Salminger, Sigmund (16th century)

Sigmund Salminger, a former monastic priest (a Franciscan) of Munich, Bavaria, Germany, was one of the founders of the Augsburg Anabaptist congregation. He and his wife Anna, who was a faithful companion to him, were baptized in March 1527 by Hans Hut on the occasion of his second visit to Augsburg, which lasted nine or ten days, and was chosen by lot as Vorsteher of the Augsburg congregation at its first organization. He was, however, seized soon after 15 Septmber 1527. Among those he baptized was the "Mangmeisterin" Plöck(in), who was expelled from the city with her infant of eight weeks. In addition he baptized several peasants who did not live in Augsburg, as well as Sebastian Vischgatter, a citizen, Elisabeth, the wife of Gall Vischer, and Katharina, wife of Hans Kunig, the stone mason, who had recanted on 3 October 1527, but was rearrested in May 1528.

After spending more than three years in prison Salminger recanted on 17 December 1530, and was released. His written recantation and also a letter he wrote to the council requesting permission for his wife's return to the city (already previously published by Greiff) were published by Schletterer (180, 182). Penniless and a physical wreck Salminger left the prison. Since he was unable to pay his board he was ordered in March 1531 to leave the city; but it was impossible for him to comply on account of the inclement weather and the state of his health. He was granted a brief respite, but at its expiration was just as wretched as before. He therefore wrote a petition to the council, asking permission to stay and offering his services.

Wackernagel published four of Salminger's hymns (pp. 807-11). Salminger had poetic and musical gifts which poured themselves out in religious songs. In the oldest hymnal of Augsburg some of the finest hymns are those from Salminger's pen.

Bibliography

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie. XXX (1890): 270-72.

Greiff. Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Schulen. Augsburg, 1858: 146.

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

Roth, Friedrich. "Zur Geschichte der Wiedertäufer in Oberschwaben." Zeitschrift des Historischen Vereins für Schwaben und Neuburg I (1874): 212; XXVIII (1901): 4, 114 ff.

Schletterer, H. M. Monatshefte für Musikgeschichte XXI (1889): 177-86.

Schottenloher, Karl. Philipp Ulhart. Munich, 1921: 81-83.

Wackernagel, Philipp. Das deutsche Kirchenlied von der ältesten Zeit bis zu Anfang des XVII. Jahrhunderts. 5 v. Leipzig, 1864-1877. Reprinted Hildesheim: G. Olms, 1964: v. 3, 807-11.

Author(s)	Christian Hege
Date Published	1959

Cite This Article

MLA style

Hege, Christian. "Salminger, Sigmund (16th century)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Salminger,_Sigmund_(16th_century)&oldid=111156.

APA style

Hege, Christian. (1959). Salminger, Sigmund (16th century). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Salminger,_Sigmund_(16th_century)&oldid=111156.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 408. All rights reserved.

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