The prosecution of Anabaptists in Holland, 1530-66

Abstract

Contrary to what was long believed, Anabaptists were not automatically executed. Instead, a wide array of punishments was inflicted on them. Often these punishments reflected the (mis)deeds of Anabaptists and were meted out by judges who meticulously analysed the wrongs done by these 'heretics'. Other variables, such as the religious outlook of magistrates, the make-up of the magistracy, and the fact whether someone was a citizen or just an inhabitant further influenced the punishment imposed on Anabaptists. It is argued that Anabaptists were still part of a social network - regardless the fact that emperor Charles V and his son Philip II outlawed them and that many Anabaptists leaders argued in favor of seclusion - and that this network (what consisted of friends, family, and colleagues, among others) was also an important variable that prevented Anabaptists from being put to death without due process.