Protestants of the reformation did not recognize the authority of the Pope as the head of Christendom and therefore did not view the crusades as holy act. Martin Luther's view on the subject is that the crusades were used as an excuse to extort money from the German people residing in, the then Catholic, Holy Roman Empire. He viewed war against the Turks as a secular issue apart from the clergy and church. In regards to your second question,"Was the subject as controversial/sad as it is today?", the simple answer is not really. The majority Catholic Christians never really saw the crusades as a tragedy or controversy because they were wars they started, justified, and fought whilst the minority Protestant Christians opposed and condemned them but not on the grounds of human rights and religious intolerance as we do today. I'm sure some had more personal opinions on the subject but in the 16th century Holy Wars were still generally accepted with the Reconquista ending just before the turn of the century in 1492 and the Ottoman Empire constantly encroaching into the Balkan peninsula into the late 17th century.

Sources: https://wp.cune.edu/matthewphillips/2015/06/15/luther-on-the-crusades/

John P. Mckay "A History of Western Society"