Gsäl, Waltan (d. 1533)
Waltan (Valentin or Balthasar) Gsäl (Gsel), an Anabaptist martyr, one of the seven executed in Gufidaun in October 1533 (not 1536, as in Martyrs' Mirror). His companions were Hans Beck, Valser (Balthasar) Schneider, Christian Alseider, Wölfl of the Götzenberg, Hans Maurer of Flass, and Peter Kranewetter. They died, "mightily admonishing the people to repent, . . . and showing that no impure, false, idle, or heedless hearts can stand the test." One of their epistles advises the Brethren to remove the children living among the ungodly, lest they be ruined. Another epistle reports that ten of them were still in prison, all of whom desired to witness to the Lord with, their blood. In a letter from Auspitz, 21 November, Hutter laments the death of such excellent companions, especially that of Valtan Gsäl, his faithful brother, who was very dear to him. Unfortunately no further details are given concerning Gsäl, either in the chronicles or (as far as is known) in official court records.
Bibliography
Amman, H. Die Wiedertäufer in Michelsburg. Programm, Brixen, 1896.
Beck, Josef. Die Geschichts-Bücher der Wiedertäufer in Oesterreich-Ungarn. Vienna, 1883; reprinted Nieuwkoop: De Graaf, 1967: 107.
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, 33.
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: 444. Available online at: http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/index.htm.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. II, 196 f.
Loserth, Johann. Der Anabaptismus in Tirol. Vienna: F. Tempsky, 1892: 510.
Wolkan, Rudolf. Geschicht-Buch der Hutterischen Brüder. Macleod, AB, and Vienna, 1923: 75.
| Author(s) | Johann Loserth |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Loserth, Johann. "Gsäl, Waltan (d. 1533)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Gs%C3%A4l,_Waltan_(d._1533)&oldid=145354.
APA style
Loserth, Johann. (1956). Gsäl, Waltan (d. 1533). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Gs%C3%A4l,_Waltan_(d._1533)&oldid=145354.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, pp. 607-608. All rights reserved.
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