Janneken van Munstdorp (d. 1573)

Janneken van Munstdorp, who in the documents is called Jenneken van den Velde (Velden), a native of leper, Flanders, wife of the martyr Hans van Munstdorp, was burned at the stake on 6 October 1573, at Antwerp, Belgium, together with Maryken (Maeyken van Dissenbeke) and Lysken Luchtens. Van Braght's Martyrs' Mirror relates that Janneken was pregnant when she was arrested and in prison gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Janneken. Before the officials could take away the child, the baby was secretly given to "friends," i.e., members of the congregation, to bring her up. Janneken wrote a testament to her infant daughter Janneken, and two letters, one to her parents, who had not yet come to the true faith, and one to her sister. To her little daughter she wrote that they had been married only a short while when the martyr's death for the Lord's sake overtook them; she should not be ashamed of them, but follow them and live a godly life. The mother could not give her much earthly goods, but a good name; she should be industrious and good and fear God. In the letters to her parents and sister she thanks them for what they have done for her, and commends her little daughter to her sister. "Oh, that it had been the will of the Lord, that I could have brought her up, in what great regard I should have held her for my dear husband's sake; though I should have suffered want with her, I should not have parted with her; but the will of the Lord be done." She regrets that her long imprisonment has caused such great expense. She affectionately urges her parents to seek their salvation. She will precede her sister to the heavenly city, where they will be united.

Hans and Janneken van Munstdorp (according to van Braght) are commemorated in the hymn "Och vrienden al te samen, hoort, hoe wy op Bamisdagh verstoort" (O hear, all ye friends, how we were disturbed on St. Bavo's day), found in the Rotterdamsche Lied-boeck. This hymnal is no longer extant.

Bibliography

Braght, Thieleman J. van. Het Bloedigh Tooneel of Martelaers Spiegel der Doopsgesinde of Weereloose Christenen, Die om 't getuygenis van Jesus haren Salighmaker geleden hebben ende gedood zijn van Christi tijd of tot desen tijd toe. Den Tweeden Druk. Amsterdam: Hieronymus Sweerts, 1685: II, 664.

Braght, Thieleman J. van. The Bloody Theatre or Martyrs' Mirror of the Defenseless Christians Who Baptized Only upon Confession of Faith and Who Suffered and Died for the Testimony of Jesus Their Saviour . . . to the Year A.D. 1660. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1951: 983. Available online at: http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/index.htm.

Génard, Petrus. Antwerpsch archievenblad. Antwerpen, Belgium: Stadsarchief te Antwerpen: XIII, 129 f., 179; XIV, 92 f., No. 1037.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 183.

Author(s)	Christian Neff
	Nanne van der Zijpp
Date Published	1957

Cite This Article

MLA style

Neff, Christian and Nanne van der Zijpp. "Janneken van Munstdorp (d. 1573)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 23 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Janneken_van_Munstdorp_(d._1573)&oldid=129390.

APA style

Neff, Christian and Nanne van der Zijpp. (1957). Janneken van Munstdorp (d. 1573). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Janneken_van_Munstdorp_(d._1573)&oldid=129390.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 89. All rights reserved.

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