Leupold Scharnschlager: exile and pastoral correspondence

Leupold Scharnschlager was from the Tyrol, where he owned property near Hopfgarten. Around 1530 he joined the Anabaptists and left with his wife Anna and their daughter; his estate was confiscated in 1531. At Strasbourg he became associated with Pilgram Marpeck and extended his ministry to believers in other cities.

A letter written to Michael Leubel at Speyer in 1532 discussed baptism and original sin. The historical record also remembers expelled believers finding access to Scharnschlager’s home. These connections show pastoral care expressed through hospitality, letters, and teaching during displacement. He and Marpeck later collaborated on writings for the brotherhood. Scharnschlager died in 1563.