| The
Anabaptists had the same beliefs as other Christians of the Reformation: that
the Bible was the sole authority in matters of faith and practice, that people
were made right in the sight of God by faith (not by doing religion), that
Christ alone was the mediator with God (not Mary), that salvation was by God's
grace (not the mass). However they went further in following the clear New
Testament teaching that baptism was for believers not babies, in other words,
those who had repented and trusted Christ for themselves. They also believed
the clear New Testament teaching that the church should be independent of the
authority of the state and that true faith was demonstrated by holiness of
life. Of course, those who had practiced believers baptism had been persecuted
and condemned to death by the state church for over a thousand years. It was no
exception when people in Switzerland, reading the Bible for themselves,
rediscovered these truths. They were angrily denounced as Anabaptists
(re-baptisers) by their enemies. But the work of God throught these Bible
believers could not be stopped, despite horrendous persecution, leading to
independant Bible believing churches of baptised believers being formed the
world over. See also Anabaptist links, below. |
|||
BernPhotograph locations and notes are based on a tour guide by Samuel E Wenger, 'Anabaptist and Reformed Walking Tours of Bern and Zurich, Switzerland'. This can be obtained from the Masthof Press, www.masthof.com, email mast@masthof.com |
|||
 The famous clock tower (Zeitglockenturm) at Bern. This tower was the first city gate that was in use until 1250AD |
 Kafigturm Tower, looking east from Spitalgasse. This tower was the main city gate from 1250 to 1350 AD. Later, during persecution times, this tower served as a men's jail. There were 30 to 40 such towers located through the city. Most of these towers had at least one room which served as a jail or torture chamber for Anabaptists or other prisoners. |
||
 The River Aare on the east side of Bern. |
 The River Aare on the south side of Bern. Here was the Bern harbour where the bernese government loaded the Anabaptists to lead them out of the country, especially during 1710-1711. This was also an area where Anabaptists were drowned. |
||
 The Bern Munster cathedral. Before the reformation it was Roman Catholic. In 1528 the Bernese government organised a great public debate to decide whether Bern would remain Roman Catholic or change to the Protestant faith. Eight anabaptists wanted to attend the debate but they were excluded. After a debate with Ulrich Zwingli in the Rathaus they were told that if they were caught in Bernese territory again they would be drowned without mercy. later, three of the Anabaptist leaders were caught and were drowned in the River Aare. |
 The Rathaus (City Hall), built between 1406 and 1416. Bern joined with two other Swiss cities in 1527 in issuing a harsh edict against the Anabaptist movement. Trials of Anabaptists occured at the Rathaus. They then were taken into the street (Kreuzgasse, shown here) to hear what the sentence would be: drowning, beheading, burning or hanging. |
||
 The Kramgasse - one of the main streets in Bern, intersected by the Kreuzgasse. This area was also a place of execution where Anabaptists were beheaded.The carved figure of 'the executioner' can be seen on the first floor. |
The executioner - marking the spot where many Anabaptists were beheaded. |
||
Zurich |
|||
 The Ulrich Zwingli monument. Zwingli was a Roman Catholic priest for ten years. In 1519 he became the preacher at the Grossmünster (great cathedral) in Zurich and ushered in the reformation to Zurich. On the monument he holds both a Bible and a sword, as a believer that the church and state were both part of the christian nation.The towers of the Grossmünster can be seen In the distance. |
 While the upper section of the towers of the Grossmünster (great cathedral) were completed in the 18 century, the building was constructed in its present form between 1100 and 1230. Zwingli declared that the Bible was the only authority in matters of faith, and spoke out against the practice of indulgences. Images were removed from the cathedral, the mass replaced with a simple service, and pilgrimages abolished. Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz came to listen to Zwingli's expository sermons before disagreement over the issue of believer's baptism and the separation of church and state led to their persecution by the church and state. |
||
 The Zwingli Bronze door on the south side, created by Otto Mönch in 1939. The panels depict historical moments in the early reformation period. |
 A plaque above the door reads "Zwingli's parsonage. From this house on October 11, 1531, Zwingli left with his army of Zurichers, headed for Kappel, where he died for his faith" |
||
