Martin Luther is one of the most influential figures in world history, and the Luther Year acts like a canonization of the Reformer. His dark side, his incitement against people of the Jewish faith, is often suppressed, even though it has left deep marks on German culture and history. Is Luther a scholar of his time who should not be judged by our current standards? Judge for yourself! In the spring of 1543, Martin Luther followed his defamatory pamphlet "On the Jews and Their Lies" with the treatise "On the Schem Hamephorasch and the Lineage of Christ": a collection of anti-Semitic tirades. The Reformer called for the conversion of Jews to Christianity. However, when his hopes remain unfulfilled, the tone becomes sharper and turns into accusation and defamation. This is yet another occasion for the demagogic escalation of his anti-Semitism.