Felix Manz

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Felix Manz is drowned in the Limmat. Illustration from the 17th century.

Felix Man (t) z (* around 1498 in Zurich ; † January 5, 1527 there ) was a co-founder of the Zurich Anabaptist movement and its first martyr .

Beginnings

Felix Manz was born the illegitimate son of a Zurich clergyman . In a contemporary chronicle it is reported that Felix Manz des Hanns Mantzen des choristers sun was . Originally, it was believed that the canon mentioned here must be Johannes Mantz, the well-known provost of Zurich's Grossmünsterstift. In the lists of the canons and chaplains kept in the Zurich Central Library , however, another Johannes Mantz appears, a possible relative of the provost, but who is listed as a chaplain . The fact that in the street in which Felix Manz's mother lived there were several beneficiaries of chaplains of the Great Minster could also suggest that the chaplain was the father.

Felix Manz enjoyed a comprehensive humanistic education and was particularly at home in the ancient languages Hebrew , Greek and Latin . Whether, as some sources indicate, he studied in Paris is controversial. His application for a scholarship is verified, but his name does not appear in the lists of Swiss students at Paris University. A trip to Rome by the young Manz cannot be clearly documented either. In a letter of recommendation to the dean Walter Sterren , who lives in Rome, a Felix Mantz is mentioned , who is a nepos of the provost and who is trying to get accepted into the papal guard . However, other sources cast doubt on whether this Felix Mantz is identical with the later Anabaptist leader.

However, there is evidence that Manz joined the Reformation circles around Huldrych Zwingli early on . Together with Zwingli he studied the Hebrew language with the scholar Johann Böschenstein . Here he also got to know the founders of the later Zurich Anabaptist congregation Konrad Grebel and Jörg Blaurock . Like Konrad Grebel, he founded a small Bible school in his mother's house elsewhere . While Grebel concentrated on the New Testament as a teacher , Manz introduced a small group of inquisitive people to the scriptures of the Old Testament and to the basic concepts of the Hebrew language.

The conflict with Zwingli

A first crack between the Zurich reformer and the later Anabaptists can be dated to the turn of the year 1523/1524. Information about this is provided by later interrogation statements by Zwingli and Manz about personal conversations in private circles, which in all probability took place in late 1523 or early 1524. These discussions were not yet about the question of baptism, but about different ecclesiological views and - according to Zwingli's statement - about Grebel and Manz's wish to be informed in advance about the content of Zwingli's sermons. In the years that followed, Manz and Grebel distanced themselves more and more from Zwingli. They accused him of delaying the Reformation process. After the obviously fruitless discussions on a private level, Manz and Grebel connected with Andreas Castelberger and the Castelberger reading group named after him .

In the course of the removal from Zwingli, Manz looked for contacts with other Reformation personalities. In the new environment one had studied Karlstadt's writings and found a spiritual relationship in them. In autumn 1524 Manz traveled to Basel with Gerhard Westerburg , a Karlstadt employee , to have various Karlstadt scripts printed there. There was a personal meeting between Karlstadt and Manz in September 1524 in Zurich. However, this encounter seems to have turned out to be disappointing. Neither Karlstadt nor Manz subsequently made contact with each other.

Facsimile of the protective writing written by Manz (1524/25) to the City Council of Zurich

Contacts with Thomas Münzer are also documented. Among other things, this is a letter to Münzer that Konrad Grebel wrote on September 5, 1524 and was signed by Felix Manz in third place (after Grebel and Castelberger). On the one hand, the letter makes it clear that Münzer's teachings were received with appreciation in the Castelberger Kreis. They saw Thomas Münzer as a “faithful and dear brother in Christ”; they referred to themselves in the final greeting of the letter as "seven new disciples Münzer dem Luther". The letter also shows that the circle around Grebel, Manz and Castelberger studied at least three of Münzer's writings and discovered a number of related beliefs in them. On the other hand, the letter also contains a series of reminders to Thomas Münzer's address. They relate above all to liturgical questions (singing in church services), the understanding of baptism and the question of the “use of the sword”, which Münzer affirmed under certain circumstances, but was rejected by Grebel and Manz. Whether there was a personal encounter between Manz and Münzer (according to Heinrich Bullinger in his Reformation story) is disputed in recent research. The different paths followed by the later peace-loving Anabaptists around Grebel and Manz and the revolutionary movement around Münzer make a previously alleged influence of Münzer on Manz and other founding personalities of the Anabaptist movement appear unlikely.

