The Changeling at Dessau

Don’t research your historical heroes — unless you want to forgive them, that is.

Disclaimer: I am not a physician and I do not claim to be one. Medical-related things in this piece may have glaring inaccuracies.

Having gone to a Lutheran school and learned about the Reformation many times, I wanted to get to know the Reformer, Martin Luther. Martin Luther challenged the sale of indulgences by the Catholic church of his time, was excommunicated, and went on to change church tradition for the course of history. As such, I consider him one of my faith heroes. However, Martin Luther’s reforming spirit was not extended to all aspects of theology, especially not towards people with disabilities.

In 1532, Martin Luther encountered a changeling, a faulty or defective replica of a child that was given to parents after fairies (or demons) stole the real child. He described the changeling as the following:

Eight years ago [in the year 1532] at Dessau, I, Dr. Martin Luther, saw and touched a changeling. It was twelve years old, and from its eyes and the fact that it had all of its senses, one could have thought that it was a real child. It did nothing but eat; in fact, it ate enough for any four peasants or threshers. It ate, shit, and pissed, and whenever someone touched it, it…