The wider story
Explore key individuals and the source accounts that mention them. Search also finds names throughout the complete text, including people who do not yet have a profile.
Conrad Grebel belonged to the Zürich circle that sought a church ordered by the teaching and practice of the New Testament. On 21 January 1525, after prayer, he baptized George Blaurock upon his confession of faith. Blaurock then baptized the others who were present.
Read the storyFelix Manz helped shape the early Zürich fellowship and shared its conviction that baptism should follow faith. Martyrs’ Mirror calls him Felix Mantz and describes his preaching, imprisonment, and death by drowning at Zürich.
Read the storyGeorge Blaurock asked Conrad Grebel to baptize him at the Zürich gathering of 21 January 1525 and then baptized the others present. The act expressed their commitment to become a fellowship of believers following Christ together.
Read the storyMichael Sattler is associated with the seven Schleitheim Articles of 1527, which address baptism, church discipline, the breaking of bread, separation, shepherds, the sword, and oaths. They set out a shared order of discipleship for the gathered brethren.
Read the storyJakob Hutter led Anabaptist believers from Tyrol toward refuge in Moravia and helped organize their shared life. The Hutterite history dates his election as chief elder to 1533 and his execution at Innsbruck to 25 February 1536.
Read the storyMenno Simons was a former Dutch priest who became an influential Anabaptist teacher. The Mennonite name preserves his association with the communities he helped strengthen; it does not make every later branch the work of one founder.
Read the storyDirk Willems was imprisoned at Asperen in Holland in 1569. Martyrs’ Mirror recounts that he escaped, crossed the ice, and turned back when the man pursuing him fell through it. His rescue of the pursuer cost him the opportunity to get away.
Read the storyAnna Jans is the woman remembered in the supplied edition as Anna of Rotterdam. The account preserves the testament she gave to her son Isaiah on 24 January 1539, as she prepared to die for her faith.
Read the storyHans Landis was a Swiss teacher who continued ministering when the Zürich authorities ordered him to stop. Martyrs’ Mirror describes his arrest, release from an earlier imprisonment, renewed examination, and execution by beheading in September 1614.
Read the storyThieleman J. van Braght gathered the accounts, letters, confessions, and exhortations that make up Martyrs’ Mirror. He organized Christian witness century by century, bringing the testimony of the early church and medieval believers together with the sufferings of the Anabaptists.
Read the storyJakob Ammann was a Swiss Anabaptist leader concerned with spiritual renewal, separation from the world, and the practice of church discipline. Disagreement over the ban and shunning contributed to the division of 1693, and his followers came to be called Amish.
Read the storyEberhard Arnold, a Protestant theologian, founded the Bruderhof with Emmy Arnold and Else von Hollander in 1920. They left Berlin for Sannerz after the devastation of the First World War.
Read the storyEmmy Arnold co-founded the Bruderhof in 1920 with her husband Eberhard and her sister Else von Hollander. Their first community was at Sannerz in Germany.
Read the storyElse von Hollander was one of the three founders of the Bruderhof at Sannerz in 1920, alongside her sister Emmy Arnold and Eberhard Arnold.
Read the storyStephen was one of the seven chosen to serve the church at Jerusalem. Martyrs’ Mirror follows Acts 6–7: his wisdom in dispute, the accusations against him, and his testimony before the council about God’s dealings with his people.
Read the storyPeter appears in the first-century baptism passages as a preacher at Pentecost and as a witness to the reception of the gospel in the household of Cornelius. The account joins repentance and baptism with the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gathered life of believers.
Read the storyThe first-century baptism section recalls Saul’s baptism after Ananias came to him, and the wider account follows Paul’s ministry through repeated suffering. His letters and example give the book a language of endurance, service, and hope in Christ.
Read the storyIgnatius served the church at Antioch in Syria. Martyrs’ Mirror describes him as a disciple of John and a diligent shepherd whose teaching centered on Christ. Arrested under Trajan, he was sent under guard to Rome.
Read the storyPolycarp was a teacher of the church at Smyrna whom Martyrs’ Mirror describes as a disciple of the apostle John. The account opens with Christ’s encouragement to the church in Revelation 2 and presents Polycarp as a shepherd who remained faithful in suffering.
Read the storyBlandina appears with Maturus, Sanctus, and a youth from Pontus among the Christians persecuted on the Rhône. Martyrs’ Mirror describes her confession of Christ as the source of her strength through repeated torments.