The final break between Manz and his "brothers" on the one hand, and Zwingli and his friends on the other, took place in late autumn 1524. The last attempts to reach an understanding, which already dealt with the question of baptism, were two interviews, the so-called Tuesday talks, which Zwingli later said came about at the request of the Grebel and Manz group. These were not public disputations, but rather small-group discussions. There are no logs about this. That they took place can only be determined from later (partly contradicting) statements by Zwingli. The Tuesday talks were unsuccessful and left everyone involved with a bitter disappointment.

Manz, who acted as the spokesman for the Tuesday talks, wrote his protest and protective letter after the talks , which he addressed to the City Council of Zurich, in which, among other things, he demanded a biblically based, written disputation on the question of baptism. The Zurich council did not respond to Manz's request, but set up an oral hearing for January 17, 1525, the first so-called Zurich baptism disputation . In addition to Manz and Grebel, the pastor Wilhelm Reublin also took part in this theological debate versus Zwingli. This disputation is especially interesting in that the three named publicly presented their Anabaptist views for the first time, that is, they rejected infant baptism and only demanded the baptism of believers . They referred to the baptismal instructions of Jesus and the baptismal practice of the apostles . After the disputation, the Zurich council sided with Zwingli and ordered the following day that all parents who did not have their children baptized within eight days “had to leave the city with their wife, child and their property” . Three days later, on January 21st, Manz and Grebel were forbidden to continue teaching in their Bible schools.

Co-founder of the Anabaptist movement

At a meeting of the circle around Manz and Grebel on the evening of the already mentioned January 21, 1525, the first Anabaptist congregation was founded after a long period of conversation and prayer. In the oldest chronicle of the Hutterite brothers , the history book of the Hutterite brothers , there is an account of the course of this meeting. The chronicle reports that "fear began and came upon them [and] their hearts were afflicted". After a prayer, the former Roman Catholic priest Jörg Blaurock from the Swiss canton of Graubünden came before Konrad Grebel and asked him to baptize him. Grebel complied with this request. Thereafter, Blaurock baptized the others in the circle at their request - including Felix Manz.

Manz immediately began active evangelism activities in and around Zurich. In addition to Blaurock, he mainly worked in Zollikon , a fishing village south of Zurich. On January 30, 1525 he was arrested there at the instigation of the Zurich council. In direct comparison, Zwingli tried to persuade the arrested person to revoke his convictions - but without success. Manz remained in captivity, but was allowed to participate with Blaurock in the second Zurich baptism disputation, which took place from March 20 to 23, 1525. Manz and Blaurock were defeated in this disputation due to the majority of supporters of infant baptism . Manz remained in prison, from which, however, with the help of friends, he managed to escape a short time later. Manz found shelter initially with Konrad Grebel and later with Sebastian Hofmeister ( Schaffhausen ), who was still connected to the Anabaptists' baptismal concept, but later sided with Zwingli. Manz continued his missionary work and was arrested again. During interrogation, he stated that he was an opponent of the death penalty and military service . In contrast to others, however, he does not teach the community of property . He also believed that government was instituted by God; it also has the right to collect taxes. The authorities released him on the basis of these statements.

After his release from prison, Manz evangelized in Grüningen in the canton of Zurich and a short time later together with Blaurock in Chur in the canton of Graubünden. On May 18, 1525 he was arrested again there and transferred back to Zurich. The Chur magistrate reported to Zurich that they “could not stop Manz from preaching and baptizing even by threatening the death penalty. He is a stubborn and unruly person. ”Manz spent the time up to October 7, 1525 in the Zurich Wellenberg tower . After his release, Manz continued his work undeterred and was arrested again on October 30th. Prison and release alternate in the winter months of 1525 and 1526.

