Kleinhäufler
Concerning the origin of the word "Kleinhäufler," to which others like Stäbler, Gemeinschafter, Schwertler, and Sabbater should be added, the chronicles of the Hutterian Brethren relate: In 1528, because the group in Nikolsburg was growing and a large number adhered to Jakob Wideman and Philip Jäger, Hans Spittelmaier commanded his people to have nothing to do with them. The difference was still that which had existed between Hubmaier and Hut. Wideman and Jäger held their meetings in the homes, received pilgrims, guests, and strangers from other countries, and united into a brotherhood (Gemeinschaft). Spittelmaier, on the other hand, taught that war, the sword and levies should be maintained, hence the name Schwertler. The other group was called "Kleinhäufler" and "Stäbler" by the Spittelmaier group. The Schwertler, the chronicles add, were also called Sabbater.
The names Kleinhäufler, Stäbler, and Gemeinschäfter thereafter referred to those Anabaptists who separated from the Nikolsburg group in 1528, and later also from the Rossitz Anabaptists, and who in 1530 were divided into two groups, the Hutterites and the Austerlitz group. The Stäbler taught "that a Christian should not take part in war, therefore do not carry a sword, but only a staff."
Bibliography
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 507 f.
| Author(s) | Johann Loserth |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1957 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Loserth, Johann. "Kleinhäufler." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kleinh%C3%A4ufler&oldid=88739.
APA style
Loserth, Johann. (1957). Kleinhäufler. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kleinh%C3%A4ufler&oldid=88739.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 200-201. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.