Hans Hut

Hans Hut (c. 1490 – 6 December 1527) was a very active Anabaptist in Southern Germany and Austria.

Hut was born in Haina near Römhild, south Thuringia and became a travelling bookseller. Hut was for some years sacristan in Bibra to the knight Hans von Bibra (the brother of Bishop Lorenz von Bibra). He early came under the influence of Thomas Müntzer and, refusing to have his child baptized, was driven from the community in 1524. He took part in the decisive battle of Thuringia during the German Peasants' War on 15 May 1525 at Bad Frankenhausen. About a week later at Bibra, Hut preached "subjects should murder all the authorities, for the opportune time has arrived." In his later years Hut distanced himself from Müntzer, saying that he (himself) "had clearly erred" and that he "had not understood him (Müntzer)." After the battle he managed to flee and traveled throughout the region.

On Pentecost 1526 he was baptized in Augsburg by Hans Denck, who had previously been baptized by Balthasar Hubmaier. Some feel that Hut and Denck taught Universal salvation, but others question whether this was so. He expected the 1528 coming of the Kingdom of God in the form of a violent apocalyptic imposition of the rule of Christ. Therefore he curtailed his extensive missionary activity to await Pentecost 1528 and be among the 144,000 elect. He baptised not only with water, but sealed the baptism with a sign of the cross on the forehead.

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