Michael Sattler

Michael Sattler (1490-1527) was a monk who left the Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation to become one of the early leaders of the Anabaptist movement. He was particularly influential for his role in developing the Schleitheim Confession.
Born in approximately 1490 in Staufen, Germany, Sattler became a Benedictine monk in the cloister of St. Peter and most likely became prior by the time he left in 1525. That year he traveled to Zurich, which was then embroiled in controversy over infant baptism. He became associated with the Anabaptists and was probably rebaptised in the summer of 1526. He was involved in missionary activity around Horb and Rottenburg, and eventually traveled to Strasbourg. In February 1527 he chaired a meeting of the Swiss Brethren at Schleitheim, at which time the Schleitheim Confession was adopted. 
In May, 1527, Sattler was arrested by Roman Catholic authorities, along with his wife and several other Anabaptists. He was tried and sentenced to be executed as a heretic. As part of his execution, his tongue was cut out, and red hot tongs were used to tear two pieces of flesh from his body. He was then taken outside the city by wagon, and the tongs were used on him five more times. After that, he was burned at the stake. The other men in the group were executed by sword, and the women, including Margaretha, were executed by drowning.
==See also==
*Martyrs Mirror, which included an account of his death.
==References==
*Gstohl, Mark (2004). "Michael Sattler". Retrieved May 25, 2006.
*Horsch, John. Mennonites In Europe. Rod and Staff Publishers, 1942, 1995, pp. 70-78. Cited at http://www.anabaptists.org/history/sattler.html
*Snyder, C. Arnold. The Life and Legacy of Michael Sattler. Scottdale, PA: Fortress Press, 1984.
==External links==
*Michael Sattler in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
*Memorial stone at location of Michael Sattler's execution in Rottenburg, Germany, Sites of Memory webpage
*Theological Biography of Michael Sattler at BaptistTheology.org
Category:1490s births
Category:1527 deaths
Category:Benedictines
Category:Religious persecution
Category:Protestant Reformation
Category:People executed for heresy
Category:People executed by burning
Category:German Anabaptists
Category:German Christian monks
Category:Executed German people
Category:16th-century Protestant martyrs
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