Last month (Jan. ’96, pg. 25) in writing about the Truth in Germany, Bro. Alan Eyre alluded to Bro. A. H. Zilmer (an Unamended brother of German origin living in America) and Dr. Ludwig von Gerdtell as playing significant roles in that history. Following is an article Bro. Norman Zilmer, also of the Unamended Fellowship and grandson of Bro. A. H. Zilmer, found in his files and forwarded regarding Dr. von Gerdtell. Interesting historically, the narrative is also exhortational as we consider the impact of Bible Truth in a man’s life.
Ludwig Von Gerdtell was born in Magdeburg, Germany (north-central part of the country) on February 4, 1872, the son of a Prussian general.
An early student of religion
At first skeptical about religion, young Ludwig became a law student. When faced with an examination question requiring him to examine the criminal proceedings against Jesus of Nazareth, however, he realized he was ill-equipped to do so. This led him to change his course of study to that of theology. Here he soon found a stumbling-block in the matter of infant baptism; he was so outspoken in his conclusions that he failed to obtain a church appointment.
On January 30, 1903 (aged 30), he married Marie Rentsch in Eilenburg (near Leipzig) and they set up their first home in Steglitz (Berlin). They had four children. Refusing to allow them to be sprinkled as infants, the von Gerdtells were forced to leave the Evangelical Church. Later they were baptized and became members of the Baptist Church.
His inquiring mind led him to a study of comparative religions. After further university studies, he obtained the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Erlangen in 1908 (aged 36).
First contact with Christadelphians
From 1908 to 1919 the family lived at Marburg an der Lahn (north of Frankfurt). Ludwig made trips to other countries, once lecturing with other Baptists in London, UK about the Jews and the Second Advent.
While in London, he met Dr. Thirtle, editor of “The Christian,” who told him of the Christadelphians with whom Thirtle had had some connection. Von Gerdtell obtained a second-hand copy of “Christendom Astray.”
As yet unaware of the handful of Christadelphians in Germany (the fruit to date of the labors of Bro. Albert Maier), he wrote to Bro. Thomas Turner, editor of the “Fraternal Visitor” (Suffolk Street Fellowship) seeking further information and telling him of his own search for truth.
Bro. Turner sent him a friendly reply together with copies of the “Fraternal Visitor,” the “Advocate,” the “Faith” (edited by Bro. A.H. Zilmer), the “Shield” (Australian) and “Glad Tidings.” By return, Dr. von Gerdtell sent him “a book dealing in a very canonizing manner with evidence for the New Testament Miracles.” Bro. Turner also put von Gerdtell in touch with Bro. Zilmer who was German-speaking and had more knowledge of the position of the Truth in Germany.
Anti-trinity teaching
From 1919 to 1935 (ages 47 to 63), the von Gerdtell family lived in Berlin. In Marburg, he had already begun a series of books published under the general heading, “Burning Questions of Philosophy.” (Some of the early titles were: “Is the dogma of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice still valid?” “Are the miracles of first-century Christianity sufficiently proved by history?” and “First-century miracle before the forum of modern philosophy.”)
In 1921, “Revolutionizing the Churches,” with its anti-trinity views, was the immediate cause of his excommunication from the Baptist Church. At the University of Berlin, he formed a regular lecture group among the students and lectured in other towns. His opposition to Lutheranism, trinity-teaching and the theory of Christ’s pre-existence brought protests from both Catholic and Evangelical churches.
When he wrote again to Bro. Turner in 1921, he said the rooms available were often not large enough to accommodate the large numbers ready to hear. Bro. Turner was impressed with his writings and published some articles from von Gerdtell’s pen in the “Fraternal Visitor” (for example, “Did Jesus Actually Rise?” – July, 1922). Bro. Turner wrote once more, hoping an early meeting could be arranged to discuss “many of the things in which we, as Christadelphians, are so vitally interested.”
First meeting with Christadelphians
At last the hoped-for meeting took place. Dr. von Gerdtell arrived in Birmingham on July 19, 1923. That same evening he attended a meeting at Boumville (in greater Birmingham) and the following day he met the Managing Brethren of the Suffolk Street Ecclesia at their hall (in downtown Birmingham).
On the Saturday morning, he went to see Bro. C.C. Walker (editor of the “Christadelphian”) and in the evening, a number of brothers and sisters met the doctor at Bro. Turner’s house. Being asked to give his understanding of the reading for the day (Matthew 22), von Gerdtell responded and “in a clear, simple, and convincing manner the hope of Israel in David’s son and Lord was outlined and the resurrection taught.”
