Kerssenbrock, Hermann von, (c. 1520-1585)

in Latin, the text elegantly written by a single hand in black ink, possibly from the Low Countries, with side-notes and running-heads throughout in red ink ("Anno 1531...[Anno 1554]"), catchwords, a few neat corrections, one leaf inserted on a stub, the title and the note to the reader added by another hand, including the date 1568   

794 pages, folio (305 x 205mm.), in sixes, contemporary vellum boards, yapp edges, foolscap watermark to endleaves, green cloth ties (somewhat frayed), probably second half of the seventeenth century, possibly Dutch, a few stains, but generally very sound and clean, a few corners slightly affected by damp-staining, staining to front cover

H. von Kerssenbrock, Narrative of the Anabaptist Madness. The Overthrow of Münster, the Famous Metropolis of Westphalia, translated by Christopher S. Mackay (Leiden & Boston, 2007)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is an early pre-publication manuscript of the principal source for the history of the Anabaptists in Münster from 1524 until 1554, the composition attributed to "Hermanno a Kerssenbroick" and here dated 1568. Kerssenbrock experienced the upheaval in Münster as a child and, according to C.S. Mackay, wrote his History between 1564 and 1573. For nearly two centuries the text circulated only in manuscript, although a version appeared in J.B. Mencke's Scriptores Rerum Germanicarum in 1730 and a poor German translation was published in 1771. A reliable edition of the original Latin text prepared by Heinrich Detmer did not appear until 1899/1900. Other seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century manuscripts, titled "Historia furoris Anabaptistici" etc, can be found at Princeton University, and the Free University in Amsterdam and elsewhere.

The Anabaptists were charismatic reformers of early sixteenth-century Europe, who practised the re-baptism of its adherents and converts. The more radical Anabaptists in Münster also wanted social reform and were prepared to gain their ends by force, overthrowing and occuping the city during the years 1534 and 1535.  Hermann von Kerssenbrock's monumental but controversial history of Münster describes the teachings and actions of John of Leiden ("King of Münster") and Bernard Rothmann, and includes many eye-witness accounts of the more salacious and bloody events, including John of Leiden's polygamy and the grisly fate of the protagonists. The story inspired, amongst many others, Meyerbeer's opera Le prophète (1849) and the novel "Q" (1999), by the Italian collective known as "Luther Blissett".