Page:Thirty-five years of Luther research.djvu/33

Rh das Regensburger Konkordienwerk des Jahres 1541" (1870), did not touch the research work on Luther, he ranked first among the historians of the Reformation period.

Another pupil of Reuter, afterward at Koenigsberg and then historian at Goettingen, P. Tschackert, was at this time assistant professer at Halle. G. Buchwald, who later made a name for himself as the fortunate discoverer of many manuscipts concerning Luther, had already at this time betrayed his interest in the research work on Luther through his essay, "Luther und die Juden" (1881). Even Wilhelm Walther, of Rostock, at the present time known as one of the best authorities on Luther, at this time already revealed what field of endeavors he was eventually to enter, for the theme "Luther und Rom," which since 1883 was so masterfully treated by him, had already received its first attention through his lengthy essay, "Die Fruechte der Roemischen Beichte" (reprinted in "W. Walther, Zur Wertung der Reformation" 1909, pp. 14-75).

Knaake, Enders, Kolde, Kawerau, Brieger, Tschackert, Buchwald, Walther, the constellation around Koestlin, constituted an able group of excellently trained historical investigators, fully qualified to investigate Luther's life and theology according to the principles of Ranke's school, successfully to cope with Janssen's caricatures, and thus to place before the eyes of the Protestant Church an undistorted, truthful picture of the great reformer.