Martyrs' Synod
Encyclopedia
The Martyrs' Synod took place in Augsburg
from 20 to 24 August, 1527. The purpose of this meeting, attended by about sixty representatives from different Anabaptist
groups, was to come to an agreement over the differences related to the central Anabaptist teachings among the Swiss and south German
Anabaptists. It is known as the Martyrs' Synod because most of the participants died for their activities within a short time.
an Anabaptist meeting in Schleitheim
had produced a basic Anabaptist confession of faith, the Schleitheim Confession
. In this confession, participation in government, the taking oath
s as well as military service
were totally rejected. Other groups of Anabaptists, including the South German Anabaptists, were of the opinion that Romans 13
permitted the authorities to legitimately demand their subjects to the swear an oath or perform military service. It is important to note, in relation to the Martyrs' Synod, that an agreement between the Swiss and South German Anabaptists was achieved on this point.
Augsburg was selected as the meeting place because it was a central location for these Anabaptist groups. The region of the young Anabaptist movement was confined at this point in time to Switzerland
, the Alsace
as well as to Moravia
and Tyrol
. There were certainly a number of strong Anabaptist congregations within Augsburg itself, which in 1527 were still relatively free to meet. Their size accounts for their ability to host 60 participants in a single meeting room and offer accommodations for the visitors.
The largest group was associated with Hans Hut:
The second largest group were members of one of the Augsburg Anabaptist groups:
The Swiss Anabaptists sent three representatives:
Three participants were associated with Hans Denck:
The Synod met at the house of weaver Gall Fischer, the house of Konrad Huber as well as the house of butcher Matheis Finder. Two of the three meetings where under the leadership of Hans Hut and Hans Denck.
The position on the oath and bearing arms—according to these hearings—was handled at the beginning of the Synod. Hans Hut argued against the Swiss Anabaptists position and advocated both oath taking and military service. He also resisted the demand of the Swiss to establish a uniform dress code for Anabaptists.
The great majority overruled Hans Hut's prophecy, that three and a half years after the Peasants' War
, namely 1528, the kingdom of God would come, the sinners punished and the authorities would be exterminated. They essentially agreed with Hut that the return of Jesus Christ was imminent, but rejected his calculations and his indication of specific dates and times with references to relevant Bible verses. After a long discussion they came to a compromise on this question. While Hut did not recant his prophetic views, he did promise to no longer openly teach them, but only share them privately with those who were interested.
At the end of the Synod an agreement was made to send out missionaries from Augsburg, in expectation of the imminent return of Jesus to gather as many of the elect as possible. The Anabaptist messengers were individually and in pairs sent to the surrounding area:
This mission effort failed to achieve the intended results. Most of those sent out were martyred shortly after arrival in their designated region, giving this gathering it name, Martyr's Synod.
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
from 20 to 24 August, 1527. The purpose of this meeting, attended by about sixty representatives from different Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
groups, was to come to an agreement over the differences related to the central Anabaptist teachings among the Swiss and south German
Southern Germany
The term Southern Germany is used to describe a region in the south of Germany. There is no specific boundary to the region, but it usually includes all of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and the southern part of Hesse...
Anabaptists. It is known as the Martyrs' Synod because most of the participants died for their activities within a short time.
Background
The young Anabaptist movement had the difficult task of forming a common foundation from groups of varying belief. In early 1527 under the leadership of Michael SattlerMichael Sattler
Michael Sattler was a monk who left the Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation to become one of the early leaders of the Anabaptist movement. He was particularly influential for his role in developing the Schleitheim Confession.Born in approximately 1490 in Staufen, Germany....
an Anabaptist meeting in Schleitheim
Schleitheim
Schleitheim is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.It is known as the location where the seven articles of the "Schleitheim Confession" were written by Michael Sattler in 1527.-Geography:...
had produced a basic Anabaptist confession of faith, the Schleitheim Confession
Schleitheim Confession
The Schleitheim Confession was the most representative statement of Anabaptist principles, endorsed unanimously by a meeting of Swiss Anabaptists in 1527 in Schleitheim . The meeting was chaired by Michael Sattler. Michael Sattler was the leader of the Swiss and southern German Anabaptist movement...
. In this confession, participation in government, the taking oath
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
s as well as military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
were totally rejected. Other groups of Anabaptists, including the South German Anabaptists, were of the opinion that Romans 13
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
permitted the authorities to legitimately demand their subjects to the swear an oath or perform military service. It is important to note, in relation to the Martyrs' Synod, that an agreement between the Swiss and South German Anabaptists was achieved on this point.
Augsburg was selected as the meeting place because it was a central location for these Anabaptist groups. The region of the young Anabaptist movement was confined at this point in time to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
as well as to Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
and Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. There were certainly a number of strong Anabaptist congregations within Augsburg itself, which in 1527 were still relatively free to meet. Their size accounts for their ability to host 60 participants in a single meeting room and offer accommodations for the visitors.
