Martin Luther has had both an ante- and post-mortem impact on millions of people. 500 years ago he set an end to the church's income through sales of indulgence, and made the bible the best-selling book on the planet. Remarkably, his rise in popularity does not seem to stop. Who still knows Pope Leo (who incidentally excommunicated Luther) these days? At the same time, Martin Luther still contributes millions to the income statements of museums, theatres and publishers.

And now it has also hit Playmobil. The quantities of its miniature version of Luther are already in the millions. The priest's followers are not quite as delighted as Playmobil’s managers – they feel rather unwell about this cult of personality. Some have now proposed, in the light of women's equality, moulding a miniature version of his wife, Katharina von Bora. The toy manufacturer’s “no” seems to be written in stone, though…