George Blaurock
Jörg Blue Skirt ( nickname), actually Barbara ( George) Cajacob (* 1492 in Bonaduz, Canton of Grisons, † September 6, 1529 in Klausen, Tyrol) was a Roman Catholic priest and later a leading figure in the Radical Reformation. He is considered the first baptized believers of the Reformation period and died a martyr of the Anabaptist movement. His area of effect as Baptist was mainly the surrounding area of Zurich, the Bernese area, eastern Switzerland and South Tyrol.
In the sources on the history of Anabaptists in Switzerland vary both the first name and the last name of former priest and later Baptist leader. While occupied in the source name ( Jerg, Jöre, Jörg, Jory, Jorg ) is etymologically derived all of George and represent dialectal formations of that name, the surname vorfindlichen different nature: Cajacob, from Chur, the Hauss ( Huss ) Jacob and von Husen. In surnamed Blue Skirt ( other spellings: Blauwrock, Blawrack, Blawrock, Blawrok, Plawrok ), which is mainly used, it is a nickname. Its origin is explained in the following chapter.
Jörg Cajakob came from a peasant family Graubündener. His father's name was Luzi Cajakob. As a young man he attended the Latin school in Chur and then completed the training of priests at the seminary of the monastery of St. Lucius, where he also received the priesthood. For the summer semester 1513 he enrolled at the University of Leipzig. Three years later he was already as vicar in Trin (Graubünden), where he was later than 1524 the Reformation movement joined, celibacy and renounced entered the married state. The often found on such assertion, Cajakob was a monk, was in 1939 examined and refuted.
End of 1524 (early 1525? ) Traveled Cajakob accompanied his wife to Zurich to visit Ulrich Zwingli. The story book of the Hutterian Brethren noted this:
" The [ Cajakob ] is the first place to come Zwingel [ Zwingli ] and aligned gehandlet of faith matters a lot with him and geredt, but nothing. Then he was told that other men be there, the zealous then be the Zwingel. What men he diligently inquired and came to them, namely, Conrad Grebel and Felix Mantzen, and has geredt with them and erspracht matters of faith halfway Its also one of the things were together [ ... ] "
The two names mentioned in the quotation refer to a group of proto- Anabaptists to the next Grebel and Manz Simon Stumpf, Heinrich Aberli, Lorenz Hochrütiner and Bartlime Pur belonged. In an interrogation Heinrich Aberli reported that the Castelberger reading group came into existence due to a particular wish. He himself, Hochrütiner, Ininger and Pfister ( = neat) would have had the concern to educate yourself together in the evangelical doctrine, and especially in the writings of the Apostle Paul. Then you 've been looking for a suitable teacher and was in the search for Andreas Castelberger, a theologically trained bookseller encountered .. In particular, Grebel and Manz itself had originally been in the close vicinity of Zwingli, but then the because of its reluctance to enforce Reformation of him increasingly distant and were after a public disputation in October 1523 came to him in a sharp contrast. Although an attempt was still in the first half of December 1524 have been made to overcome this opposition, but to no avail, as the well written by Felix Manz protest and protection document shows, the end of December 1924 or appeared in the first half of January 1525.
In this spiritual environment, Jörg Cajakob went to the inconclusive for him talks with Zwingli. With Manz and Grebel joined him " in pure Forcht God" the knowledge, " you have to learn a right, engaged in loving faith of the divine word and sermons and the right Christian baptism on the recognized and well-known belief " that should receive.
Jörg Cajakob participated in meetings held by the Zurich Council for Tuesday, January 17, 1525 public disputation as a listener. It is referred to in the research as the first Baptist Zurich Täuferdisputation and was held in the Town Hall of the city of Zurich. On the agenda was the question of baptism. As an opponent of infant baptism came next Grebel and Manz also Wilhelm Reublin. Proponents were represented by Zwingli and other theologians. During the disputation also Cajakob from the audience filed out to word and put in a short vote of its views as of this opportunity Jörg Cajakob also got its nickname by which he was known in the subsequent period. Someone asked about the speaker and received the reply: " That one in blue skirt " Others heard it and called him since blue skirt.
The founding of the first Baptist church
Four days after the Täuferdisputation the Zurich City Council adopted a regulation that all children were to be baptized within eight days of their birth. Who does not bar a result of this arrangement, reference should be made out of the country. On the evening of that day - it was Saturday, January 21, 1525 - the Grebelsche circle gathered in the mother of Felix Manz house. Among them was Jörg blue skirt. After a long discussion and prayer time saw the founding of the first Baptist church. In the above-mentioned chronicle of the Hutterian Brethren, a report on the progress of this meeting is to receive. The Chronicle reports that " the fear began to hit them and that their hearts were greatly distressed ." After a prayer Jörg Blaurock stood before Conrad Grebel and begged them to baptize him. Grebel with this request immediately. Then Blaurock baptized his hand, the other meeting participants. According to John A. Moore these events " the birth of the Baptist movement " and the " whole Free Church movement as we know it today " were.
