Jan Matthys facts for kids
Jan Matthys (born around 1500) was an important leader of a religious group called the Anabaptists. His followers believed he was a prophet, someone who could speak for God. He played a big part in an event known as the Münster Rebellion.
Early Life and Beliefs
Matthys was born in Haarlem, a city in what is now the Netherlands. He worked as a baker. In the 1520s, he became an Anabaptist. This group believed that people should be baptized as adults, not as babies.
Jan Matthys learned a lot from another Anabaptist leader named Melchior Hoffman. After Hoffman was put in prison, Matthys became a very important leader among the Anabaptists. He baptized thousands of new followers.
Matthys had different ideas from Hoffman about fighting. Hoffman believed in peace and not using violence. But Matthys thought that if people were treated unfairly, they should fight back.
The Münster Rebellion
In 1534, a group of Anabaptists took control of Münster. This was an important city in what was then the Holy Roman Empire. John of Leiden, who was a follower of Matthys, and some local business people asked Matthys to come to Münster.
Matthys believed Münster was a special place, like a "New Jerusalem" from the Bible. On January 5, 1534, some of his followers entered the city. They started baptizing adults there. A local reformer named Bernhard Rothmann was also "rebaptized" that day. Soon, over 1,000 adults in Münster were baptized.
The Siege of Münster
The Anabaptists in Münster declared war on Franz von Waldeck. He was the Prince-Bishop who had been forced out of the city. Franz von Waldeck then surrounded Münster with his army. This is called a siege. He wanted to take back control of the fortified town.
Matthys's Last Stand
In April 1534, on Easter Sunday, Jan Matthys believed that God would judge the bad people that day. He thought he was like Gideon, a hero from the Bible who won a battle with only a few men. Matthys led twelve of his followers to attack the army outside the city.
However, Matthys and his small group were quickly surrounded. They were all killed in the fight.
