Bonhoeffer Relatives Considering Legal Action Against Eric Metaxas

Spokesmen for relatives says Metaxas spreading "unbelievable lies"

“How dare he [Metaxas] insult us as woke left-wing Jew-haters when our parents or grandparents sacrificed their lives in the fight against the persecution of the Jews and for the rule of law and freedom?” - Tobias Korenke, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s grand-nephew

On Glenn Beck’s podcast dated November 23, Eric Metaxas told Beck that the 86 relatives of Dietrich Bonhoeffer who criticized him in October (see my post for their statement) are “guaranteed Pro-Hamas lunatics…Jew-hating lunatics.” I posted those comments yesterday and today a spokesman for the family told me via email that

Eric Metaxas is once again spreading unbelievable lies and slandering our family. No one from the Bonhoeffer family has ever spoken out pro-Hamas or anti-Jewish. On the contrary: we fight terror and anti-Semitism wherever we can. 

Spokesmen for the Bonhoeffer relatives Tobias Korenke and Ruggero Schleicher-Tappeser added, “We are currently examining whether it makes sense to take legal action against Eric Metaxas' outrageous lies. That someone like Metaxas thinks he can presume to speak and act in the spirit of Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a disgrace.”

In his rant against Bonhoeffer’s family, Metaxas called them “distant relatives” in a contemptuous way. In fact, according to a separate email from Tobias Korenke, “the signatories of the open letter are all children or grandchildren of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's seven siblings.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer had no children. 

Korenke told me, “I myself am a grandchild of Ursula, Dietrich's eldest sister, and her husband Rüdiger Schleicher.” It is important to remember that others in Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s family resisted the Nazis. According to Korenke, his grandfather Rüdiger “was also a resistance fighter and was murdered by the Nazis.” He added, “Another of Dietrich's brothers, Klaus, was also executed as a resistance fighter, as was another of his brothers-in-law, Hans von Dohnanyi.”

While Dietrich Bonhoeffer has gotten well deserved attention and admiration for his courage, the relatives remind us that resistance was a family affair.

Korenke explained why Metaxas’ response to them and his remarks have seemed so callous:

As you can imagine, this history has left its mark on our family. The lies, insults and slander of Eric Metaxas hit us all the harder. How dare he insult us as woke left-wing Jew-haters when our parents or grandparents sacrificed their lives in the fight against the persecution of the Jews and for the rule of law and freedom?

The notorious lies and manipulations of Metaxas are unbearable for all of us!

Metaxas’ ridicule of the pain of Bonhoeffer’s relatives is condemnable.