KAISER, kai'zer (KAESER), LEONHARD: German reformer; b. at Rab (a market-town near Schärding, 8 m. s.s.w. of Passau) about 1480; executed at Schärding Aug. 16, 1527. He was educated at Leipsic, and about 1517 became vicar of Waitzenkirchen, but in accordance with the Regensburg Edict of 1524 was cited before the consistory of Passau for preaching Evangelical doctrines. After a brief imprisonment, he was permitted to return to his congregation, whereupon, in defiance of the duke's prohibition forbidding his subjects to attend the University of Wittenberg, he matriculated there June 7, 1525, and for a year and a half enjoyed the teaching of Luther and his colleagues. Despite personal danger, he returned to Rab in the early part of 1527 on account of his father's mortal illness, and himself fell sick. Denounced by the parish priest of Rab, Kaiser was arrested and imprisoned at Passau on Mar. 11, 1527. He refused to retract his views, and his trial, because of the prominence of his family, attracted wide attention. Luther sent him a letter of consolation (Luthers Briefwechsel, ed. E. L. Enders, vi. 54-55, Frankfort, 1895), but all petitions,

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including those of the count of Sehaumberg, the margrave of Brandenburg, and even the elector of Saxony, were in vain. On July 18, he was condemned to be unfrocked and executed and the sentence was carried out on Aug. 16, when he was delivered to the secular arm and burned at the stake.

(T. KOLDE.)

BIBLIOGRAPHY: F. Roth, Ein evangelischer Märtyrer aus dem Innviertel, Halle, 1900; V. A. Winter, Geschichte der Schicksale der evangelischen Lehre, i. 237 sqq., Munich, 1809; A. Schmid, in Zeitschrift für allgemeine Geschichte, iv (1887), 308 sqq.

KAISERSWERTH. See DEACONESS, III., 2, a; FLIEDNER, THEODOR.

KALDI, kal'dî, GYORGY: Hungarian Jesuit; b. at Tyrnau (60 m. e. of Vienna), Hungary, 1570; d. at Presburg (35 m. e. of Vienna) Oct. 30, 1634. He held various positions in his order, preached in Vienna, taught theology at Olmütz, and finally became head of the college at Presburg. He translated the Bible into Hungarian (Vienna, 1626), and published a part of his sermons (2 vols., Presburg,1631). His translation of the Bible (see BIBLE VERSIONS, B, ix., 2) has been frequently reprinted.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: A. and A. de Backer, Les Écrivains de la compagnie de Jésus, s.v., 7 vols., Liége, 1853-61; KL, vii. 50, ii. 770-771.