Peter Fliesteden
Encyclopedia
Peter Fliesteden was condemned to be burnt at the stake at Melaten near Cologne
, as one of the first Protestant martyrs of the Reformation
on the Lower Rhine
in Germany
. He was born in a tiny place also called Fliesteden
(now part of Bergheim
, Rhein-Erft-Kreis
) on an unknown date.
at the elevation of the host, he covered his head, turned his back on it and spat. Fliesteden arrested immediately outside the Cologne Cathedral
and taken to the prison in the Frankenturm. After long interrogations he was condemned as a "radical Protestant", because he rejected "the duty of confession in church, the vows of the orders, the priesthood and above all the presence of Christ in the sacraments of the Eucharist
and the veneration of the sacrament."
, but died before he could be fastened to the stake, when the executioner, in an attempt to make him keep quiet, pulled on the chain round his throat too tight.
The present Melaten Burial Ground (Melaten-Friedhof) now stands near the site and contains a memorial to both Clarenbach and Fliesteden.
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, as one of the first Protestant martyrs of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
on the Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was born in a tiny place also called Fliesteden
Bergheim
-Places:*Heidelberg-Bergheim — a district of Heidelberg in Germany*Bergheim, Bavaria — a municipality in Bavaria, Germany*Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia — the capital of the Rhein-Erft-Kreis district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
(now part of Bergheim
Bergheim
-Places:*Heidelberg-Bergheim — a district of Heidelberg in Germany*Bergheim, Bavaria — a municipality in Bavaria, Germany*Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia — the capital of the Rhein-Erft-Kreis district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
, Rhein-Erft-Kreis
Rhein-Erft-Kreis
The Rhein-Erft-Kreis is a district in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Neuss, district-free Cologne, Rhein-Sieg, Euskirchen, Düren.-History:...
) on an unknown date.
Arrest
In December 1527, a cathedral priest reported that, during the MassMass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
at the elevation of the host, he covered his head, turned his back on it and spat. Fliesteden arrested immediately outside the Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site...
and taken to the prison in the Frankenturm. After long interrogations he was condemned as a "radical Protestant", because he rejected "the duty of confession in church, the vows of the orders, the priesthood and above all the presence of Christ in the sacraments of the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
and the veneration of the sacrament."
Martyrdom
He was condemned to be burnt at the stake at Melaten near Cologne on 28 September 1529 with another Protestant, Adolf ClarenbachAdolf Clarenbach
Adolf Clarenbach , burnt at the stake in Cologne, died as one of the first Protestant martyrs of the Reformation in the Lower Rhine region in Germany.- Life :...
, but died before he could be fastened to the stake, when the executioner, in an attempt to make him keep quiet, pulled on the chain round his throat too tight.
The present Melaten Burial Ground (Melaten-Friedhof) now stands near the site and contains a memorial to both Clarenbach and Fliesteden.
Sources
- J. F. Gerhard Goeters: Studien zur niederrheinischen Reformationsgeschichte; Pulheim: Verein für rheinische Kirchengeschichte, 2002; ISBN 3792718308