Hans Kießling (Baptist)

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Hans Kießling (also spelled Kiessling or Kissling ; * late 15th / early 16th century in Friedberg ; † after 1529 , probably in Augsburg ) was one of the leading figures in the Augsburg Anabaptist community.

Live and act

The sources known so far are silent about the family origins and youth of Hans Kießling. The question of how he came across the Anabaptists cannot be answered either. It is only known that he came from Friedberg in Bavaria and earned his living as a bricklayer .

At the beginning of March 1527 the Baptist missionary Hans Hut stayed a second time in Augsburg and on this occasion baptized the patrician Eitelhans Langenmantel , the nestler Conrad and the former Franciscan Sigmund Salminger and his wife Anna. Perhaps Hans Kießling also received the baptism of the faithful on this occasion . A ruler was determined by lot following the baptismal acts. It fell on Salminger. Kießling also received an office. He was entrusted with the deacon service and was thus responsible for the care of needy parishioners.

From August 20 to 24, 1527, we find Hans Kießling among the participants in the so-called Augsburg Synod of Martyrs . A large number of foreign Anabaptist missionaries had come to the imperial city for the occasion . The aim was to unite the different directions within the Anabaptist movement and to find agreement on contentious issues. Four factions were formed at the three general assemblies: the supporters of Hans Hut, the Swiss Anabaptists , the Anabaptists around Hans Denck and the faction of the host community. Hans Kießling belonged to the latter group. At the end of the convergence meeting there was finally the sending of Anabaptist messengers to specially assigned mission areas. Many of the emissaries were arrested shortly afterwards and executed for their beliefs. That is why the meeting was later called the Synod of Martyrs . As a parish deacon in Augsburg, Kießling had not received a special mission field.

Just one day after the meeting, Hans Kiessling was the first Augsburg Anabaptist to be arrested and thrown into prison. On August 26th, the judicial investigations, which included the awkward interrogation , began. The Augsburg legal scholar Conrad Peutinger was in charge . Under the torture, Kießling betrayed a number of his parishioners, which led to further arrests, including the former Carmelite monk Jakob Dachser and other responsible members of the Augsburg Anabaptist community.

While at least twelve Augsburg Anabaptists died as martyrs , Kießling, Eitelhans Langenmantel, Entires Widholz , Gall Fischer and Peter Scheppach were released from prison on October 18, 1527 and expelled from the city. The exiles from the city remained in contact with one another. They met in the surrounding villages. They also visited Eitelhans Langenmantel more often in his new accommodation. He found this in the house of the Baptist Laux Lang , brother of the Salzburg bishop Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg . In 1529 Hans Kießling was allowed to return to Augsburg for unknown reasons. Nothing is known about his further life.

Literature (selection)

  • Ludwig Keller: The Reformation and the older reform parties presented in their context . Hirzel-Verlag: Leipzig 1885.
  • Christian Meyer: On the history of the Anabaptists in Upper Swabia . In: Journal of the Historical Association for Swabia (ZHVS). Issue 1/1874. P. 212
  • Christian Meyer: Beginnings of Anabaptism in Augsburg . In: Journal for Church History (ZKG). Edition 17/1897. P. 249
  • Max Radlkofer: Jakob Dachser and Sigmund Salminger . In: Contributions to Bavarian Church History (BBKG). Edition 6/1900. P. 5
  • Friedrich Roth: On the history of the Anabaptists in Upper Swabia . In: Journal of the Historical Association for Swabia. Edition 1900/1901. Pp. 27-28
  • Friedrich Roth: Augsburg Reformation History . Publisher Ackermann: Munich 1901.
  • Christian Hege, Christian Neff: Arrtzikel Kiessling, Hans . In Volume II of the Mennonite Lexicon . Verlag Schneider: Karlsruhe 1957. S. 487

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gotfried Seebaß : Müntzer's legacy. Work, life and theology of Hans Hut . Gütersloh publishing house: Gütersloh 2002. ISBN 3-579-01758-6 . P. 123 (note 13)
  2. ↑ See Christian Meyer: On the history of the Anabaptists in Oberschwaben . In: Journal of the Historical Association for Swabia (ZHVS). Issue 1/1874. P. 212
  3. ↑ GAMEO / Christian Hege: Hans Kießling (16th century) (1957)
  4. ^ See on the synod of martyrs Hans Guderian: Die Anabaptist in Augsburg. Their history and their legacy. A contribution to the 2000 year celebration of the city of Augsburg . W. Ludwig Verlag: Augsburg 1984. ISBN 3-7787-2063-5 . Pp. 40-44; on Hans Kießling: p. 42
  5. ↑ Christian Meyer: On the history of the Anabaptists in Upper Swabia . In: Journal of the Historical Association for Swabia (ZHVS). Issue 1/1874. P. 212f
  6. ↑ GAMEO / Christian Hege: Hans Kießling (16th century) (1957)
  7. ^ Christian Meyer: History of the City of Augsburg (reprint). Unikum in Europäische Hochschulverlag, Bremen 2012, ISBN 978-3-8460-1690-9 . P. 70
  8. ↑ Christian Meyer: On the history of the Anabaptists in Upper Swabia . In: Journal of the Historical Association for Swabia (ZHVS). Issue 1/1874. P. 213
  9. ^ Christian Meyer: History of the City of Augsburg (reprint). Unique in the European University Press: Bremen 2012. ISBN 978-3-8460-1690-9 . P. 70
  10. ↑ GAMEO / Christian Hege: Hans Kießling (16th century) (1957)
personal data
SURNAME Kiessling, Hans
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kiessling, Hans
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Leading personality of the Augsburg Anabaptist Congregation
DATE OF BIRTH around 1500
PLACE OF BIRTH Friedberg
DATE OF DEATH after 1529
Place of death uncertain: Augsburg