfAyZeJ pic.twitter.com/2P8hQm5k3e
— Slate (@Slate) February 17, 2015
Still, the small figurine of Martin Luther has a stylish hat, quill, black robes, and a German bible, though some have quipped that he should be bearing a hammer as well. Still, the tremendous ability of this toy to be appealing to people 500 years after Luther’s life shows that his ideology has staying power. Many parents want their children to understand the important role that he played in religion, world affairs, and education. Others wish to collect the figurine for the significance that it has as a rare release by Playmobil.
However, the incredible toy sales were quickly tempered by critics who noted that Martin Luther was anti-Semitic. These critics questioned the appropriateness of releasing the toy, but others have said it is important to remember both his contributions as well as personal beliefs.