Participants
Not all of the names of those present at the Synod have been passed down. The following 33 participants are known and arranged among various Anabaptist groups.The largest group was associated with Hans Hut:
- Eukarius Binder of Coburg, Burkhard Braun of Ofen, Leonhard Dorfbrunner of Weißenburg, Hans Gulden of Biberach, Sigmund Hofer, Hans HutHans HutHans Hut was a very active Anabaptist in Southern Germany and Austria.-Life:Hut was born in Haina near Römhild, south Thuringia and became a travelling bookseller. Hut was for some years sacristan in Bibra to the knight Hans von Bibra...
, Marx Meir of Altenerlangen, Joachim Mertz of Bamberg, Hans Mittermaier of Ingolstadt, Georg Nespitzer of Passau, Leonhard SchiemerLeonhard SchiemerLeonhard Schiemer was an early pacifist Anabaptist writer and martyr whose work survives in the Ausbund.-Background:...
of Judenburg, Hans SchlafferHans SchlafferHans Schlaffer was a former Catholic priest, who became an Anabaptist in 1526. In May of 1527, Schlaffer was part of the group surrounding Hans Hut, and therefore involved in a notable theological controversy taking place in Nikolsburg, Moravia...
, Leonhard Spörle of Briderichingen, Ulrich Trechsel of Franken, Thomas Walhauser and Jakob Wiedemann of Memmingen
The second largest group were members of one of the Augsburg Anabaptist groups:
- Jakob Dachser, Matheis Finder, Gall Fischer, Laux Fischer, Konrad HuberKonrad HuberKonrad Walentin Huber was a Finnish sport shooter who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics....
, Hans Kießling, Hans Leupold, Batholomäus Nußfelder, Siegmund Salminger and Peter Scheppach
The Swiss Anabaptists sent three representatives:
- Hans Beck of Basel, Jakob Groß and Gregor Maler of Chur.
Three participants were associated with Hans Denck:
- Hans DenckHans DenckHans Denck was a German theologian and Anabaptist leader during the Reformation.Denck was born in 1495 in the Bavarian town of Habach. After a classical education, he became headmaster at the St. Sebaldus school in Nuremberg in 1523...
, Ludwig Hätzer und Jakob Kautz of Worms.
The Synod met at the house of weaver Gall Fischer, the house of Konrad Huber as well as the house of butcher Matheis Finder. Two of the three meetings where under the leadership of Hans Hut and Hans Denck.
Business
The Martyr Synod had no formal rules of order and no minutes were recorded. The proceedings can only established from court records of the interrogations that many of the participants later underwent.The position on the oath and bearing arms—according to these hearings—was handled at the beginning of the Synod. Hans Hut argued against the Swiss Anabaptists position and advocated both oath taking and military service. He also resisted the demand of the Swiss to establish a uniform dress code for Anabaptists.
The great majority overruled Hans Hut's prophecy, that three and a half years after the Peasants' War
Peasants' War
The Peasants' War was a popular revolt that took place in Europe during 1524–1525...
, namely 1528, the kingdom of God would come, the sinners punished and the authorities would be exterminated. They essentially agreed with Hut that the return of Jesus Christ was imminent, but rejected his calculations and his indication of specific dates and times with references to relevant Bible verses. After a long discussion they came to a compromise on this question. While Hut did not recant his prophetic views, he did promise to no longer openly teach them, but only share them privately with those who were interested.
At the end of the Synod an agreement was made to send out missionaries from Augsburg, in expectation of the imminent return of Jesus to gather as many of the elect as possible. The Anabaptist messengers were individually and in pairs sent to the surrounding area:
- Peter Scheppach and Ulrich Trechsel to Worms
- Hans Denck and Hans Beck to BaselBasel (canton)Basel was a canton of Switzerland that was in existence between 1501 and 1833, when it was split into the two present-day 'half-cantons' of Basel-City and Basel-Country.- Background :...
and the area around ZürichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. - Gregor Maler to VorarlbergVorarlbergVorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
- Georg Nespitzer to Mittelfranken
- Leonhard Spörler and Leonhard Schiemer to BerneBerneThe city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
- Leonhard Dorfbrunner to LinzLinzLinz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
- Hans Mittermaier to AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and - Eukarius Binder and Joachim Mertz to SalzburgSalzburg (state)Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,156 km2, located adjacent to the German border. It is also known as Salzburgerland, to distinguish it from its capital city, also named Salzburg...
This mission effort failed to achieve the intended results. Most of those sent out were martyred shortly after arrival in their designated region, giving this gathering it name, Martyr's Synod.
Aftermath
The Martyrs Synod was both a high point and a turning point in the development of early Anabaptism. For the last time there were so many Anabaptist leaders with varying views. After Augsburg, the way of the Anabaptist community led to persecution and martyrdom, and to withdrawal and separation from the world.Further reading
- Hans Guderian: Die Täufer in Augsburg. Ihr Geschichte und ihr Erbe. Ein Beitrag zur 2000-Jahr-Feier der Stadt Augsburg, Pfaffenhofen 1984 ISBN 3-7787-2063-5
- Hans-Jürgen Goertz: Die Täufer. Geschichte und Deutung, München 1980