In the Auspund , the hymn book of the Anabaptist movement from the 16th century, which is still used by the Amish today, a farewell poem is listed in 18 stanzas, which is attributed to Felix Manz. The first stanza makes it seem that Manz wrote it in prison.

Bey Christo I want to stay.
(In the tone: I was standing one morning)

With pleasure as I want to sing,
my heart rejoices in God, Who does
me art,
that I escape death,
Who for ever takes no end.
I praise you, Christian from heaven,
who turns my sorrow back from me.

Martyrdom

Memorial plaque on the Schipfe seawall (across from house no.43)

In April 1526 Felix Manz preached and baptized again in Graubünden and Appenzell . On December 3, 1526, there was a final capture. In the first days of January 1527 the court sentenced him to "death by drowning". The verdict reads, among other things: “The named Felix Manz is to be handed over to the messenger who tied his hands in a ship because of his rebellious nature, his grouping against the authorities and because he acted against the Christian government and civil unity sit down, bring it to the lower Hütly (a fisherman's hut located in the middle of the Limmat at that time ) and put your hands tied over the head on the Hütly and push a gag between the arms and legs and throw it tied into the water, around him to let die and perish in the water, so that he might have atoned for justice and justice. "

“As he was now led from the Wellenberg to the fish market and below the butcher's hall to the ship, he praised God that he was dying for his truth, because the rebaptism was right and based on the word of God and Christ had foretold that his own would die would suffer for the sake of the truth. He talked a lot like that, but the predicant who accompanied him contradicted him. On this walk he also met his mother and brother, who both warned him to stand firm. "

- Mira Baumgartner : The Anabaptists and Zwingli

The execution by drowning was supposed to make the death of Felix Manz particularly shameful, since this type of execution was usually only imposed on women. Was bound as Manz on 5 January 1527 brought and Hütly, he sang with a loud voice in Latin In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum ( Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit ;. Cf. Ps 31.6; Luk 23.46; Acts 7.59). The Martyr's Mirror, first published in 1660, also reports on his fate .

There is a memorial plaque not far from today's Rathausbrücke near the Schipfe , where Felix Manz was the first victim of the Anabaptist movement in Zurich to be drowned . In the presence of City Councilor Robert Neukomm, on the occasion of the meeting day of the Reformed Churches and Anabaptists, a black basalt slab was inaugurated on the bank wall near the Schipfe on June 26, 2004: “Here in the middle of the Limmat from a fishing platform from Felix Manz and five other Anabaptists in drowned during the Reformation between 1527 and 1532. The last Baptist to be executed in Zurich was Hans Landis in 1614. "() Already in 1952 the installation of a memorial plaque on the Limmat was planned, but at that time it was rejected by the city council, since it saw this as too strong a criticism of the Zurich authorities.

Reception in the film

Felix Manz's baptism and death is shown in films about Zwingli.

literature

  • Ekkehard Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. Kassel 1962.
  • Urs B. Leu, Christian Scheidegger (ed.): The Zurich Anabaptists 1525-1700. Zurich 2007, ISBN 978-3-290-17426-2 .
  • Andrea Strübind : More zealous than Zwingli. The early Anabaptist movement in Switzerland . Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-428-10653-9 .
  • Myron S. Augsburger: I'll see you again. In the midst of stormy times, Felix Manz risks his life for a free church. Seewis CH 2003, ISBN 3-909131-09-3 .
  • Peter Hoover: Baptism of Fire for Freedom. The radical life of the Anabaptists. A provocation. Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-935992-23-8 .
  • John C. Wenger: The Anabaptist Movement - A Brief Introduction to Its History and Doctrine. Wuppertal / Kassel 1984, ISBN 3-7893-7170-X .
  • Hans-Jürgen Goertz : The Anabaptists - History and Interpretation . Munich 1980, ISBN 3-406-07909-1 .
  • Ludwig Keller:  Manz, Felix . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 20, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1884, p. 280 f.
  • Karl-Hermann Kauffmann: Felix Manz - a co-founder of the Anabaptist movement and a martyr of Jesus Christ . Brosamen-Verlag Albstadt 2017, ISBN 978-3-00-056223-5

