Labels and Identities : Classification of the Moravian Anabaptists in Sources from the 16th and 17th Centuries
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Religio. A Journal for the Study of Religions |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | plný text článku na webových stránkách časopisu |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.5817/Rel2025-41631 |
| Keywords | Anabaptism; Moravia; dissenting religious groups; 16th and 17th century; classification and discourses |
| Description | The study critically examines and compares the various 16th and 17th century lists of diverse Anabaptist groups reported to exist in Moravia between 1526 and 1622. In addition to the Hutterite Chronicles, the paper analyzes a range of other sources including the documents of the Moravian government and local authorities; polemical works of Sebastian Franck, Georg Eder and Christoph Erhard; but also reports of the Italian weaver Marcantonio Varotta and the Lutheran nobleman Christoph Kereczényi. Comparing the different clas-sifications of Anabaptists as presented in these sources challenges the dominant narrative of Hutterite supremacy in Moravia after their establishment in 1530s. Mapping the reports of non-Hutterite Anabaptist groups reveals that several of them persisted much longer than previously recognized. Through this analysis, the study initiates a broader critical reflection on the historical construction of group identities and their transformations from the early Anabaptist presence in Moravia to its decline in the post-White Mountain period. |
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