Dusentschuer, Johann (d. 1543)
Johann Dusentschuer, a Münsterite Anabaptist and a goldsmith from Warendorf, Westphalia, Germany, played a significant role in the attempt to establish a "New Jerusalem" in Münster. Zurhorn reports "that he limped on one leg and when he came to Münster he was at first considered a fool, but soon the fool became a prophet." According to Brune he sent out 27 apostles to preach repentance and he himself is supposed to have proclaimed and anointed Jan von Leiden king of the "New Jerusalem." In October 1534, Dusentschuer was in a group that came to the city of Soest and preached repentance on the streets. They entered the city hall stating that the king of Zion had sent them to preach the Gospel of peace and repentance in Soest. When the burgomaster did not receive them, Dusentschuer threw his coat and a "peace penny" to his feet saying, "Since you are not willing to accept the peace, we are turning to the common people to reveal the will of the Father to them. Your blood be upon your head." They proceeded to the market preaching the same message. After their arrest, the Soest record reports, they stated that infant baptism was vain, that Christ had no human flesh, that the Lord's flesh and blood were not present in the Lord's Supper, and that they had all goods in common. On 21 October 1543 they were beheaded.
Bibliography
Brune, Friedrich. Der Kampf um eine evangelische Kirche im Münsterland 1520-1802. Witten-Ruhr: Luther-Verlag, 1953: 39-40.
Keller, Ludwig. Geschichte der Wiedertäufer und ihres Reiches zu Münster. Münster: Coppenrath'schen buchhandlung, 1880: 168, 322.
Rembert, Karl. Die "Wiedertäufer" im Herzogtum Jülich. Berlin: R. Gaertners Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1899: 308-310.
| Author(s) | Cornelius Krahn |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Krahn, Cornelius. "Dusentschuer, Johann (d. 1543)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Dusentschuer,_Johann_(d._1543)&oldid=80347.
APA style
Krahn, Cornelius. (1956). Dusentschuer, Johann (d. 1543). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Dusentschuer,_Johann_(d._1543)&oldid=80347.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 112. All rights reserved.
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