Read the storyEulalia’s account belongs to the fourth-century persecution narratives. Martyrs’ Mirror describes her open confession of the one true God before the magistrates and her refusal to take part in idol worship at Emerita, also named Merida in the text.
Read the storyAlbanus is a fifth-century teacher in Martyrs’ Mirror’s account of the spread of the gospel. He came to Mentz to preach Christ and was killed with others, the heading giving the year 424.
Read the storyArnold preached the gospel in a forest near Paris. Martyrs’ Mirror records that he was killed there in 511 and that his wife buried him at the place of his death.
Read the storyAdrian appears in Martyrs’ Mirror’s seventh-century discussion of baptism. A letter attributed to Gregory the Great accuses him of ordering that infants should not be baptized, and the book places the proceedings about the close of 606.
Read the storyClement joined Albert of Gaul in opposing teachings and ceremonies they believed contrary to the gospel. Martyrs’ Mirror describes them as companions in doctrine and follows Clement’s attempt to answer the charges brought against him.
Read the storyJohn was a tradesman at Cordova accused of insulting Mohammed. Martyrs’ Mirror says the witnesses were insufficient to secure a death sentence, but he was severely beaten, publicly mocked, and imprisoned because he would not forsake Christ.
Read the storyJohannes Erigena, also called Scotus in the source, is remembered for learning, translation, and teaching concerning the Lord’s Supper. Martyrs’ Mirror describes his opposition to transubstantiation and connects his writings with the later convictions of Berengarius.
Read the storyEugenia is named in Martyrs’ Mirror among the Christians who suffered in the region of Cordova. The account describes her as a faithful Christian woman who was beheaded for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Read the storyBerengarius appears with Bruno of Angiers in Martyrs’ Mirror’s accounts of teaching about baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The book follows the condemnation of their views and Berengarius’s repeated examinations before church councils.
Read the storyPeter Bruis preached in France against practices he judged contrary to the gospel. Martyrs’ Mirror describes his rejection of infant baptism and his teaching that baptism belongs to believers, alongside his objections to the mass, images, and pilgrimages.
Read the storyHenry of Toulouse was a disciple and fellow teacher of Peter Bruis in Martyrs’ Mirror’s account. The source presents their preaching together, including the conviction that baptism should follow belief.
Read the storyPeter Waldo was a wealthy citizen of Lyons whom Martyrs’ Mirror describes as moved to repentance after the sudden death of a companion. He gave generously to the poor and began teaching Scripture in the language understood by the people who came to hear him.
Read the storyGerard Sagarellus of Parma appears in Martyrs’ Mirror alongside Dulcinus in the discussion of those whose beliefs were associated with the Waldenses. The account emphasizes his refusal to abandon his confession under condemnation.
Read the storyMartyrs’ Mirror calls this English teacher John Wickliffe and places a discussion of his teaching at 1370. It describes his service at Lutterworth and considers his writings on baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the authority of Scripture, and the swearing of oaths.
Read the storyJohn Huss is discussed in Martyrs’ Mirror’s fifteenth-century account of faith and baptism. It relates how Jerome of Prague brought Wickliffe’s writings from England into Bohemia and sets out the articles Huss received from them, including opposition to oaths.
Read the storyWilliam White appears with Abraham of Cholchester and John Waddon in Martyrs’ Mirror’s account of witnesses at Norwich in 1428. The surrounding sections preserve the royal order for their arrest, their confession, and the account of their imprisonment and death.
Read the storyStephen was an elder of the Waldenses who had sought refuge in Austria amid persecution in and around Bohemia. Martyrs’ Mirror recounts his arrest at Vienna and his refusal to abandon either his faith or the people entrusted to his care.
Read the storyThe history begins with Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. The supplied opening overview places Calvary and the empty tomb at the heart of the story, with the risen Christ presented as Lord and Savior.
Read the storyThe supplied overview names Bolt Eberli among the earliest Swiss Brethren to lose his life for his faith. It recounts his preaching at St. Gall, arrest, and death by burning on 29 May 1525.
Read the storyBalthasar Hubmaier appears in the supplied Nikolsburg overview as a teacher who allowed the sword to political rulers, in contrast with believers who rejected participation in violence. The disagreement forms part of the background to the separation of the Stäbler group.
