THERE arose in this country a cruel, terrible, and inhuman insurrection of the common peasant folk; I was there at the time and beheld strange and wondrous things. Certain factious and noisy people had undertaken to rescue by force from the judge a condemned rebel who had done wrong and who had justly been sentenced to punishment. After they had done this on a Wednesday, on Whitsunday the peasants, young and old, flocked together from all the mountains and valleys, although they did not know what they would do. Then when a great crowd of them had gathered together in the Mühland meadow in the Eisack valley, they concluded that they would deliver themselves of their burdens. A noble lord, Sigmund Brandisser, who was bailiff in Rodenegg, went to the assembled peasants and pointed out to them all the danger, mockery, damage, trouble, and care that would ensue. Although they promised him not to take action, but to present their grievances before their rightful prince, who was then at Innsbruck, they did not keep their promise, and on Whitsunday night they attacked Brixen, and in defiance of God and right they plundered and robbed all the priests, canons, and chaplains. Then they assembled before the bishop's courtyard and drove away all his councillors and servants with great violence, and in such an inhuman way that it cannot be described.
The people of Brixen forgot their duty to their Bishop Sebastian no less quickly than the peasants of Neustift had forgotten theirs to their lord, the Provost Augustine. In sum, no one thought of duty, loyalty, promises, or anything else. The people of Brixen and the peasants were of one mind. Each group had its leaders. Without any notice, without any reason, these leaders with five thousand men marched on the monastery of Neustift, and fell on the church on Friday, May 12, 1525. Of the wantonness of which they were guilty there one could write a whole book. The Provost Augustine, a pious man, was driven out and pursued, and the priests were so insulted, mocked, and tortured that each must have been made ashamed of the name and sign of priest. The peasants did more than twenty-five thousand florins' worth of damage to the church, in destroying the building and in looting silver, ornaments, furnishings and vessels, documents and books. The insolence, drunkenness, blasphemy, and sacrilege with which the house of God was desecrated at this time no one can describe. It would also have been burned, but God would not suffer this to happen.
On Saturday, May 13, the peasants chose a leader, Michael Geismayr, a squire's son from Sterzing, a malicious, evil, rebellious, but crafty man. As soon as he was chosen their leader, the plundering of priests went on through the whole land. There was no priest in the land so poor but that he must lose all he possessed. Afterwards they fell upon many of the nobility, and destroyed many of them, for no one was able to arm himself for defense. Even the Archduke Ferdinand and his excellent wife knew that they were safe nowhere. For in the whole country, in the valley of the Inn and on the Etsch, in the towns and among the peasants, there was such rioting, such an uproar and tumult, that an honest man might hardly walk in the streets. Robbing, plundering, and thieving were so common that even many pious men were tempted, who afterwards bitterly repented. And yet, to tell the truth, no one grew rich from the robbing, plundering, and stealing.
In J. Janssen, Geschichte des deutschen Volkes seit dem Ausgang des Mittelalters (Freiburg-im-Breisgau, 1915); trans. M.M.M.
MICHAEL GEISMAYR'S PLAN OF REFORM, 1526
At the very outset you must pledge your lives and property, not to desert each other but to cooperate at all times; always to act advisedly and to be faithful and obedient to your chosen leaders. You must seek in all things, not your own welfare, but the glory of God and the commonweal, so that the Almighty, as is promised to those who obey Him, may give us His blessing and help. To Him we entrust ourselves entirely because He is incorruptible and betrays no one.
All those godless men who persecute the Eternal Word of God, who oppress the poor and who hinder the common welfare, shall be extirpated.
The true Christian doctrines founded on the Holy Word of God shall be proclaimed, and you must zealously pledge yourselves to them.
All privileges shall be done away with, as they are contrary to the Word of God, and distort the law which declares that no one shall suffer for the misdeeds of others.
All city walls, castles, and fortresses shall be demolished. From now on cities shall cease to exist and all shall live in villages. From cities result differences in station in the sense that one deems himself higher and more important than another. From cities come dissension, pride, and disturbances; whereas in the country absolute equality reigns.
All pictures, images, and chapels that are not parish churches (which are a horror unto God and entirely un-Christian) shall be totally abolished throughout the land.
The Word of God is to be at all times faithfully preached in the empire, and all sophistry and legal trickery shall be uprooted and all books containing such evil writings burned.
The judges, as well as the priests in the land, shall be paid only when they are employed, in order that their services may be obtained at the least expense.
Every year each community shall choose a judge and eight sworn jurors who shall administer the law during that year.
Court shall be held every Monday, and all cases shall be brought to an end within two days. The judges, sworn scribes, advocates, court attendants, and messengers shall not accept money from those concerned in the lawsuit, but they shall be paid by the community. Every Monday all litigants shall appear before the court, present their cases, and await decision.
There shall be only one government in the land, which should be located at Brixen as the most suitable place, because it is in the center of the empire, and contains many monasteries and other places of importance. Hither shall come the officials from all parts of the land, including several representatives from the mines, who shall be chosen for that purpose.
Appeals shall be taken immediately to this body and never to Meran, where it is useless to go. The administration at Meran shall be forthwith abolished.