  huldrych (or ulrich/ulricht) zwingli (1 january 1484&nbsp;â 11 october 1531) was a leader of the reformation in switzerland. born during a time of emerging swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the swiss mercenary system, he attended the university of vienna and the university of basel, a scholarly centre of renaissance humanism. he continued his studies while he served as a pastor in glarus and later in einsiedeln, where he was influenced by the writings of erasmus. in 1518, zwingli became the pastor of the grossmÃ¼nster in zurich where he began to preach ideas on reforming the catholic church. in his first public controversy in 1522, he attacked the custom of fasting during lent. in his publications, he noted corruption in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, promoted clerical marriage, and attacked the use of images in places of worship. in 1525, zwingli introduced a new communion liturgy to replace the mass. zwingli also clashed with the anabaptists, which resulted in their persecution. the reformation spread to other parts of the swiss confederation, but several cantons resisted, preferring to remain catholic. zwingli formed an alliance of reformed cantons which divided the confederation along religious lines. in 1529, a war between the two sides was averted at the last moment. meanwhile, zwingli's ide
1484_births 1531_deaths 16th-century_Calvinist_and_Reformed_theologians 16th-century_Swiss_writers History_of_ZA 1/4 rich People_from_ZA 1/4 rich People_from_the_canton_of_St._Gallen Protestant_Reformation Protestant_Reformers Swiss_Calvinist_and_Reformed_theologians Swiss_Roman_Catholic_priests Swiss_military_personnel_killed_in_action University_of_Vienna_alumni