The anabaptist movement began on January 21,1525 in Zurich,Switzerland.The Anabaptist led by Conrad Graibel,Georg Blaurock and Felix Manz broke with Swiss Reformer Ulrich Zwingli.They wanted a church that consisted of members that joined as adults after being baptised upon confession of faith,separated from the world. Their rejection of infant baptism,swearing of oaths,and refusal to bear arms (non-resistence) and rejection of state authority (these were radical ideas at that time) ensured that the state goverments would try to stop this movement.Persecution soon followed them everywhere the new church was established. Thousands were excuted. Many were exiled,and their homes and lands were confiscated, and yet this new church based on biblical principals spread rapidly throughout central Europe and Holland.This page is dedicated to the men and women that were burned at the stake,drowned,beheaded and endured torture rather than comprise their faith in Jesus Christ.I have taken the names and stories of just a few from the "Ausband"a German hymn book that in it`s closing pages are letters written by the suffering anabaptist to their brethern in Holland in the years 1635 to 1645.And from the "Martyrs` Mirror"
Dirk Willems-Was burned at the stake in 1569 at Asperen Holland.It is interesting to note that as he was fleeing his pursurer he crossed over an icy body of water but his pursuer fell through the ice.When Dirk Willems relized that the former was in danger he returned and rescued him.He was then imprisoned and his death sentence was carried out.