Just days after this memorable act of baptism were Grebel, Manz and blue skirt ( a little later Wilhelm Reublin and John Brötli ) in nearby near Zurich Zollikon go. Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz - as is to be read in a recorded testimony - were here " all tomorrow unnd adventur in several Hüser glouffen ". On January 25, 1525 a Wednesday, a dinner was held at the home of Rudi Thoman, from which developed a dominated Blaurock worship event. Your sequence is described in some detail in the cited Council minutes. Thereafter, the meeting began with a reading of Scripture, which was followed by a celebration of Holy Communion in a simple form. Blue skirt broke while the bread "ze stuken " and also provides a " gschir with win" on the table. Prior to the issuance carried out a series of reminders that are based on the requirements for participation in the Lord's Supper. Among other Blaurock said: ". Whoever gloubt there, the inn god die with sinem and roßenfarbenn have redeemed bluott [ ... ], the kome and eat with me from the brott and drincke with me of disem win" in this context arose a Present and known in tears for his sins. He was then asked by Blaurock whether he desired the grace of God. After he had replied in the affirmative, he baptized the Felix Manz was also present, in which he poured by means of a ladle of water over his head, while the Trinitarian baptismal formula uttered. After yet another attendee had been baptized, the broken communion service was completed. While it has been approved at a Council decision towards the Protestant communion service in the " reformed " Zurich only at Easter 1525, blue skirt and the other Baptist had been months earlier undergone with their communion service on 25 January 1525, when the radical separation of the Roman Catholic tradition. After they had already provided by their baptisms against magisterial decisions, they now spoke with their " Protestant " communion service to the State a second time from the right to decide in spiritual things. Thus - according to Fritz Blanke - joined in 1525 Zollikon the first Protestant Free Church in appearance.
Further developments
The movement spread quickly and reached a few days after the service in the house Thomann the surrounding villages Witikon, Hoengg and Küsnacht. In Zollikon alone there were more than 30 inhabitants baptized - about one- third of the free peasants. On Sunday, January 29 1523 Blue skirt appeared in the Zollikon church and called during the service the parish priest Nicolaus Billeter to release the pulpit. The priest - so blue skirt - have no divine call to preach the gospel. This scandal, which was terminated by Zollikon bailiff, had its consequences. The next day the Zurich police appeared and arrested in Zollikon except blue skirt and Manz, all of which you knew to be in communication with the Anabaptists. The prisoners were taken to the Zurich Augustinian monastery and interrogated at length. While most of the prisoners were set free again on payment of a guarantee of 1,000 Gulden, blue skirt and Manz remained until the 18th of February in prison. In the took place in this period interrogations Blaurock confessed that he had been the first to have received believers' baptism; also he had the " Holy Supper " competition and in a way, as they had been commanded by Christ. By stating that they summoned for further questioning later and they 'll Zwingli 's face it, they released Blue skirt and Manz from custody. A revocation of their views had not been called for at this time.
After his release Blaurock returned to Zollikon to continue the missionary work begun. It was preaching and baptizing especially in homes of Zollikon farmers. In the house of Hans Murer, men should be gathered at such a meeting to the 200. Among the candidates for baptism were the wife and daughter of the Mayor Blüwler. The triggered by blue skirt and other movement was not without reaction on the part of the Zurich Council. For the March 20, he set off yet another Täuferdisputation, the second after 17 January 1525 on. The place of the meeting to which only a smaller circle this time was invited by disputants, served the Zurich Town Hall. This time was blue skirt to the speakers of the Baptist group. Facing him was Zwingli, with whom he clashed hard during the debate. On March 25, the judgment of the Council was adopted. While the locals were dismissed with a strict warning and an administrative fine was issued against the foreign ( frömbden ), including " Jeorg of Chur, genant Blawrock ", a deportation order, which should be implemented without delay. For Blue Skirt and his wife also was an additional arrangement:
" [ ... ] That you can put into a ship in un sin Wyb and Vertigen tions Chur; and one kettle holes which schriben of Churchill that they retain and provided in. And say where he 'll wyder, you wölle in the lon give the gstalt that he hinfür ruwig will sin. "
Blaurock moved to Graubünden and made in collaboration with Felix Manz also here for a rapid spread of the Anabaptist movement. John Comander, representatives of the Zwinglian Reformation in Chur, reported in a letter to Zurich on the consequences of the missionary activity of the two Baptist. Many citizens of Hur - so Comander - is presented both open and secret on the side of blue skirt and Manz. The movement took on such a scale that was forced to Chur Council to take countermeasures. The Täuferversammlungenn were banned by decree, offenses punishable by the loss of " body, honor and good." Blue skirt and Manz allowed to detain.
Prison stay was short-lived. While Manz was returned shortly after his arrest with a covering letter from the Council of Chur in his hometown of Zurich, blue skirt did not come for a long time then probably with the help of influential friends freely.
Captivities Blue Rocks
The following table provides a summary overview of the described in the preceding sections prison stays Jörg Blue Rocks. The data presented are, unless stated otherwise, the Blue Rock Biography taken from the strong Jörg.
Blue skirt made himself as a song writer name. In paragon, the oldest hymnal of the Anabaptist movement, there are two blue rock songs:
- God leads a court and no one likes it 's breaking - In the paragon of the blue rock song following note is prefixed: "This song has made Jörg Blawrock, the brothers first one in Echtzland verbrandt Ann. 27 In Dannheuser Thon. "
- Lord God, I will praise from now until my end - This song comment on the editor of the Ausbunds with the following annotation: " Diss song has Jörg Blawrock made to Clausen in the Adige with a, Hans genandt of repentance, verbrant An. 1528th Thon how to sing the Tagweiß. "
Philipp Wackernagel recorded the two songs in his famous five -volume work, The German hymn.