Jan van Leiden’s confession: an inward deliverance
retrospective response
On: dat do die verloesinge solde sin up paischen
Linked by Rainbow Watch. The confession independently records the same Easter promise reported by Gresbeck; it does not cite his report.
Source quotation · Confession of Jan van Leiden, Dülmen, 25 July 1535, as recorded by his examiners (Cornelius 1853, p. 373); English translation new (Rainbow Watch, 2026)
[…] Und oich van einem brif, einer Jeronimus Mullinck geschreven, und mit Hensken van Soest dair inen gesant hadde, vermeldende, wie die christliche broder sie tegen dat hochtit paeschen entseitten und sie sich dairenbinnen hart halden solden; wie dan der koninck sulx langh dair bevoir haet prophetiert und des sinen koep af to houwen, so verne sulx neet geschege, verwillicht hadde. Aver so paeschen quam und die erloessung na bleve, sacht hy, wie hy niet die loessong uitwendich, sonder inwendich und in den geist gemeint hedde.
New English translation (Rainbow Watch, 2026): […] And also [he knows] of a letter, which one Jeronimus Mullinck had written and sent in to them with Hensken van Soest, reporting that the Christian brethren would relieve them by the feast of Easter and that they should hold out firmly in the meantime; as the king had indeed prophesied long before, and had consented to have his own head struck off if this did not happen. But when Easter came and the deliverance stayed away, he said that he had meant the deliverance not outwardly, but inwardly and in the spirit.
Bekenntniss Johanns von Leiden, 25 July 1535 · Carl Adolf Cornelius (ed.), Berichte der Augenzeugen über das Münsterische Wiedertäuferreich (Die Geschichtsquellen des Bisthums Münster, 2; Münster: Theissing, 1853), Internet Archive berichtederaugen00corn. Actenstücke no. LXXI, “Bekenntniss Johanns von Leiden”, Dülmen, 25 July 1535, p. 373 (leaves n470, n474), from “Und oich van einem brif” to “in den geist gemeint hedde.” The excerpt begins within a sentence: the confession says he knows of no understanding with princes or towns except through Henricus Graess, and also of a letter; the omitted opening is marked […]. The confession is recorded in the third person by the examiners. Followed in the note by a new AI-assisted English translation (Rainbow Watch, 2026), labelled as such. Low German (Westphalian) text as printed by Cornelius. German-style low and high quotation marks as printed. Spacing normalized; line-end hyphenation joined. Transcribed from the page images.
Source reuse and transcription
1535 Low German record in an 1853 edition, public domain; the appended English translation is new (Rainbow Watch, 2026).
Community response to this revision: 0
Published revision history
2026-10-01T14:02:23+00:00
[…] Und oich van einem brif, einer Jeronimus Mullinck geschreven, und mit Hensken van Soest dair inen gesant hadde, vermeldende, wie die christliche broder sie tegen dat hochtit paeschen entseitten und sie sich dairenbinnen hart halden solden; wie dan der koninck sulx langh dair bevoir haet prophetiert und des sinen koep af to houwen, so verne sulx neet geschege, verwillicht hadde. Aver so paeschen quam und die erloessung na bleve, sacht hy, wie hy niet die loessong uitwendich, sonder inwendich und in den geist gemeint hedde.
New English translation (Rainbow Watch, 2026): […] And also [he knows] of a letter, which one Jeronimus Mullinck had written and sent in to them with Hensken van Soest, reporting that the Christian brethren would relieve them by the feast of Easter and that they should hold out firmly in the meantime; as the king had indeed prophesied long before, and had consented to have his own head struck off if this did not happen. But when Easter came and the deliverance stayed away, he said that he had meant the deliverance not outwardly, but inwardly and in the spirit.
Knipperdolling’s confession on the failed Easter promise
retrospective response
On: dat do die verloesinge solde sin up paischen
Linked by Rainbow Watch. The confession independently records the same Easter promise reported by Gresbeck; it does not cite his report.
Source quotation · Confession of Bernt Knipperdolling, Dülmen, 25 July 1535 (Cornelius 1853, p. 377); English translation new (Rainbow Watch, 2026)
Seght oich, wie der koninck Johan van Leien apenbar up den marckt in bywesen der gemeinte gesagt hebben sal, dat sie wal getruest und gemoedet syn, sie sullen tuschen die tit und folgende paeschen verloest werden, ind so sulx niet geschege, solde men oen den koep, wie dan dair selfs einem geschiet was, afhouwen. Aver doe dat feilden und na bleve, verlaschte hy dat und sagte, wie dat ein inwendige und niet ein uitwendige erloessong sin solde.
New English translation (Rainbow Watch, 2026): Says also that the king, Johan van Leien, is said to have declared openly at the market in the presence of the community that they should be of good comfort and courage: they would be delivered between that time and the following Easter, and if this did not happen, his head should be struck off, as had been done to someone there. But when that failed and stayed away, he glossed over it and said that it was to be an inward and not an outward deliverance.
Bekenntniss Bernt Knipperdollings, 25 July 1535 · Carl Adolf Cornelius (ed.), Berichte der Augenzeugen über das Münsterische Wiedertäuferreich (Die Geschichtsquellen des Bisthums Münster, 2; Münster: Theissing, 1853), Internet Archive berichtederaugen00corn. Actenstücke no. LXXII, “Bekenntniss Bernt Knipperdollings”, Dülmen, 25 July 1535, p. 377 (leaves n477–n478), from “Seght oich, wie der koninck” to “sin solde.” Followed in the note by a new AI-assisted English translation (Rainbow Watch, 2026), labelled as such. Low German (Westphalian) text as printed by Cornelius. German-style low and high quotation marks as printed. Spacing normalized; line-end hyphenation joined. Transcribed from the page images.
Source reuse and transcription
1535 Low German record in an 1853 edition, public domain; the appended English translation is new (Rainbow Watch, 2026).
Community response to this revision: 0
Published revision history
2026-10-01T14:02:23+00:00
Seght oich, wie der koninck Johan van Leien apenbar up den marckt in bywesen der gemeinte gesagt hebben sal, dat sie wal getruest und gemoedet syn, sie sullen tuschen die tit und folgende paeschen verloest werden, ind so sulx niet geschege, solde men oen den koep, wie dan dair selfs einem geschiet was, afhouwen. Aver doe dat feilden und na bleve, verlaschte hy dat und sagte, wie dat ein inwendige und niet ein uitwendige erloessong sin solde.
New English translation (Rainbow Watch, 2026): Says also that the king, Johan van Leien, is said to have declared openly at the market in the presence of the community that they should be of good comfort and courage: they would be delivered between that time and the following Easter, and if this did not happen, his head should be struck off, as had been done to someone there. But when that failed and stayed away, he glossed over it and said that it was to be an inward and not an outward deliverance.