Storch, Nikolaus (16th century)
Nikolaus Storch, one of the "Zwickau Prophets" (see Thomas Drechsel), a weaver of Zwickau, Saxony, Germany, a member of a religious sect in Bohemia which held fanatical views concerning the Inner Word, revealed in visions and dreams. Thomas Müntzer was deeply impressed by his unusual knowledge of the Scripture. Storch won a large following among the common people. Summoned before the council of Zwickau to answer for his teaching, he left Zwickau in December 1521 and went to Wittenberg with Drechsel and Marcus Stübner where they had a number of conversations with Melanchthon. The Biblical basis they cited for their rejection of infant baptism confused the reformer.
But Storch did not stay in Wittenberg long. He parted from his companions and wandered through Middle Germany, especially Thuringia, preaching everywhere. In September 1522 he had a conversation with Luther in Wittenberg, chiefly on the subject of infant baptism. In 1524 he was for a short time in Strasbourg. In Hof he stayed longer. He may then have turned to South Germany. All trace of him is lost. In 1536 he was reported to be back in Zwickau. At any rate he remained quiet; his role was finished. He advised his followers to have themselves rebaptized. Did they do so? There is no evidence that either he himself or his followers were rebaptized.
Bibliography
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967: v. IV, 250.
Meyer, Chr. "Der Wiedertäufer Nikolaus Storch und seine Anhänger in Hof." Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte XVI (1896): 117-24.
Schornbaum, Karl. Quellen zur Geschichte der Wiedertäufer II. Band, Markgraftum Brandenburg. (Bayern I. Abteilung). Leipzig: M. Heinsius Nachfolger, 1934: I, 4 ff.
Wappler, Paul. Thomas Münzer in Zwickau und die 'Zwickauer Propheten.' Zwickau, 1908.
| Author(s) | Christian Neff |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Neff, Christian. "Storch, Nikolaus (16th century)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Storch,_Nikolaus_(16th_century)&oldid=120594.
APA style
Neff, Christian. (1959). Storch, Nikolaus (16th century). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Storch,_Nikolaus_(16th_century)&oldid=120594.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 637. All rights reserved.
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