Kaspar was the name of an Anabaptist of Graz, Austria, a painter by profession, who, the court records say, not only joined the Anabaptists, but also instructed and baptized others therein. He was seized and instructed by the clergy, but "would not desist from his error." He finally pretended to do so, but later withdrew his recantation, and left the city in 1529. Where he went is not stated.
In accord with the decree of Ferdinand I his house was now torn down, and the building site sold to a citizen by the name of Stephan Kirchbacher; the money was used to repair the "burned" castle at Graz. Kaspar's children, Caecilie and Franz, presented a petition to the authorities that the building site be given them. The manager of the princely estates denied the request, on the ground that it would give the impression that the painter had been mistreated, though he had in reality deserved a far more severe punishment; if the prince wished to show the children mercy, he could order the mayor to pay out the value of the land. The site was a good one, near the church, fronting on two streets. The painter's relatives twice protested (document of 11 July 1535), but Kirchbacher retained possession. It is not known whether the children received any compensation.
The original of the above record is in the Vienna state archives, division Oesterreichische Akten Steiermark. For details see Graz, which this article supplements.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967:II, 469.
Cite This Article
Loserth, Johann. "Kaspar (16th Century)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 30 Nov 2015. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kaspar_(16th_Century)&oldid=57459.
Loserth, Johann. (1957). Kaspar (16th Century). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 30 November 2015, from http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kaspar_(16th_Century)&oldid=57459.
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