The Reformation

The other great branch of Anabaptism ran down the Rhine River. Strassbourg was a refuge to religious radicals of all stripes, and Anabaptists gathered here along with others. By 1533, Capito and Bucer (leaders of the reform in Strassbourg) were agreed in opposing the Anabaptists, but by that time there were about 2,000 Anabaptists in a city of perhaps 20,000.

Melchior Hoffman was one of the principals responsible for spreading Anabaptists along the lower Rhine. Like so many others, he was hounded by the civil authorities everywhere, yet everywhere was able to spread the faith. He created thousands of followers in Holland and the other Low Countries before he was imprisoned at Strassbourg in 1533.

The Low Countries became a stronghold of Anabaptist faithful, but they suffered severe persecutions. In the early 1530s, some began to look for safe havens. One of the points of attraction was the city of Münster in Germany. Some were caught and killed before they made their escape, but others joined the Anabaptists of the city, and Münster became the most notorious of all the centers of Anabaptism.

History of Western Civilization

E.L. Skip Knox
Boise State University

Comments and questions