HUT (HUTT), HANS: A leader of the
Anabaptists; b. at Hain, near Grimmenthal, in Franconia;
d. at Augsburg Sept., 1527. As an itinerant book
pedler he traveled over a large part of Germany
and Austria and imbibed radical ideas. At
Weissenfels, probably in 1524, he came into contact with the
Anabaptists. His tentative adhesion to their ideas
and his promulgation of the writings of Munzer
led to his expulsion from Bibra. He joined in the
peasant uprising, was with Munzer during the battle
of Frankenhausen where the peasant bands were
overwhelmed. At Pentecost, 1525, he appeared at
Bibra, and summoned the peasants to rise against
the authorities. Expelled once more, he resumed
his wandering life, and in the summer of 1526 was
finally won over by Denk to the tenets of the
Anabaptists. He now entered upon a tremendously
active apostolate. A man of simple and fiery
eloquence, and of passionate convictions, he wandered
through South Germany and Austria preaching,
baptizing, and appointing apostles to carry on the
work. In the mighty rise of the Anabaptist movement in Bavaria, Franconia, Swabia, and Austria
between 1526 and 1528, his labors were of primary
importance. Around his personality, mysterious
and
partaking somewhat of the prophet's, legend
gathered. There was a popular belief that he made
use of a magic potion to win men to himself, and he
was reputed to be the possessor of a book given by
the Lord to the prophet Daniel. He was personally
convinced of his divine mission, and regarded himself as the prophet sent to announce the approaching
end of things. He presented a detailed scheme of
the final judgment and the resurrection and promulgated his ideas with a vehemence that brought
him into conflict with the moderate Anabaptists.
Thus toward the end of 1526, while at Nikolsburg,
dissension arose between him and Htlbmaier. A
disputation took place in the presence of the territorial lord, Von Liechtenstein, in the course of which
Hut is said to have formulated certain articles which,
in different editions and the general designation of the Nikolsburg Articles, played an important
part in later Anabaptist history. What is certain,
however, is that Hut, in opposition to H(ibmaier, upheld ideas of an extreme chiliastic nature
and argued for the exemption of believers from
secular authority, and that he was declared defeated
and forced to flee. [He insisted upon community
of goods, and asserted that Christians should not
pay taxes to the civil powers because the money
might be used in carnal warfare. A.
H.
N.] Hübmaier presented fifty-two articles as emanating from
Hut, the authorship of which the latter denied.
Nevertheless, it is certain that some of the propositions, such as that announcing the
advent of Christ
within two years and the coming destruction of the
godless, were taught by Hut, while more extreme
statements like that asserting the humanity of
Christ were held in circles with which Hut stood in
close connection. In Aug., 1527, Hut came to Augsburg to attend the general assembly of Anabaptists.
He was arrested on Sept. 15, and was subjected to
torture, confessing, however, to no more than was
already known of his teachings. Anticipating conviction, he is said to have set fire to his prison cot
and died of his injuries after eight days.
(A. Hegler+.) K. HOLL.
Bibliography:
C. A Cornelius,
Oesdhie" des nltanatvischen
AufruArs, ii. 39 sqq., 251 sqq., 279 sqq., Leipsic, 1880;
J: E. JSrg.
Deutschland in der Reoolueiontyeriads, pp.
677
sqq., Freiburg, 1851; F. Roth,
Aupsiurpirehe Reforn,ationageschichte, pp.
199 sqq., Munich, 1881; A. Nicoladoni,
Johann
Btanderlin,
Berlin, 1893; Q Meyer, in ZRO, zvi
(1893), 248 sqq.; A. H. Newman,
Hist. of
AntipedobapSam, pp.
151-219, Philadelphia, 1897.
