The Anabaptist Kingdom of Munster
How did Münster become a radical kingdom?
4.1 (30)
48 mins
Explore how radical Anabaptists seized the German city of Münster, declared it the New Jerusalem, introduced polygamy, and resisted a brutal siege before the kingdom collapsed. Discover how this violent episode shaped the history of religious freedom.
Ep 1:
Baptism as Treason: Birth of a Heresy
As Europe burns with peasant revolt and reform, a small act of defiance in a Zurich home sparks a radical faith that church and state alike will call treason.
Ep 2:
The Golden Throne of Münster
A failed prophecy, a slain messiah, and a butcher crowned king: inside the starving city that became a golden, bloody New Jerusalem under siege.
Ep 3:
From Martyrs' Ashes to Soul Liberty
From iron cages and manipulated propaganda to Menno Simons's quiet rebuilding, trace how persecuted outcasts' ideas forged the seeds of religious liberty itself.
Discussions (5)
Todd
Level 6 · 10 hours agoFelix Manz was drowned in the Limmat River in January 1527. That checks out. Zurich authorities used drowning specifically as mockery of rebaptism. The irony was deliberate and documented.
Mark
Level 8 · 10 hours agoMünster: God's kingdom, bad HOA
Randall
Level 10 · 10 hours agoSo Jan of Leiden abolished private property then lived in absolute luxury while everyone else starved. Classic cult leader behavior.
