Lübeck remembers: Pilgrims of Hope remember the martyrs in 2025!

Lübeck remembers: Pilgrims of Hope remember the martyrs in 2025!

From Friday to Sunday, Lübeck was transformed into a place of pilgrimage as over 100 women and men from northern Germany headed for their destination, the Herz Jesu provost church. This pilgrimage was part of the Catholic Holy Year “Pilgrims of Hope,” initiated by Pope Francis and continued by Pope Leo XIV. The pilgrims from various communities set out to commemorate the four Lübeck martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their faith during the dark times of National Socialism. As the Archdiocese of Hamburg reports, the pilgrimage days took place from June 25th to 28th, 2023.

The service led by Archbishop Dr. Stefan Heße, who came from Schwerin by bicycle. Despite strong headwinds, he held on to the power of hope embodied in the stories of the martyrs. In his sermon, Heße touched on aspects of hope by presenting an impressive letter from the beatified Johannes Prassek. This was written in July 1942 and focuses on internal peace, despite the pressing threats posed by the Nazi regime.

A commemoration in the present

The archbishop's thoughts found particular resonance in the context of today's global political uncertainties, such as the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East. Prassek's message is seen as a meaningful counterpoint to these challenges. The commemoration of the martyrs is not only a retrospective, but also a call for hope and action in difficult times.

The pilgrimage to Lübeck will take place again in 2025 and is intended to continue to highlight the city as a place of remembrance and hope. Interested pilgrims can access materials, including prayers and historical information, through the official website of the Archbishop's Foundation of Lübeck Martyrs. A new booklet entitled “Be My Witnesses” is also available. It contains historical information and suggestions for worship services and is available both in print and digitally.

The Lübeck martyrs in the focus of research

An interesting aspect of the Lübeck martyrs is currently the subject of a scientific study led by Sebastian Holzbrecher. The research aims to present the image of the martyrs in a more nuanced way than was often the case in the past. For a long time it was believed that they were primarily victims of National Socialist propaganda. In fact, Johannes Prassek, Hermann Lange, Eduard Müller and the Protestant pastor Karl Friedrich Stellbrink actively preached against the Nazi regime.

These priests were executed in Hamburg on November 10, 1943 and were beatified by the Catholic Church in 2011. They not only supported Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen in their pastoral care, but also had their own critical views, which they represented in their sermons. When parents of Lübeck soldiers complained to the Bishop of Osnabrück about these issues, it shows the courage these priests had. The study, which runs until September 2024, is not intended to diminish the memory of the martyrs, but to create a better understanding of the complex situation at that time.

Anyone who would like to take a closer look at the Lübeck martyrs and their legacy can find extensive materials on the websites of the Archdiocese of Hamburg and the Archbishops' Foundation of Lübeck Martyrs. An invitation to participate also applies to young people who are involved in a special program, as well as to table guests who are invited to take part in the memorial service.

Further information about the pilgrimage and the Lübeck martyrs can be found here: erzbistum-hamburg.de, luebeckermaertyrer.archdiocese.hamburg and katholisch.de.