View source for Hutterian Brethren (Hutterische Brüder)

=== The Golden Period ===

While elsewhere persecution intensified (Anabaptism had died out by the middle of the 16th century in the Hapsburg domain except [[Tyrol (Austria)|Tyrol]]; it declined in Bavaria and other German lands), in [[Moravia (Czech Republic)|Moravia]] on the contrary it experienced now a kind of flowering. This was particularly true during the reign of Emperor Maximilian II (1564-1576), himself rather in sympathy with Protestantism, hence averse to any harsh measures. The Brethren speak of the "Good Period" (about 1554-1565) and of the "Golden Period" (1565-1590 or 95). Although the [[Jesuits (1957)|Jesuits]] had been admitted in Hapsburg territories since about 1550-1560, they did not find full influence in Moravia until the end of the century. It is true that Nikolsburg had changed hands; the [[Dietrichstein family|Dietrichsteins]] bought it in 1575, but even though they were more in sympathy with the Counter-Reformation, the Brethren could still persist here, too, relatively peacefully, until the coming of the Cardinal Franz von Dietrichstein in 1599, the very head of the Catholic party.

[[File:ME2_861b.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Map 4: Hutterite Bruderhofs in Ukraine, 1770-1874<br />
Source: Mennonite Encyclopedia, v. 2, p. 861'']]

During the Golden Period the Brethren, now well established all over southern [[Moravia (Czech Republic)|Moravia]] and Slovakia, found a particularly strong leader in [[Walpot, Peter (1521-1578)|Peter Walpot]], a Tyrolean, who led the group in 1565-1578, and whose activities added much to further consolidate the brotherhood. A number of regulations were drawn up, both for the general conduct of the brotherhood and for the different crafts or trades. The schools of the Brethren were organized on better defined grounds. Doctrinal and polemic writings (mostly anonymous) were drawn up (such as the great [[Hutterite Article Book|Article Book]], the <em>Handbüchlein, </em>the book called <em>Anschlag und Fürwenden, </em>etc.). A rich correspondence with missionaries all over the countries of German tongue came in and went out (carefully recorded in a <em>Schreibstube </em>or <em>scriptorium)</em>; the great <em>Geschicht-Buch </em>was then begun by [[Braitmichel, Kaspar (d. 1573)|Kaspar Braitmichel]] on the basis of archival material collected almost from the very beginning. In short, it was the peak of Hutterite history. It has been estimated that in Moravia and Slovakia together there existed at that time about one hundred [[Bruderhof|Bruderhofs]] or farm colonies, with a population estimated at between 20,000 and 30,000. (Certain estimates go as high as 70,000, but that figure is most unlikely.) (See the accompanying maps.) While Anabaptism elsewhere (except for the [[Netherlands|Netherlands]] and Prussia) was on a sharp decline, in fact nearly disappeared as an articulated movement in the latter half of the 16th century, in remote Moravia and Slovakia it was almost on its way to becoming a distinct denomination (were it not that the sect-principle, that is, brotherhood-living, continued to be dominant).

Very remarkable of that time were also contacts with the antitrinitarian Polish Brethren (Socinians) who in Racov (Poland) tried to set up their "New Jerusalem" (see [[Antitrinitarianism|Antitrinitarianism]]), somewhat along lines which they had been studying at the Moravian Hutterite communistic colonies. Visitors and correspondence witness to this contact which, however, never became very warm, due to basic differences both in doctrine and intellectual background.

Contacts with Swiss Brethren, in Switzerland and elsewhere, continued to be intensive; missioners were sent out and a good number of Brethren from Switzerland and South Germany joined the church in Moravia. (The later bishop Ulrich Jausling, serving 1619-1621, had been such a Swiss newcomer.) Of particular interest was here a long letter (almost a tract) which the <em>Vorsteher </em>[[Braidl, Klaus (1528?-1611)|Klaus Braidl]] sent to a Swiss brother Christian Raussenberger in 1601 defending on Biblical ground the principle of community of goods. Also with the Prussian Mennonites around [[Elbing (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland)|Elbing]] and Danzig contacts were obtained around the turn of the century. Even a settlement was attempted in [[Elbing (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland)|Elbing]] though without success. In the meantime the peaceful period had come to an end, and severe trials were in store. <em>(a) </em>The Counter-Reformation became now the cry of the day. Whoever would not be converted to the Roman Church was to leave [[Moravia (Czech Republic)|Moravia]]. [[Dietrichstein family|Cardinal Franz von Dietrichstein]] gave the lead in that movement, supported by a most vigilant government in Vienna and two priests, Christoph Erhard and [[Fischer, Christoph Andreas (1560-after 1610)|Christoph Andreas Fischer]], in southern Moravia, who supplied the Catholics with polemic material (gross slanders), and cast suspicions of all kinds. They incited the hatred of the poor peasant population all around who naturally could not compete with large-scale rational farm economies (see [[Eysvogel, Johann (16th century)|Eysvogel]] and [[Jedelshauser, Hans (16th century)|Jedelshauser]]). In short the situation became ever more precarious. Yet until 1622 they somehow managed to come through, although on a declining scale, <em>(b) </em>Turkish wars and invasions added to these internal troubles. Emperor Rudolph II asked for war contributions, and Dietrichstein was to extort them from the Brethren (at one time no less than 20,000 fl. was asked). Needless to say, the Brethren very decidedly declined, accepting all the consequences. In 1605 Turks and their Hungarian allies plundered southern Moravia and many brethren were killed or dragged away into Turkish captivity (see [[Böger, Salomon (d. 1610)|Böger]]). Eventually <em>(c) </em>the event, later called the [[Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)|Thirty Years' War]], 1618-1648, brought the Moravian establishments of the Brethren to a complete end. After the success of the Catholic forces at the White Mountain in 1620, all restraint was dropped; complete expulsion was ordered by Vienna. The <em>Geschicht-Buch </em>(570-571) reported that what they lost in inventory (corn, wine, cattle, linen and woolens, groceries, equipment, and furniture) amounted to about 364,000 florins not assessing any houses and grounds. And all this after only one year earlier (1621) a sum of 30,000 fl. had been taken away from the Brethren by methods of extortion and downright robbery.

[[File:ME2_863.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Map 5: Hutterite Colonies in Manitoba &amp; the Dakotas, 1950s.<br />
Source: Mennonite Encyclopedia, v. 2, p. 863'']]
[[File:ME2_864.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Map 6: Hutterite Colonies in Alberta &amp; Montana, 1950s.<br />
Mennonite Encyclopedia, v. 2, p. 864'']]