Anselm Stolz

Ernst Lohmeyer was a German scholar of the New Testament and a Protestant theologian, born in 1890. He pursued academic studies, earning a doctorate in philology with a dissertation on the concept of will in Anselm of Canterbury. Lohmeyer held professorships in New Testament theology, notably at the University of Breslau, where he also served as rector. He was a vocal opponent of the Nazi regime and its influence on the German church and society, demonstrating solidarity with Jewish scholars like Martin Buber. His principled stance led to his demotion and transfer to Greifswald in 1935. During World War II, he served as a military officer. After the war, Lohmeyer was arrested by Soviet authorities in 1946 and subsequently murdered while in their custody. His death was confirmed years later, and he was posthumously rehabilitated by the Russian government.

Born in 1890, Ernst Lohmeyer became a distinguished scholar of the New Testament and a Protestant theologian. His academic journey included a doctorate in philology, focusing on Anselm of Canterbury's philosophy of the will. He rose to prominence as a professor of New Testament Theology, eventually becoming rector of the University of Breslau. From the early 1930s, Lohmeyer actively opposed Nazism and fascist ideologies within German society and the church. He notably maintained friendships and expressed solidarity with Jewish academics, such as Martin Buber, famously stating in 1933 that "the Christian faith is only Christian as long as it retains in its heart the Jewish faith." This courageous stance, in contrast to the silence of many within the Protestant church, led to his reassignment from Breslau to Greifswald in 1935.

During World War II, Lohmeyer served as a military officer in the Wehrmacht from 1939 to 1943, undertaking duties in various occupied territories including the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and Russia. He was noted for his capable leadership and humane treatment of civilians in occupied regions. Following the war, he was a logical choice to lead the re-established University of Greifswald. However, his post-war academic career was tragically cut short. On February 15, 1946, Lohmeyer was arrested by the Soviet NKGB in a midnight raid. His home was searched while he was taken away, and he disappeared without a trace, leaving his family in distress for years.

Ernst Lohmeyer was an exceptionally prolific scholar, producing over three hundred published works and countless unpublished manuscripts. His extensive research covered a wide range of New Testament topics, including ecclesiology, the Pauline corpus, the Gospel of Mark, the Book of Revelation, and the relationship between Old and New Testament traditions. He interpreted the Book of Revelation as a fundamentally eschatological text. His work explored historical Jesus studies, eschatology, and Pauline theology. Lohmeyer was murdered in Soviet custody on September 19, 1946, though the confirmation of his death did not come until 1957. He was posthumously rehabilitated by the Russian government in 1996, and his significant scholarly output continues to be studied.

“the Christian faith is only Christian as long as it retains in its heart the Jewish faith”