A tiny Playmobil figure of Martin Luther created for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation has become the manufacturer’s fast-selling toy ever.
The 7.5cm-high Luther is depicted in black scholarly garb and holds a quill in one hand and the reformer’s translation of the Bible in the other.
Anna Ermann, a spokeswoman for the Bavarian toy manufacturer, said all 34,000 “Little Luthers” were sold in 72 hours, and they have had to place a fresh order with their factory.
The firm described the success of the Luther figure as “a big mystery [and] a huge surprise.” It said new stocks of the figurine would be available at the end of April.
The toy was produced for the German and Nuremberg tourist boards and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria. The Nuremberg tourist board said the toy serves as "a miniature ambassador of the Reformation".
Since 2007 senior German Protestant and Catholic church leaders have been meeting to determine how to mark the anniversary in a way that promotes unity, not division.
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