Thun, a town and district of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, situated on Lake Thun. Moritz Losenegger a citizen of Thun, was in prison there as early as 1532. Concerning the spread and development of Anabaptism in the district of Thun there is not much information. In the 17th century and probably even earlier, Anabaptists were found in the villages of Goldenwil, Wattenwil, Hilterfingen, Sigriswil, Diesbach, and a few other hamlets, all mountain villages on the north shore of Lake Thun. Jakob Ammann, the founder of the Amish Mennonites, was of Erlenbach near Thun. In the course of time a number of Anabaptists from the Thun area emigrated; among the emigrants moving in 1711 to the Netherlands were members of the Schneider, Ruff (Rupp), Reuszer (Risser), Richard, Sorg, Schlappach, Eicher, Kienzi, Krähenbühl, and Rüegsegger families from Sigriswil and other villages in the Thun district. Others moved to the Swiss Jura in the 18th century. In 1823 only 85 Mennonites were living in the Thun district (Ritschard, Stähli, Freyenberg, and Winteregg families).

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 717. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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