1535–1540 · Passau, Bavaria · Swiss Brethren
Verified 2026-10-31
Checked against Duerksen (1957), the Ausbund itself, and snippets of Clasen (1972) and MQR (1991). GAMEO could not be read (it blocks automated access behind a bot check).
What happened
About sixty Anabaptists fleeing westward from Moravia were arrested near the Bavarian border in 1535 and held in the dungeon of the castle at Passau until 1540; “many of them died” (Duerksen 1957, from the Passau records found by Rudolf Wolkan). They were Philippites, followers of Philip Plener, who had split from the Hutterites; the hymnal itself calls them “Schweizer-Brüder” (Swiss Brethren). In prison they wrote 53 hymns: twelve carry the initials H. B. (Hans Betz, who died in the dungeon in 1537) and eleven M. S. (Michael Schneider, the group’s leader).
The hymns were printed in 1564 as Etliche schöne christliche Geseng wie sie in der Gefengniss zu Passau im Schloss von den Schweitzer Brüdern durch Gottes Gnad gedicht und gesungen worden. With older martyr songs added in front, the book became the Ausbund; the earliest complete surviving copy is from 1583. In modern editions the Passau hymns begin at Hymn 81. The first American edition was printed at Germantown in 1742. The Amish still sing from it.
Why it matters for the family
- The Ausbund was the hymnal of Christopher’s Amish lines: the Millers, Hochstetlers, Stutzmans, Masts, Yoders, Planks and Kurtzes in Berks and Somerset Counties and Ohio, and the Ramseyers’ Amish Mennonite kin in Stark County. The 1742 Germantown edition was printed while the Northkill families were arriving.
- Hymn 140 is the ballad of Hans Haslibacher of Sumiswald, beheaded at Bern in 1571 (1571 Last Anabaptist execution in Bern). His three signs: his head springs into his hat and laughs, the sun turns red as blood, and the town fountain “sweats blood”.
- Hymn 139 tells of the arrests at Dürsrüti near Langnau in 1659 (1659 Anabaptists arrested at Dürsrüti (Ausbund hymn 139)), the home parish of the Neuenschwander and Lehman lines.
- No tree surname appears in the martyr ballads.
- Christopher’s question that led to this note: “who were the prisoners in Passau Castle?” (2026-10-31).
Follow-up
- Verified the Passau facts (2026-10-31; GAMEO blocked, used Duerksen 1957 and the Ausbund)
- Found free Ausbund editions; Passau hymns from no. 81, Dürsrüti no. 139, Haslibacher no. 140
- Searched the martyr ballads for tree places and families: Langnau/Trachselwald/Bern in no. 139, Sumiswald in no. 140; no tree surnames
- Ask family whether a family Ausbund survives (inscriptions in old hymnals often record births and marriages) task/human
Sources
- Duerksen - Early German Anabaptist Hymn Books (Mennonite Life, 1957)
- Ausbund (archive.org editions, 1742 Germantown and 1834 Lancaster)
Record compiled 31 October 2026.
About this research
Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.