A Sisters and Brothers Production
Michael Sattler (1490-1527) was a monk who left the
Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant
Reformation to become one of the early leaders of the
Anabaptist movement. He was particularly influential for
his role in developing the Schleitheim Confession.
Born in approximately 1490 in Staufen, Germany, he
became a Benedictine monk in the cloister of St. Peter
and is believed to have became prior by the time he left in
1525. That year he traveled to Zürich which was then
embroiled in controversy over infant baptism. He became
associated with the Anabaptists and was probably
rebaptised in the summer of 1526.
Norbert Weisser
The Swiss Brethren
The Swiss Brethren were a
group of radical evangelical
reformers who initially
followed Ulrich Zwingli of
Zürich, but later started the
movement now known as
Anabaptism. In 1525, Felix
Manz, Conrad Grebel, George
Blaurock and others formed a
new group, which rejected
infant baptism and preached
what they claimed was true
Christianity.
He was involved in missionary activity around Horb and eventually traveled to Strasbourg.
Sattler became one of the most important leaders of the South German and Swiss Brethren.
When the Anabaptists of the region decided to hold a conference at Schleitheim in February
1527, Sattler was the natural figure to take the lead. At this conference, a group of
Anabaptists drafted and produced the Schleitheim Confession, which outlined the Anabaptist
position on several key issues.
While Sattler was away at Schleitheim, the authorities of Rottenburg became aware of
Anabaptist activity around Horb. Accordingly, not long after Sattler and his wife returned to
Horb they were arrested along with some other Anabaptists by Count Joachim von Zollern,
regent of Ferdinand of Austria who was Catholic. A trial date was quickly set for April 12,
but had to be delayed because of the strong Anabaptist presence in Horb and because finding
judges willing to preside over a case that was a sure death sentence proved difficult. The
authorities therefore transferred the heavily guarded prisoners to the tower of the distant
town of Binsdorf and set a new trial date for May in Rottenburg further up the Neckar River.
He was tried and sentenced to be executed as a heretic. As part of his execution, his tongue
was cut out, and red hot tongs were used to tear two pieces of flesh from his body. He was
then taken outside the city by wagon, and the tongs were used on him five more times. After
that, he was burned at the stake. The other men in the group were executed by sword, and
two days later the women, including Margaretha, were executed by drowning.
Shortly after leaving the monastery, Sattler met and
married a former nun named Margaretha. Together, they
traveled South as Sattler began interacting with
Anabaptists around the area of Zürich in Switzerland.
Although he was found in the company of many
Anabaptist leaders during this time period, Sattler was not
completely convinced of the Anabaptist position. He had
not yet reached the point of conviction that would mark
his later phase of ministry. The first direct evidence of
Sattler’s presence in Zürich is found in official prison
records in November of 1525. These indicate that after
the third Disputation in Zürich, Sattler was imprisoned and only released after he abjured of
any Anabaptist teaching and swore never to return to Zürich. After his expulsion from the
region, Sattler traveled north and engaged in missionary activity north of Zürich, where
additional numbers of Anabaptists joined him.
Norbert Weisser
Norbert Weisser is
an accomplished
stage and film
actor who came to
the U.S. from
Germany in the
mid-1960s.
Norbert frequently works with Director
and Producer Albert Pyun, and to date
has completed 16 of Pyun’s movies,
two of which Norbert was also one of
the producers.
With over 80 film and television credits
to his name, many of them award
winning, together with a long list of
notable plays for which he has won
awards, Norbert continues to delight
us all as he demonstrates his vast
talent on the stage and screen.
While he often plays a villain, Norbert
brought a wonderfully quiet sensitivity
to the role of Michael Sattler.
Site Concept and Design:
© JT eDesigns.com, 2013
Image of Mr. Weisser used with his permission.
Photography by Armen Asadorian.
Thanks, as always, Norbert!!
The Radicals is also featured on this
Norbert Weisser Website
Did you know?
In 2003, Norbert won an Ovation
Award and an LA Weekly Award for
Best Actor in the John O’Keefe play
Times Like These, in which he
played Oscar Weiss.
Norbert has worked with the best in
the business -- several of them
more than once. They include
Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard,
Alan Parker, Joseph Sargent, Jason
Robards, Eva Marie Saint. Walter
Matthau and Ed Harris, just to name
a very few.
Keep up to date with all of Norbert’s
plays and television appearances:
Norbert Weisser Official Fansite
Be sure to check out Norbert’s
Official Website, too --
Norbert Weisser Official Site