 The intersection of Spiegelgasse, Rindermarkt and Neumarkt, an important section of the city in medieval times. The former residence of Conrad Grebel and his parents is on the right. The homes in this area once belonged to the aristocracy of Zurich. A plaque on the 18 century facade marks the building. Conrad Grebel was a student at the universities of Basel, Vienna and Paris. When the protestant reformation came to Switzerland he was converted in 1521 in a Bible study with Ulrich Zwingli. |
 On the wall above the first floor of the Grebel mansion there is a plaque which reads "In this house lived, between 1508 to 1514 and 1520 to 1525, Conrad Grebel who, together with Felix Manz, founded the Anabaptist movement." |
||
 This street - Neustadtgasse - near the Grossmünster, is where Felix Manz was born and raised. He was the son of the canon of the Grossmünster (although priests were expected to practice celibacy). Felix was well educated and a Hebrew scholar. It was also on this street that in January 1525 Felix Manz, Conrad Grebel and George Blaurock met for Bible study. During this meeting Blaurock, a former priest, asked Grebel to baptize him, after which Blaurock baptized several others including Manz and Grebel. The city council found out about this meeting and made further gatherings by this group illegal. |
 The Rathaus (city hall), just off the Rathausbruche - known as the Fish Market bridge. Built between 1694-1698 it replaced an earlier wooden building. It was here that a number of debates took place in 1525 between Ulrich Zwingli and the Anabaptist leaders - Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz. Conrad felt that the church should be run by Biblical principles rather than tradition and the secular state. After the debate the city ruled that all children in the city must be christened or their parents would lose the right of free speech and assembly. In December 1526 the Zurich Council instituted the death penalty for teaching and preaching Anabaptism within the city and canton. Felix Manz, Conrad Grebel and George Blaurock were untiring, travelling, visiting from house to house, preaching, exhorting, and thousands of people came to personal faith in Christ. These were baptised and gathered into churches. In Zurich there were frequent baptisms and the believers met regularly for the Lord's Supper, which they called the Breaking of Bread. Felix Manz was soon captured and given a life sentence in jail, but he managed to escape. |
||
 Looking north on the Limmat River from the Rathaus Bridge. In 1626 Felix Manz was arrested again and on January 5 1527 he was executed by drowning. The executioner led Manz from the Wellenbergturm (Wellenberg tower) which once stood in the middle of the river. Manz thanked God for the opportunity to give his life for the truth. His last words were "into your hands, O God, I commend my spirit." He was tied up and then held under the water until he died. Later the same year Conrad Grebel was also imprisoned and died the following year from the black plague. Two years later George Blaurock was tortured to death by burning in Italy. |
|||
| Anabaptist links | |
An overview of the Anabaptists - from anabaptists.org |
|
A brief overview of the Anabaptists - from The Hall of Church History |
|
Anabaptist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
|
Early Anabaptists - from Mennonite Historical Society of Canada |
|
A brief overview - from the Christian History Institute A video called 'The Radicals' that describes the Anabaptists and the life of Michael and Margaretha Sattler is available from www.visionvideo.com . |
|
Four important books: get a copy of 'The Anabaptist Story' by William R Estep, 'The Reformers and Their Stepchildren' by Leonard Verduin, and 'The Pilgrim Church' by E H Broadbent, and Martyrs Mirror a famous Dutch martyrology of Anabaptists, all available from the Tabernacle Bookshop, London, UK. |
|
'Anabaptist and Reformed Walking Tours of Bern and Zurich, Switzerland' by Samuel E Wenger. This can be obtained from the Masthof Press - www.masthof.com, email mast@masthof.com |
|
Charlie's heretics history tour with a timeline of the Anabaptists of Zurich |
|
Early Swiss Reformers - Resources and Links |
|
'Battle for the Church' 1517-1644, David Gay, 1997, email davidgay@brachus.fsnet.co.uk |
|
Information on English dissenters - from www.exlibris.org |
|
The Anabaptists and the Reformation by Chris Good, a reformed baptist |
|
Memorial to Felix Manz at the Limmat River |
|
While there are many restaurants and coffee houses in Zurich, if you really want to keep costs down the largest and most convenient supermarket is the Coop on Bahnhofbrücke (Multimap link), by the bridge over the Limmat River, between 'Central' and 'Hauptbahnhof' tram stations. (Mon–Fri 7am–8pm, Sat 7am–4pm). (Galations 2:10 'remember the poor') |
|
Maintained by Alan Pibworth