Read the storySicke Snyder received baptism upon his faith and was imprisoned at Leeuwarden in Friesland. Martyrs’ Mirror describes his refusal to abandon that confession under pressure and his death by the sword.
Read the storyLeenaert Bouwens was ordained as an elder by Menno Simons at Emden in 1551, according to the supplied overview. His ministry involved travel, preaching, and baptism among congregations from East Friesland to Flanders.
Read the storyHans Haslibacher was an older Swiss believer brought before the authorities at Berne. Martyrs’ Mirror recounts his imprisonment, examination, and steadfast refusal to renounce the faith he had confessed.
Read the storyWaterlander teacher and collector whose 1615 martyr history helped prepare the way for Martyrs’ Mirror.
Read the storyThe Hoorn minister whose 1766 confession circulated among Dutch and German Mennonite congregations.
Read the storyPennsylvania schoolmaster whose teaching, illustrated writing, and School Management joined learning with Christian formation.
Read the storyMolotschna leader associated with agricultural improvement, settlement development, and the society marked on the timeline in 1817.
Read the storyThe younger Claas Epp led an eastward migration in 1880 while expecting a place of refuge before Christ’s return.
Read the storyAn early General Conference minister who traveled among congregations to encourage fellowship, mission, and education.
Read the storyPublisher and Mennonite leader whose Elkhart work circulated periodicals, historical books, and practical help for immigrants.
Read the storyWilliam Rittenhouse joined Mennonite pastoral service to the trade of papermaking in early Pennsylvania.
Read the storyAlexander Mack helped gather believers at Schwarzenau for baptism and a shared life ordered by the New Testament.
Read the storyJohannes Nafziger supported Amish congregations through personal assistance and written guidance for ministry.
Read the storyThe Hochstetler family’s ordeal at Northkill became a remembered test of refusing violence in the face of danger.
Read the storyJonas Stutzman’s life joined pioneer settlement, teaching, and an intensely personal expectation of Christ’s return.
Read the storyChristian Nafziger explored a Canadian settlement and recruited Amish Mennonite families to establish homes there.
Read the storySamuel Frölich’s preaching gathered believers from Reformed and Mennonite backgrounds into a new church community.
Read the storyJohn Holdeman gathered a separate fellowship after a religious awakening and a call to preach in Ohio.
Read the storyAbraham and Miriam Friesen were sent from the Mennonite Brethren in Russia to begin mission work in India.
Read the storyHans Hut carried Anabaptist preaching across South Germany and Austria before dying in imprisonment at Augsburg.
Read the storyHans Denck’s teaching and writing influenced the early Anabaptist movement in South Germany.
Read the storyUlrich Stadler helped lead refugee communities and explained the spiritual meaning of shared possessions.
Read the storyMelchior Hoffman spread Anabaptist teaching in northern Europe and spent years imprisoned in Strasbourg.
Read the storyPeter Riedemann expressed the faith of the Hutterite brotherhood through confessions written amid persecution.
Read the storyPilgram Marpeck joined civic experience, practical work, and written teaching in the service of Anabaptist congregations.
Read the storyLeupold Scharnschlager cared for believers across borders after losing his home for joining the Anabaptists.
Read the storyDirk Philips served with Menno Simons and wrote extensively about baptism, new birth, church order, and discipleship.
Read the storyObbe Philips helped gather the early Dutch movement before withdrawing from its ministry around 1540.
Read the storyClayton Kratz was one of the early Mennonite relief workers sent to communities suffering in the aftermath of revolution in Russia.
Read the storyJoseph, Michael, and David Hofer and their brother-in-law Jacob Wipf suffered imprisonment after refusing military participation as Hutterite conscientious objectors.
Read the storyJacob Siemens led a group of more than two hundred Mennonites across the frozen Amur River into China in December 1930.
Read the storyPeter and Elfrieda Dyck served displaced people through Mennonite Central Committee and helped lead Mennonite refugee transports to South America.
Read the storyMerlin and Dorothy Grove served in education in Somalia; after Merlin’s killing and Dorothy’s injury, their mission colleagues offered a witness of love and forgiveness.
Read the storyDaniel Gerber’s alternative service and Ruth Wilting’s hospital work brought them to Vietnam, where Gerber disappeared after capture and Wilting was later killed.
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