Pilgram Marbeck

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Pilgram Marbeck , often also written Marpeck (* around 1495 in Rattenberg / Tyrol ; † between October 31 and November 7, 1556 in Augsburg ), was a leading figure in the southern German Anabaptist movement . The Marbeck district , which dominated the theological orientation of the South German Anabaptists , is named after him .

Surname

In Pilgram's autographs , his family name can only be found as "Marpeckh". Historical records show the following spelling of the name: "Marichpegkh" (1491), "Marpeckh" (1496), "Marchpeck" (1506), "Marchpeckh" (1509), "Marchpegh" (1510), "Marchpegkh" (1514) and Marpeck (1525). In English-language Anabaptist research, the Marpeck spelling has prevailed. The form Marbeck , which is common in the German-speaking area, has no reference points in the relevant sources on the life and work of Marbeck.

Origin and history

City of Rattenberg in Tyrol, Marbeck's birthplace

A number of indications make it probable that Pilgram Marbeck is a son of the Rattenberg judge and mayor Heinrich Marbeck. The coat of arms of this family - a so-called yoke vulture , standing on a ball - indicates Wildschönau in the Marbackjoch as the region of origin of the Marbeck clan.

Marbeck grew up in a deeply religious family. In his life review, he wrote that his godly parents led him to believe . He probably attended the Latin school in his native town and acquired a thorough knowledge of Greek and Latin . The young Marbeck developed a special talent in the technical field. He built it and later made a significant name as hydraulic engineering - engineering .

In 1520 Marbeck was accepted into the Rattenberg Mining Brotherhood . He probably initially worked as a private entrepreneur. There is evidence that he sold ore to Kitzbühel , a mining village about 50 kilometers east of Rattenberg. Marbeck had married his first wife Sophia Harrer before 1520, who died before 1528. From this marriage came a daughter Margarethe. He married again in mid-1528. Only her first name Anna is known of his second wife . In addition to the daughter Margarethe, three other adopted children grew up in the Marbeck family. They probably came from families whose fathers had died in the mine.

Pilgram received a seat on the city's Outer Council in 1523 . Later, after being appointed to the office of mountain judge in 1525 , he also became a member of the city's inner council . An annual salary of 65 pounds was approved for his office as mountain judge, and an additional three pounds for the purchase of a court dress . Even at a young age, Marbeck must have had considerable personal wealth. Among other things, this can be seen in the account books of the Princely Chamber, which identify him as the giver of a loan of 1,000 Rhenish guilders . One of his contemporaries described Marbeck as "a very pious man, excellent in his profession and zealous in the administration of the city of Rattenberg".

Contact to the Lutheran Reformation

In 1523 Marbeck was commissioned to work on behalf of the city for the monk Dr. Stephan Agricola to intercede with Cardinal Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg . Agricola was in prison at Mühldorf am Inn because of his teachings, which showed a certain proximity to Martin Luther's theology . Marbeck's intervention must have been unsuccessful; on April 18 of the same year he traveled a second time to Mühldorf to visit Agricola - still in prison. During this conversation - so the research suspects - for the up to this point convinced Catholic his previous religious views were shaken. Marbeck then dealt with the Lutheran views.

The Lutheranism held 1524 his entrance into the Tyrol , but was of Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria , combated firmly hereditary lands and was once again on the decline. In January 1525, however, the Lutheran preachers from Rattenberg and Kitzbühel were deposed.

Encounter with the Anabaptist Movement

Münichau Castle - meeting place for Tyrolean Anabaptists

Although Marbeck was internally close to Lutheran theology, he was nevertheless disappointed by the praxis pietatis of its followers. Where, if only for a short time, the Lutheran doctrine was accepted, he discovered a libertarian ethic as a consequence. "He found that in the places where the gospel was preached in a Lutheran way, a carnal freedom had also been felt, that made him somewhat insidious that he could not find rest with them." Marbeck said later in a conversation with the Strasbourg reformer Martin Butzer .

The big turning point in Marbeck's life was the arrival of the Anabaptists in Tyrol. The actual beginning here was the Anabaptist movement by Salzburg Anabaptists who fled to Kitzbühel from the Inquisition in 1526. A former priest named Paul gathered a large crowd around him. Helene von Freiberg , owner of Münichau Castle , provided the Anabaptists with a meeting room. The student Hans Roth was so successful as a missionary in Kitzbühel and the surrounding area that many were baptized by him . Its proclamation was particularly well received by the mining brothers, including the Marbeck couple. In November 1527 Leonhard Schiemer , the bishop of the Baptist congregation Rattenberger arrested and after a failed escape attempt on 14 January 1528 the executioner handed over for torture and execution.

