Jan Matthys
Jan Matthys (c. 1500 – 5 April 1534), also known as Jan Matthijsz, was a Dutch Anabaptist leader and self-proclaimed prophet who spearheaded the violent seizure of the Westphalian city of Münster in February 1534, proclaiming it the New Jerusalem in fulfillment of apocalyptic prophecies.[1] A baker by trade from Haarlem in the County of Holland, Matthys converted to Anabaptism in the 1520s under the influence of the radical preacher Melchior Hoffman, whose imprisonment elevated Matthys to prominence among followers.[1] Rejecting Hoffman's pacifist stance, he advocated armed resistance against perceived oppression and dispatched apostles to spread his millenarian vision, culminating in the expulsion of Münster's prince-bishop and the establishment of a theocratic regime marked by iconoclasm, communal property, and enforced rebaptism.[2] His leadership, defined by charismatic prophecies and intolerance toward dissenters, ended when he led a small band in a divinely inspired sortie against besieging Catholic and Lutheran forces on Easter Sunday, resulting in his capture, torture, and execution by quartering.[1] Matthys's actions intensified the Münster Rebellion's radicalism, leading to his successor Jan van Leiden's polygamous monarchy and the eventual bloody suppression of the Anabaptist kingdom, which discredited the movement in the eyes of both Protestant and Catholic authorities for generations.[3]
Early Life
Origins and Occupation
Jan Matthys was born around 1500 in Haarlem, located in the County of Holland under the Holy Roman Empire.[1] Little is documented about his family background or early education, with historical records focusing primarily on his later religious activities.[4] In Haarlem, Matthys worked as a baker, a common trade in the urban Low Countries during the early 16th century that involved producing bread and related goods for local markets.[5] [6] This occupation provided him with a modest livelihood amid the region's growing economic and religious tensions leading into the Reformation era.[7]Conversion to Anabaptism
Jan Matthys, a baker residing in Haarlem in the Dutch Low Countries, converted to Anabaptism in the 1520s under the influence of Melchior Hoffman's preaching ministry.[1] Hoffman, a peripatetic radical reformer who propagated adult believer's baptism and apocalyptic prophecies across northern Europe, had established a following in the Netherlands by this period, drawing converts from artisan classes like Matthys through itinerant evangelism and printed works.[8] Matthys' embrace of Anabaptism entailed rejecting infant baptism in favor of voluntary adult immersion as a symbol of personal faith commitment, aligning with the movement's core tenet of Wiedertaufe (rebaptism).[9] This conversion occurred amid growing Anabaptist ferment in the region, fueled by dissatisfaction with Catholic sacramentalism and Lutheran state-church alliances, though primary accounts of Matthys' personal spiritual crisis or precise baptismal event remain undocumented in surviving records.[1]Prophetic Ministry
Preaching and Baptisms in the Low Countries
Jan Matthys, a baker from Haarlem in the County of Holland, converted to Anabaptism amid the influence of Melchior Hoffman's apocalyptic sermons in the Low Countries around 1530.[4] Following Hoffman's imprisonment in Strasbourg in February 1533, Matthys assumed leadership of the Melchiorite faction, declaring himself Enoch, the second prophetic witness foretold in the Book of Revelation.[10][4] He rejected Hoffman's pacifism, preaching an imminent divine judgment and a short "period of grace" for repentance, which drew followers despite intensifying persecution by civil authorities.[10] In 1533, Matthys reinstituted adult rebaptism among Anabaptists in the Low Countries, personally baptizing prominent converts such as Obbe Philips, who in turn baptized figures including his brother Dirk Philips.[10] He dispatched apostles, such as Bartholomeus Boeckbinder, Dirck Cuper, and Peter Houtzagher, to perform baptisms and ordain new leaders across Holland, Friesland, and adjacent territories.[10] These emissaries operated in pairs, emulating Christ's dispatch of disciples, to propagate radical doctrines and expand the movement rapidly amid opposition from both Catholic and emerging Protestant establishments.[4] Matthys's preaching tours and baptismal campaigns in urban centers like Amsterdam and Haarlem yielded hundreds of adherents, fostering underground networks that evaded edicts mandating infant baptism and punishing rebaptism with death.[11] His emphasis on separation from "worldly" churches and immediate eschatological urgency resonated with artisans and laborers, amplifying Anabaptist influence before his focus shifted toward Münster in late 1533.[10][4]Adoption of Apocalyptic Prophecies
Following his conversion to Anabaptism in the 1520s under the influence of Melchior Hoffman, Jan Matthys initially focused on preaching and performing adult baptisms throughout the Low Countries, baptizing thousands of converts. By late 1533, amid the broader Anabaptist expectation of a millennial kingdom following Hoffman's unfulfilled prophecy of the end times that year, Matthys elevated his role by claiming direct prophetic revelations. He asserted visions from God designating Münster as the New Jerusalem, the divinely ordained refuge for the faithful amid impending global destruction.[12][13] In early 1534, Matthys dispatched followers to Münster, where on January 5 they initiated mass baptisms to gather the elect, framing the city as the epicenter of apocalyptic fulfillment. His prophecies intensified, predicting that Easter Sunday, April 5, 1534, would mark the descent of divine judgment, with Christ returning to annihilate the ungodly while sparing the gathered saints. This timeline, rooted in Matthys's self-proclaimed status as a prophet akin to biblical figures, galvanized radical action, portraying the seizure of Münster as a necessary prelude to cosmic vindication.[14][15] These apocalyptic claims diverged from earlier pacifist Anabaptist strains, incorporating militant eschatology that justified violence against perceived agents of Antichrist, such as the Catholic bishop. Contemporary accounts note the fervor induced by Matthys's visions, which promised supernatural deliverance for believers engaging in prophetic warfare, though the Easter prophecy ultimately failed when no eschatological events transpired.[4][16]Role in the Münster Rebellion