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Georg Finsler (Ed.): The Chronicle of Bernhard Wyss. 1901, pp. 77f.
  2. ^ Ekkehard Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. Kassel 1962, p. 16f.
  3. ^ E. Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. 1962, p. 20.
  4. ^ E. Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. 1962, p. 19.
  5. ^ E. Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. 1962, p. 29ff.
  6. ^ Leonhard Muralt, Walter Schmid (ed.): Sources for the history of the Anabaptists. Volume I, Zurich 1952, No. 120; No. 124.
  7. ^ Leonhard Muralt, Walter Schmid (ed.): Sources for the history of the Anabaptists. 1952, no.198.
  8. ^ Hermann Barge : Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt. Volume II, Leipzig 1905, p. 138.
  9. ^ E. Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. 1962, p. 47.
  10. ^ Leonhard Muralt, Walter Schmid (ed.): Sources for the history of the Anabaptists. 1952, No. 14. - However, this letter never reached the addressee.
  11. ^ E. Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. 1962, p. 49f.
  12. ↑ Harold S. Bender: Conrad Grebel (1498-1526). The Founder of the Swiss Brethren, Sometimes Called Anabaptists. Goshen 1950, pp. 112-116.
  13. ^ E. Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. 1962, p. 59.
  14. ^ E. Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. 1962, p. 61.
  15. ^ Leonhard von Muralt: Faith and teaching of the Swiss Anabaptists in the Reformation. Zurich 1938, p. 20f.
  16. ↑ Gottfried Locher: The Zwinglische Reformation in the context of the European church history. Göttingen 1979, p. 245.
  17. ^ E. Krajewski: Life and death of the Zurich Anabaptist leader Felix Mantz. 1962, p. 97ff.
  18. ↑ Mira Baumgartner: The Anabaptists and Zwingli. A documentation. Theological Publishing House Zurich, Zurich 1993, ISBN 3-290-10857-0 , p. 11.
  19. ↑ Gottfried W. Locher: Felix Manz 'farewell words to his confreres before the execution in 1527: Spirituality and theology. The authenticity of the song "Bey Christo I want to stay". In: Zwingliana , 17/1 (1986) pdf
  20. ^ Text based on: Leonhard von Muralt, Walter Schmid (Ed.): Sources for the history of the Anabaptists in Switzerland . I, Zurich 1952, p. 220f.
  21. ↑ Mira Baumgartner: The Anabaptists and Zwingli. A documentation. Theological Publishing House Zurich, Zurich 1993, ISBN 3-290-10857-0 , p. 25.
  22. ↑ Mira Baumgartner: The Anabaptists and Zwingli. A documentation. Theological Publishing House Zurich, Zurich 1993, ISBN 3-290-10857-0 , p. 25.
  23. ^ Evangelical Reformed Churches in Switzerland: Descendants of the Anabaptists asked for forgiveness ( Memento from June 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  24. ↑ kath.ch: memorial plaque for Anabaptists inaugurated . (accessed on: January 12, 2009).
  25. ↑ Anabaptist.ch: Dialogue, conversation and steps towards reconciliation between Anabaptist-Mennonite congregations and Evangelical-Reformed churches (PDF; 37 kB)
  26. ↑ Feature films Huldrych Zwingli. Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich, accessed on November 15, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Manz, Felix
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mantz, Felix
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Co-founder of the Anabaptist movement and first Anabaptist martyr of Zurich
DATE OF BIRTH around 1498
PLACE OF BIRTH Zurich
DATE OF DEATH January 5, 1527
Place of death Zurich