Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

This saying is widely attributed to Martin Luther, but modern scholarship generally treats the attribution as doubtful. It does not appear in Luther’s known writings or recorded table talk, and it is commonly described as a later, post‑Reformation aphorism that was attached to Luther’s name because it fits his reputation for steadfast faith amid crisis. The line circulated especially in German Protestant and later ecumenical contexts as a moral exemplar of hope and duty in the face of catastrophe (war, social collapse, or apocalyptic expectation), but without a securely traceable 16th‑century occasion or document tying it to Luther himself.

The saying expresses a defiant, hope-filled ethic: even under the shadow of catastrophe, one should continue doing ordinary, constructive good. Planting an apple tree symbolizes long-term care, trust in the future, and responsibility toward others—an act whose benefits may outlast the planter. In modern usage it often functions as a motto of resilience and practical faith, urging people to act rightly without guarantees of success or survival. Although widely attributed to Martin Luther, scholars generally treat it as a later proverb-like formulation rather than a verifiable Reformation-era utterance, which itself underscores how communities create memorable aphorisms to embody admired values.