Arrival and Seizure of Power
Jan Matthys, a Dutch baker from Haarlem, arrived in Münster on or around January 5, 1534, proclaiming the city as the "New Jerusalem" in fulfillment of apocalyptic prophecy.[11] [14] He immediately oversaw the adult rebaptism of over 1,000 residents, including local preacher Bernhard Rothmann, rapidly swelling Anabaptist ranks amid growing unrest against the Prince-Bishop Franz von Waldeck.[11] [16] Matthys asserted prophetic authority by claiming divine revelation that he was Enoch, the second witness foretold in the Book of Revelation, demanding obedience under threat of damnation.[4] By February 9, 1534, he positioned himself as head of the Anabaptist movement in the city, initiating measures to establish a theocratic order.[17] On February 10, 1534, Matthys, alongside emerging leader Jan of Leiden and supported by mayor Bernhard Knipperdolling, orchestrated the overthrow of the existing town council, expelling Catholic loyalists and the bishop's forces to consolidate Anabaptist control.[14] To enforce unity, he invoked a divine mandate for communal property, appointing seven deacons to seize and redistribute goods from exiles and dissenters, while executing resisters such as a blacksmith who opposed the reforms.[4] This rapid escalation transformed Münster into a fortified prophetic stronghold, anticipating the imminent return of Christ.[17]Implementation of Theocratic Reforms
Following the Anabaptist seizure of Münster in early February 1534, Jan Matthys consolidated power by proclaiming himself a prophet akin to Enoch and establishing a theocratic governance structure. He declared the city the "New Jerusalem," positioning it as the epicenter of apocalyptic fulfillment and divine rule.[18][19] Under his leadership, a new city council composed exclusively of Anabaptists replaced the prior authorities, enforcing religious conformity through prophetic decrees.[20] Matthys initiated radical economic and social reforms to align with his vision of communal equality and spiritual purity. Private property was abolished, with all goods declared communal under the principle of shared ownership, effectively confiscating possessions for collective distribution.[19][18] Money was outlawed to eliminate worldly attachments, compelling residents to relinquish currency and rely on the community's pooled resources.[19][21] These measures drew from Anabaptist interpretations of apostolic communism but were imposed coercively, reflecting Matthys' authoritarian prophetic authority rather than voluntary consensus. Religious reforms emphasized iconoclasm and exclusionary purity. Sacred images, altars, and Catholic artifacts throughout Münster's churches were systematically destroyed to eradicate idolatry and symbolize the break from traditional Christianity.[18] Non-Anabaptists, including remaining Catholics and Lutherans, were expelled from the city, with estimates suggesting thousands fled or were driven out by mid-1534, leaving a population dominated by radical believers.[19] Adult baptism was mandated for all residents, enforced by roaming enforcers who punished dissent with imprisonment or execution, establishing a regime of strict moral and doctrinal discipline.[16] Matthys supplemented these policies with prophetic rituals, appointing twelve "apostles" from his followers to administer the city and propagate his visions, which included foretelling the imminent defeat of besieging forces led by Prince-Bishop Franz von Waldeck.[22] This theocratic framework prioritized eschatological preparation over pragmatic defense, fostering internal cohesion through shared apocalyptic zeal but alienating potential allies and exacerbating the siege's hardships. These reforms, enacted from February to April 1534, laid the groundwork for further radicalization under subsequent leaders, though Matthys' death in a failed Easter sortie on April 5 ended his direct rule.[22][23]Military Engagement and Death
Following the Anabaptists' seizure of Münster in early 1534, Prince-Bishop Franz von Waldeck initiated a siege of the city in February, mobilizing troops to reclaim control from the radicals.[17] Matthys, as self-proclaimed prophetic leader, oversaw defensive preparations, including the expulsion of non-believers to conserve resources and the organization of armed defenders, though his focus remained on apocalyptic prophecy rather than conventional military strategy.[16] Believing himself invulnerable like the biblical Gideon and anticipating the imminent return of Christ, Matthys led a sortie from the city gates on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1534, with approximately twelve followers, intending to scatter the besieging forces through divine intervention.[4] [19] The group was quickly surrounded by Waldeck's mercenaries; Matthys was captured after fierce resistance.[4] Matthys was summarily executed on the battlefield: stabbed with a pike, decapitated, and his head impaled on a pole visible from Münster's walls to demoralize the defenders.[4] [19] Further mutilation followed, with his genitals nailed to the city gate as a gruesome warning, underscoring the besiegers' intent to break Anabaptist resolve.[4] His death marked the end of his brief leadership, paving the way for Jan van Leiden's ascension, while the siege persisted until 1535.[16]