Hans Landis

Abt 1544 - 1614  (~ 70 years)

• Name	Hans Landis  [1]
  Birth	Abt 1544  [2]
  Gender	Male
  Alternate birth	1553  [3]
  Death	29 Sep 1614  [3]
  Person ID	I5130	Ancestry of PNH, TNH, and others | Ancestor of BAM
  Last Modified	8 Dec 2019

  
  

  Father	Johannes Landis,   b. Abt 1521
  Mother	Katharina Schinz,   b. Abt 1524
  Family ID	F15904	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Margreth Hochstrasser,   b. Abt 1554
  Marriage	Bef 1582  [2]
  Children	+ 1. Margreth Landis,   b. Bef 1 Dec 1594
  Family ID	F6935	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	8 Dec 2019

  
  

• Notes

  From The Landis Family of Lancaster County by David Bachman Landis (Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1888): Hans was a Pietus or Mennonite preacher ... The Council of Zurich, who be it known were not Catholics, but of the Reformed church, ordered Hans' arrest, thus thinking to stop his teachings. But that good man could not be deterred from his sincere convictions, and "he was taken prisoner by his enemies and sent in irons from Zürich to the papists at Zolothurn." After being liberated by the aid of some kind-natured persons, he was again retaken and sent to Zürich, where he was rigorously examined as to his doctrine. In September, 1614, he was beheaded* with a sword, as a true follower of Christ. The authorities, then tried to persuade the common people that Hans was decapitated for his obstinacy towards them, but it remains a fact that he suffered death for religion's sake. It is interesting to know that Hans Landis was the last person to be beheaded for religious convictions in that locality. * The following extract from a letter dated July 19-29, 1659, written by a preacher at Zürich, gives a description of the execution: 'Hans Landis was tall of stature, had a long black beard, a little gray, and a masculine voice. Being led out cheerfully with a rope, to Wolfsstatt, the place of decollation, the executioner, Mr. Paul Volmar, let the rope fall [not, however, before Hans' wife and child came to him with tears in their eyes to bid him a last farewell, after which he entreated them to depart so as not to shake his resolution to meet his fate], raised both hands to heaven, and said: 'O, God of mercy, to thee be it complained, that you, Hans, have fallen into my hands; for God's sake forgive me for what I must do to you,' etc. Hans consoled the executioner, saying: 'I have already forgiven you, may God forgive you also; I am aware that you must execute the sentence of the magistracy; be undismayed, and see that nothing hinders you in this matter,' etc., whereupon he was beheaded.

  
  

• Sources

  [S3564] Jane Evans Best, "Bauman and Sauter Families of Hirzel, Switzerland." Mennonite Family History 10:53, Apr 1991. [S3565] S. Michael Wilcox, "Landis Families of Canton Zurich, Switzerland." Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 18:13, Jan 1995. [S3530] Jane Evans Best, "Swiss Origins of Groff, Hess, Weber, Landis, and Oberholtzer Families." Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 13:2, Apr 1990.