At a subsequent meeting at Suffolk Street, he outlined to a large audience “his struggles through atheism, Lutheranism and the teaching of the Baptists to his present views.” He spoke of his astonishment when, believing himself to be the only man in the world who held these views, to find them clearly expounded in Robert Roberts’ “Christendom Astray.” He then outlined at length what he understood the Truth to be and those present declared it to be in harmony with scripture teaching.
Reimmersion in 1925
In the company of his wife and Bro. Ludwig Knupfer (who was then in contact with all the groups in Germany), a further visit to England was made in December, 1925. Both he and Bro. Knupfer spoke at a Tea Meeting on December 26 at Suffolk Street.
The Ecclesial Intelligence reads as follows: “The brethren generally will be interested to learn that Bro. Gerdtell, feeling uncertainty as to the validity of his first baptism, was reimmersed in our hall during the Memorial Service on 27th December.” (Marie, his wife, was reimmersed 12 months later in Germany.)
From this time forward, Bro. von Gerdtell was to receive financial assistance for his work in Germany from the Preaching Union as well as from brethren in America. This was in addition to that already given to Bro. Knupfer. Among other literature published, von Gerdtell translated the Amended Statement of Faith.
A few baptisms result
During 1928, two series of lectures were held in the Technical University in Berlin with audiences of 400 to 500 attending each evening to hear Christadelphian beliefs proclaimed in a logical, earnest and convincing manner. Four baptisms eventually resulted from these lectures, thus doubling the number of members at that time.
When Bro. Turner visited Berlin in September, there were 12 brothers and sisters present at the Memorial meeting in Bro. von Gerdtell’s house and some 20 went to the weekly Bible class. Soon afterwards, a further two persons were baptized.
First trip to America
In 1930, Ludwig von Gerdtell accepted an invitation to visit the USA to undertake, in his capacity as a scholar and historian, a lecture tour in defense of Bible inspiration. These lectures were to appeal to all Christian types and dealt only incidentally with Christadelphian doctrine. Its promoters published, through the Christian Board of Publication a translation of his book “Miracles under fire: A Treatise for Modern Thinkers” (160 pp.). Bro. Turner remarked, “The book is not a Christadelphian work in the narrow sense. It is rather such as an exceptionally qualified college teacher might give to a class on Bible Evidence…apart from the Dedication, it is a work we might well have published ourselves had we the opportunity and the means.”
Cross currents
The doctor was still in America in 1931 spending some time at the Butler University in Indianapolis, IN (Department of Religion). Backers of the university gave him support for further work in Germany to preach Jesus as Messiah and Son of God and to immerse those faithful men and women prepared to confess Jesus as their Master and Savior.
Although Bro. Turner wrote, “We understand that in his lectures to students, Bro. von Gerdtell preaches the Truth as we accept it, and keeps nothing back,” it soon became clear that he was associating with the “Disciples of Christ,” the Campbellites from whom Dr. Thomas had separated himself and who had hundreds of thousands of members in America.
Shortly, the brethren heard from Bro. von Gerdtell that he was engaged in forming a German Evangelistic Society in America with the object of raising a substantial fund to enable him to extend his missionary work in Germany. Because this society was not of itself “a sufficient guarantee of the soundness of doctrine for which we stand,” the Preaching Union were unable to cooperate in the venture.
A shift in associations
Von Gerdtell returned to Berlin in 1934 where he was an obvious target for Nazi persecution. On February 11, 1935, he emigrated to America via Italy and England. En route, he attended an international convention of the Churches of Christ in Leicester, UK.
Bro. Turner had received an invitation from the secretary of the German Evangelistic Society, but declined. He noted with sadness in the “Fraternal Visitor” that, during his stay in America, Dr. von Gerdtell had not associated with Christadelphians nor had he on this occasion sought out the company of our brethren in England.
At some inconvenience, Bro. Turner managed to see him for a very short time. He remarked in the columns of the “Visitor” that the Doctor could no longer be regarded as a representative Christadelphian, although his scholarship and defense of the scriptures were duly recognized.
This brought a written response: von Gerdtell said that although he held the doctrines taught by the Christadelphians, he had never regarded himself as one “because there is no such thing as a Christadelphian in the Bible.” He said that no disciple of the first century ever called himself “a brother of Christ;” this was why the German ecclesias had adopted the term “Urchristen” (Primitive Christians) which he thought expressed more nearly the attitude believers should take.
Postscript
Dr. Ludwig von Gerdtell acquired American citizenship. After the war, he tried to persuade his wife and family to join him, but later decided to go back to Germany. This was prevented by his death from cancer on May 30, 1954 (aged 82). During the last years of his life, he was completely blind. His wife died in Gotha in 1958.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One