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of 20)
Cages of the Anabaptists
The
view from inside the top of
the spire. Three massive iron
cages hang here, just above
the clock. The story behind
the cages is an interesting
one.
During
the Protestant Reformation,
a group of Anabaptists followed
a prophet to Munster and settled
there, chasing off the Bishop
who ruled the city. The group
believed the world would end
on one Easter Sunday in the
16th century. When it didn't,
their prophet was killed in
a fight. A
new leader stepped forward and
was crowned king.
The
new king ruled for only 18 months
before his people got fed up
and let the Bishop's men into
the city walls. In the ensuing
battle, the new king, his second-in-command
and his executioner where tried,
found guilty and tortured to
death. Their bodies were hung
in these cages on the spire
as a message to anyone who would
go against the bishop.
These
are the original cages from
the 16th century, protected
during the bombings of World
War II and rehung in the spire
of St. Lamberti Church. True
to Munster's love of modern
art, light bulbs now hang in
the cages, as a symbol that
ideas cannot be bound by bars.
Next
picture of Munster, Germany
Pictures of Munster, Germany:
Promenade I
Promenade II
Pink Bicycle
Altstadt I
Altstadt I
Oldest Building
Erbdrostenhof
St. Lamberti Church
Cages of the Anabaptists
Anabaptist Statue
Watchman
View From Spire
Astronomical Clock
Hall of Peace
Modern Art
Braille Map
Mühlenhof Open-Air Museum
Sheep Under a Windmill
Organ Grinders
Overhead View
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