Michael Sattler

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Michael Sattler (1495?-1527) was a monk who left the Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation to become one of the early leaders of the Anabaptist movement. He was particularly influential for his role in developing the Schleitheim Confession.

Born in approximately 1495 in Staufen, Germany, Sattler became a Benedictine monk in the cloister of St. Peter after attending the University of Frieburg. However, in 1523 he left the church to join the Swiss Brethren in Zurich, and also married a former Beguine named Margaretha that year. They were banished from Zurich in 1525 and traveled to Horb, Rottenburg, and eventually to Strasbourg. In February of 1527 he chaired a meeting of the Swiss Brethren at Schleitheim, at which time the Schleitheim Confession was adopted.

In May, 1527, Sattler was arrested by Roman Catholic authorities, along with his wife and several other Anabaptists. He was tried and sentenced to be executed as a heretic. As part of his execution, his tongue was cut out, and red hot tongs were used to tear two pieces of flesh from his body. He was then taken outside the city by wagon, and the tongs were used on him five more times. After that, he was burned at the stake. The other men in the group were executed by sword, and the women, including Margaretha, were executed by drowning.

[edit] See also

Martyrs Mirror, which included an account of his death.

[edit] References

Gstohl, Mark (2004). "Michael Sattler". Retrieved May 25, 2006.
John Horsch. Mennonites In Europe. Rod and Staff Publishers, 1942, 1995, pp.70-78. Cited at http://www.anabaptists.org/history/sattler.html