Following this execution, the ducal authorities asked Marbeck to " pursue the (other) Anabaptists " in his function as mountain judge. However, he refused strictly and was then dismissed as mountain judge on January 28, 1528. He lost most of his fortune, which he had made available to the ducal administration as a loan a few years earlier and received the income from the Rattenberg toll as interest .

Leonhard Schiemer's steadfastly endured martyrdom made a deep impression on the mountain judge. This was probably the reason for Marbeck to flee Tyrol with his family.

Pilgram Marbeck first turned to Augsburg, where an Anabaptist congregation had formed due to the effectiveness of Ludwig Hätzer , Hans Denck and Balthasar Hubmeier . Research assumes that Marbeck and his wife were probably baptized in the faith in Augsburg in the spring of 1528 before they moved on to Steintal near Strasbourg.

Marbeck in Strasbourg

At his new place of residence, Marbeck was soon looking for an opportunity to prove his skills as an engineer. Since the city of Strasbourg under timber shortage suffered Marbeck made of wood in the proposal at the appropriate places schwarzwäldischen Furstenberg to buy and via Kinzig and the Rhine as Floßgut in the Alsace to transport. He developed a special procedure for this. For decades after Marbeck's death, the rafted wood was still referred to as “pilgrim wood” ( derived from Pilgram ).

Around 1530 the Marbeck family took up residence in Strasbourg. They maintained close contact with the Anabaptists who lived there, who were, however, divided into different camps due to their different characteristics. After a short time Marbeck advanced to become the leader of one of their groups, the nucleus of the later Marbeck Circle.

The activities of Marbeck aroused great concern among the Strasbourg reformer Martin Butzer . In writings and speeches he attacked him directly: "This pilgram's ears of his pleasure and supposed knowledge stick out pretty well." When Marbeck began baptizing in Strasbourg, Butzer filed a lawsuit against him on the basis of the Anabaptist mandate , which all Anabaptists threatened with The death penalty prohibited baptism.

Two disputations followed , in which Marbeck presented his doctrines. The first of these public disputes with Butzer took place on December 9, 1531. Marbeck first went into his doctrine of baptism: "No one has ever been able to argue anything valid against the baptism of believers." He particularly criticized Butzer's equation of circumcision and baptism. Another point of discussion was the doctrine of the separation of church and state, advocated by the Anabaptists . He complained that the reformers, like the loyal to the Pope, called on the state for help when it came to the implementation of their doctrine, citing the disputation organized by the authorities as an example. When Butzer argued that he had only called the city council to avoid conflict in the city, Marbeck replied: "Whoever seeks protection or protection from the creatures, be cursed!"

On December 18, another disputation took place, at the end of which the city council stated that Marbeck had not been able to convince the assembly that his views were in accordance with the Scriptures. He was dismissed as director of the woodworks and expelled from the city.

Return to Tyrol and further hikes

After several contradictions and submissions, Marbeck finally left Strasbourg on January 17, 1532 and turned back to his native Tyrol. Because of the threat of persecution, he did not reside in the Inn Valley , but moved with his family to South Tyrol , where he worked as a preacher and evangelist in various Anabaptist congregations. Jakob Hutter had worked successfully here shortly before.

At the beginning of 1533 we find Marbeck in St. Gallen , where he was involved in building a fulling mill . The Marbeck family does not seem to have found a permanent residence until 1544. Pilgram Marbeck was able to secure his livelihood in various places thanks to his technical talents . His real concern, however, was to internally build up the Anabaptist congregations weakened by persecution and to give them a clear direction in their theology.

In Augsburg

In 1544, the city council of Augsburg Marbeck offered the position of water master. Marbeck accepted and received an annual salary of 150 guilders . As a hydraulic engineer , he developed a timber rafting company for Augsburg, among others. In religious terms, he experienced little difficulty in the last decade of his life. From 1544 to 1546 he was the head of the remaining Augsburg Anabaptists who were no longer persecuted. It is true that the council discovered that in 1550 it had published its explanation of the will , a commentary on the New Testament ; however, as with the publication of other Marbeckian writings, nothing was done. In 1553 he received a warning because of his secret teaching activities and a year later he was even threatened with banishment if he did not give up his Anabaptist activities. Nevertheless, he remained in the service of the city until his death in 1556.

Marbeck probably died of natural causes, making him one of the few Anabaptist leaders who did not die as martyrs .

meaning

Marbeck tried the diverse Anabaptist movement of the 50s of the 16th century to form a single unit, although even then the Anabaptist movement of several groups such as the Hutterites , the Mennonites and the Swiss brothers insisted that differ in part in their theological positions Bans or community of property are distinguished from one another. “In theological terms, Marbeck was of great importance to the Anabaptists. He further expanded Hans Denck's ideas and thus continued Denck's engagement with spiritualists and Lutherans. In addition to the writings of Menno Simons, the Marbeck literature has become the most important treasure trove for the thinking of the Anabaptists ”.

