Evening star., 1923-09-26
Old Castle of Tannhauser
And Luther Falling to Decay
BY THE-MARaUEsE DE FoSrENo1

BY THE~MARQUESE DE FONTENOY.
Lutherans throughout America and
also admirers of Wagner will be in
terested to learn that a fund is be-
ing raised in Germany for the repair.
preservation and maintenance of the
picturesque Thuringian Castle of
Wartburg, from which Wagner took
some of the principal scenes of his
''Tannhauser" and where Martin Lu-
ther found refuge and spent the most
eventfuI years of his life; where, in
deed, he began his revision of the
Holy Writ, by translating the New
Testament from the Greek original
into the German tongue. When one
considers the influence which Lu-
ther's Bible has had upon the Ger
man language, an influence at least
equal to that of King James "Au-
thorized Version" of the Bible has
had upon the English tongue and
upon English literature, 1t is not
surprising that the Wartburg should
be looked upon by the Lutherans all
the world over as the mecca and by
the Germans of every denomination
as classic ground.
AS long as the ex-kaiser was on
the throne the Wartburg was kept in
a splendid state of repair. regardless
of expense. Putting forward preten-
sions as to the supreme chieftainship
ing himself as sort of a Lutheran
Pontifex Neutrality-suspicious. which
were often voiced in the sermons
which he was wont TO preach on
every Sunday and at religious fes-
tivals-he made. until 1914, a point
NP irfo n
ligious retreat at the Wartburg, for
the purpose, as he declared, of "inti-
mate communion with his Maker"
During this retreat, no ministers of
taries of the army, were permitted to
bring anything mundane to his notice
of a character TO disturb his religious
meditattons.
Had he been a merely normal man.
no one would have had any reason
to complain. For a few days and
nights, even a few hours. of quiet
and meditation and undisturbed re-
lection are good for us all, the trou-
BILE being that. nowadays. the rush
the Atlantic that little leisure is left
for quiet thought, aud almost every
thing is done on the spur Of the mo-
ment without due and careful con-
sideration. But, with a man so men
tally abnormal as the ex-kaiser and so
his grand uncle and predecessor on
the throne of Prussia, King Frederick
william ", who died insane, afflicted
with the same curious and incurable
bone decomposing aural malady,
these annual retreats OF his at the
wartburg were invariably followed
by some piece of political or admins
tratiye extravaganza, which ne IN
sisted was the result of Divine in
| spirations but which were a subJect
1f mr. l.
ment to the responsible statesmen of
the empire, Indeed. they grew to
| dread these religious retreats OF his
| at the Warthurg. ,,,
Although the. ex-kaiser stu
breaches In his Injurious Dutch exile
at Doorn, and wearies his encourage
past all endurance by his intermin-
able religious monologues, yet ne
| seems to have lost all his former IN
| terest in wartburg. He no longer
| contributes TO les maintenance ano
| has until now remained deaf TO al
appeals for subscriptions to the lfund
I 1t was taken over, along with Tqosi
! of the other castles or the grand
| duchy of Saxe-Wetmar, by the, ne"
1 Federated Republic of Thuringla
| which. like most of the new common
| wealths OF Europe, shows an inolneI-
| ence. to religious matters and ecclesl-
1 astical interest and does not see Jus
| way to contribute anything TO the
preservation or the MartpuI =;
| = The result Is that the caste mas
1 fallen into such q shocking state OF
| repair and neglect that the autnSri. I.
| ties have felt 1t necessary TO ciosS II
| to visitors and pilgrims. For the mrs,
| time in hundreds of years It's grea,
l iron gates are now bolted, while al
| the caretakers and guides. have peer
| dismissed. But the rooms occupieo
| by Martin Luther and especially tnt
one with. the ink stain made onF th'
4 wall when Luther hurled his heavs