Willem Bax, born at Delden, Dutch province of Overijssel, 20 November 1870, died at Maastricht, Dutch province of Limburg, 1950, married Suzanna E. Bakels in 1900, was a Dutch Reformed minister serving last at Maastricht (1914-1935). In this city, of which 95.5 per cent of the inhabitants were Roman Catholic, he was an esteemed figure. During the war years (1914-1918) he was the spiritual leader for the Protestant German war prisoners who were brought to Maastricht. He took the initiative in publishing a memorial book in 1932 for the tricentennial of the founding of the Reformed congregation there, and in this wrote a number of important historical essays. In regard to Mennonite historical writing, he is of importance because of his exhaustive work, Het Protestantisme in het Bisdom Luik, en vooral te Maastricht (Vol. I, 1505-57, The Hague, 1937; Vol. II, 1557-1612, The Hague, 1941). In these works we find material which throws light on the history of the Anabaptists, who were very numerous in this area especially shortly after 1530.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 253. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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