Editing Hutterites (section)

=== Tyrol ===
Anabaptism appears to have come to [[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]] through the labors of Jörg Blaurock. The Gaismair uprising set the stage by producing a hope for social justice in a way that was similar to the [[German Peasants' War]]. [[Michael Gaismair]] had tried to bring religious, political, and economical reform through a violent peasant uprising, but the movement was squashed.<ref>[[Peter Hoover]]: ''The Mystery of the Mark-Anabaptist Mission Work under the Fire of God'', Mountain Lake, Minnesota, Elmendorf Books, 2008, pp. 14–66.</ref> Although little hard evidence exists of a direct connection between Gaismair's uprising and Tyrolian Anabaptism, at least a few of the peasants involved in the uprising later became Anabaptists. While a connection between a violent social revolution and non-resistant Anabaptism may be hard to imagine, the common link was the desire for a radical change in the prevailing social injustices. Disappointed with the failure of armed revolt, Anabaptist ideals of an alternative peaceful, just society probably resonated on the ears of the disappointed peasants.<ref>Werner O. Packull: ''Hutterite Beginnings: Communitarian Experiments During the Reformation'', Baltimore, Maryland, 1995, pp. 169–175</ref>

Before Anabaptism proper was introduced to South Tyrol, Protestant ideas had been propagated in the region by men such as Hans Vischer, a former Dominican.  Some of those who participated in conventicles where Protestant ideas were presented later became Anabaptists. As well, the population in general seemed to have a favorable attitude towards reform, be it Protestant or Anabaptist. Jörg Blaurock appears to have preached itinerantly in the [[Puster Valley]] region in 1527, which most likely was the first introduction of Anabaptist ideas in the area. Another visit through the area in 1529 reinforced these ideas, but he was captured and burned at the stake in [[Klausen, South Tyrol|Klausen]] on September 6, 1529.<ref>Werner O. Packull: ''Hutterite Beginnings: Communitarian Experiments During the Reformation'', Baltimore, Maryland, 1995, pp. 181–185</ref>

[[Jakob Hutter]] was one of the early converts in South Tyrol and later became a leader among the Hutterites, who received their name from him. Hutter made several trips between Moravia and Tyrol—most of the Anabaptists in South Tyrol ended up emigrating to Moravia because of the fierce persecution unleashed by [[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand I]]. In November 1535, Hutter was captured near [[Klausen, South Tyrol|Klausen]] and taken to [[Innsbruck]], where he was burned at the stake on February 25, 1536. By 1540 Anabaptism in South Tyrol was beginning to die out, largely because of the emigration to Moravia of the converts to escape incessant persecution.<ref>Werner O. Packull: ''Hutterite Beginnings: Communitarian Experiments During the Reformation'', Baltimore, Maryland, 1995, p. 280</ref>