For Marbeck, the salvation that God offers people always had two sides. On the one hand there was the decision of God, who wants the salvation of all human beings, on the other hand there was also the decision of the human being to accept or reject this salvation offered by God . He thus became one of the fathers of modern free churches such as the Baptists and the Mennonites. They see their idiom not only in the demand “separation of church and state!” , But see themselves above all as voluntary congregations, to “which should only include those who have consciously decided to believe in Jesus Christ ” and are therefore baptized let.

See also

Works (selection)

For a detailed reference to the source cf. Stephen Boyd: Pilgram Marpeck, Hans Schlaffer, Leonhard Schiemer. In: Bibliotheca Dissidentium. Repertoire of the non-conformistes religieux des seizième et dix-septième siècles. Tome XVII. Baden-Baden / Bouxwiller 1995, pp. 33-74.

  • Confession , Strasbourg 1531. Printed in: Manfred Krebs, Hans Georg Rott (Hrsg.): Sources for the history of the Anabaptists. Volume 7: Alsace, 1st part. City of Strasbourg 1522–1532. (= Sources and research on the history of the Reformation. Volume 26). Gütersloh 1959, pp. 416-518.
  • Testament support, support through excerpts from sacred biblical scriptures (tail and Gegentail) sampt ainstails attached to talk. o. O. and J.
  • Clare responsibility for all articles (so now by erroneous geysters in writing and verbally floating out) because of the ceremonies of the New Testament ... 1531. Printed in English translation in: William Klassen, Walter Klaassen (ed.): The Writings of Pilgram Marpeck. Kitchener, Scottdale 1978, pp. 43-68.
  • Responsibility for Caspar Schwenckfeld's Iudicium ..., o. O., o. J. Printed in: Johann Loserth (Ed.): Pilgram Marbeck's answer to Kaspar Schwenckfeld's assessment of the Book of Federal Testimony from 1542. (= sources and research on the history of the Upper German baptismal people in the 16th century. Volume 1). Vienna / Leipzig 1929.
  • Management also very clear / thorough and irreconcilable report on war Christian Aewigbestendiger pundtsvereynigung (= "Federal Association" ). All were faithful, sullen and good-hearted people to help out . O. O. and J., probably around 1542 Printed: Hege, Christian (Ed.): Pilgram Marbecks Vermanung. A book found again. In: Commemorative publication for the 400th anniversary of the Nomonites or baptismal people. 1525-1925. Ludwigshafen 1925, pp. 178-282.
  • Art book (in it: numerous letters from Marpeck). Printed in: Heinold Fast, Gottfried Seebaß (Hrsg.): Sources for the history of the Anabaptists. Volume 17: Letters and Writings of Upper German Anabaptists 1527–1555. The 'art book' of Jörg Probst Rotenfelder called painter. (= Bern Burger Library. Cod. 464). (= Sources and research on the history of the Reformation. Volume 78). Gütersloh 2007.

Selected literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Martin Rothkegel: Article Marpeck, Pilgram ; Accessed June 2, 2013.
  2. ↑ Stephen B. Boyd: Pilgram Marpeck. His Life and Social Theology. Mainz 1992, p. 5, note 1.
  3. ^ Jan J. Kiewiet: Pilgram Marbeck. A leader of the Anabaptist movement in southern Germany. Kassel 1958, p. 20.
  4. ↑ On the family relationships of Pilgram Marbeck see Stephen B. Boyd: Pilgram Marpeck. His Life an Social Theology. Mainz 1992, p. 6f.
  5. ↑ JC Wenger: The Anabaptist Movement. A brief introduction to their history and teaching. Wuppertal / Kassel 1984, ISBN 3-7893-7170-X , p. 26.
  6. ↑ Compare to EH Broadbent: Congregation of Jesus in servant form. A walk through its two thousand year history. 2nd Edition. Neuhausen-Stuttgart 1984, p. 188.
  7. ↑ Augsburger Stadtlexikon. Augsburg 1998, p. 631 f.
  8. ^ Jan J. Kiewiet: Pilgram Marbeck. A leader of the Anabaptist movement in southern Germany. 1958, p. 148.
personal data
SURNAME Marbeck, Pilgram
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Marpeck, pilgram
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Personality of the South German Anabaptist Movement
DATE OF BIRTH around 1495
PLACE OF BIRTH Rattenberg , Tyrol
DATE OF DEATH before November 7, 1556
Place of death augsburg