Conrad Grebel

He spent several years abroad in study, worked as a proofreader in Basel, married in 1522, and became a Christian minister around 1523.

Conrad Grebel is thought to have studied for six years at the Carolina, the Latin school of the Grossmünster Church in Zürich.

While there, Grebel developed a close friendship with Joachim Vadian,[a] an eminent Swiss humanist professor from St. Gall.

When Grebel's father received word of his son's demeanor, he cut off Conrad's funds and demanded that he return to Zürich.

Conrad Grebel spent about six years in three universities, but without finishing his education or receiving a degree.

About 15 men broke with Zwingli, and, while taking no specific action at that time, they regularly met together for prayer, fellowship and Bible study.

Grebel wrote to both Andreas Karlstadt and Martin Luther in the summer of 1524, and to Thomas Müntzer in September.

As a group they pledged to hold the faith of the New Testament and live as fellow disciples separated from the world.

Conrad Grebel and Wolfgang Ulimann spent several months preaching with much success in the area of St. Gall.

Three letters written to Grebel (Benedikt Burgauer, 1523; Vadian, 1524; and Erhard Hegenwalt, 1525) have been preserved.

The majority of the 69 letters written by Grebel are from his student years, however, and shed little light on his ministry as an Anabaptist.

The Bruderhof Communities, founded in 1920,[2] draw inspiration from the beliefs and actions of Conrad Grebel and the other reformation era Anabaptists.

[3] Where others only longed for restitution or shrank from too much reform, Grebel and his group acted decisively and at great personal risk.

Freedom of conscience and separation of church and state are two great legacies of the Anabaptist movement initiated by these Swiss Brethren.

With Petr Chelčický (1390–1460) of Bohemia, Conrad Grebel is considered one of the first nonresistant Christians of the Reformation.

Jakob Grebel disagreed with his son's religious sentiments, but he also thought Zwingli's measures against the Anabaptists were too harsh.

Jakob Grebel was executed in Zürich on 30 October 1526, having been convicted of receiving illegal funds from foreign rulers.