On This Day
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The "Zwickau Prophets" appear in Wittenberg

The Zwickau prophets (German: Zwickauer Propheten, Zwickauer Storchianer) were three men of the Radical Reformation from Zwickau in the Electorate of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire who were possibly...

The Zwickau prophets (German: Zwickauer Propheten, Zwickauer Storchianer) were three men of the Radical Reformation from Zwickau in the Electorate of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire who were possibly involved in a disturbance in nearby Wittenberg and its evolving Reformation in early 1522.

The three men – Nikolaus Storch, Thomas Dreschel, and Markus Stübner – began their movement in Zwickau. Though these three names are favored in recent scholarship, others have been suggested. Lars Pederson Qualben used the name "Marx" for "Dreschel", and Henry Clay Vedder replaced Dreschel with Marcus Thomä (William Roscoe Estep gave Stübner the middle name "Thomas".).

The relationship of the Zwickau Prophets to the Anabaptist movement has been variously interpreted.

Historical Significance

The Zwickau prophets (German: Zwickauer Propheten, Zwickauer Storchianer) were three men of the Radical Reformation from Zwickau in the Electorate of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire who were possibly involved in a disturbance in nearby Wittenberg and its evolving Reformation in early 1522.

Events Before

  1. Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés du

    Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés during "La Noche Triste" (the Night of Sadness). Many soldiers drown in the escape, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II dies in the struggle.

  2. Hernán Cortés and the Tlaxcalans defeat a numerically superior Aztec force in the Battle of Otumba in Mexico

    The Battle of Otumba was fought between the Aztec and allied forces led by the Cihuacoatl Matlatzincátzin and those of Hernán Cortés made up of the Spanish conquerors and Tlaxcalan allies.

  3. Suleiman the Magnificent succeeds his father, Selim I, as Ottoman Sultan and rules until 1566

    Suleiman I (6 November 1494 – 6 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was the Ottoman sultan from 1520 to 1566.

  4. Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan begins crossing the Pacific Ocean

    Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan begins crossing the Pacific Ocean

  5. Martin Luther publicly burns Pope Leo X's papal bull 'Exsurge Domine' which demanded that Luther recant his writings

    Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Augustinian friar.

Events After

  1. Martin Luther begins preaching his "Invocavit Sermons" in the German city of Wittenberg, reminding citizens to trust God

    Martin Luther begins preaching his "Invocavit Sermons" in the German city of Wittenberg, reminding citizens to trust God's word rather than violence, helping bring to a close the revolutionary stage of the Reformation

  2. Ferdinand Magellan's Spanish expedition, now led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, returns to Seville without its captain after

    Ferdinand Magellan's Spanish expedition, now led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, returns to Seville without its captain after a three-year epic voyage, becoming the first to circumnavigate the globe

  3. Suleiman the Magnificent accepts the surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who are allowed to evacuate. They eve

    Suleiman the Magnificent accepts the surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who are allowed to evacuate. They eventually settle in Malta and become known as the Knights of Malta.

  4. Adriaan F Boeyens elected only Dutch pope (Adrian VI)

    Pope Adrian VI (Latin: Hadrianus VI; Italian: Adriano VI; German: Hadrian VI.; Dutch: Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic...

  5. Head Inquisitor Adrian Florisz Boeyens is elected pope

    Pope Adrian VI (Latin: Hadrianus VI; Italian: Adriano VI; German: Hadrian VI.; Dutch: Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic...

More from the 1520s

Croatian nobles elect Ferdinand I of Austria as King of Croatia in the Parliament on Cetin

The Kingdom of Croatia (Croatian: Kraljevina Hrvatska; Latin: Regnum Croatiae; Hungarian: Horvát Királyság, German: Königreich Kroatien) was part of the Lands of the Hungarian Crown, but was subject...

Martin Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church for refusing to recant parts of his Ninety-

Martin Luther is excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church for refusing to recant parts of his Ninety-Five Theses, which started the Protestant Reformation

Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, rules for 37 years, and becomes known as the "father of the nation"

Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, rules for 37 years, and becomes known as the "father of the nation"

Charles V and Francis I sign the Treaty of Madrid, forcing Francis to renounce his claims to Burgundy, Italy, and Flande

Charles V and Francis I sign the Treaty of Madrid, forcing Francis to renounce his claims to Burgundy, Italy, and Flanders

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 27, 1521?
The Zwickau prophets (German: Zwickauer Propheten, Zwickauer Storchianer) were three men of the Radical Reformation from Zwickau in the Electorate of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire who were possibly involved in a disturbance in nearby Wittenberg and its evolving Reformation in early 1522. The three men – Nikolaus Storch, Thomas Dreschel, and Markus Stübner – began their movement in Zwickau. Though these three names are favored in recent scholarship, others have been suggested.
Why is The "Zwickau Prophets" appear in Wittenberg significant?
The Zwickau prophets (German: Zwickauer Propheten, Zwickauer Storchianer) were three men of the Radical Reformation from Zwickau in the Electorate of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire who were possibly involved in a disturbance in nearby Wittenberg and its evolving Reformation in early 1522.

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December 27 in HistoryYear 1521