BERNT (BEREND or BERNHARDT) (c. German divine, was a prosperous cloth-merchant at Miinster when in he joined Melchior Rinck and Melchior Hofmann in a business journey to Stockholm, which developed into an abortive religious errand. Knipperdollinck, a man of fine presence and glib tongue, noted from his youth for eccentricity, had the ear of the MUnster populace when in 1527 he helped to break the prison of Tonies Kruse, in the teeth of the bishop and the civic authorities. For this he made his peace with the latter; but, venturing on another business journey, he was arrested, imprisoned for a year, and released on payment of a high fine—in regard of which treatment he began an action before the Imperial Chamber. Though his aims were political rather than religious, he attached himself to the reforming movement of Bernhardt Rothmann, once (1529) chaplain of St. Mauritz, outside Munster, now (1532) pastor of the city church of St. Lamberti. A new bishop directed a mandate (April 17, 1532) against Rothmann, which had the effect of alienating the moderates in Miinster from the democrats.
Knipperdollinck was a leader of the democrats in the surprise (Dec. 26, 1532) which made prisoners of the negotiating nobles at Telgte, in the territory of Miinster. In the end, Miinster was by charter from Philip of Hesse (Feb. 14, constituted an evangelical city. Knipperdollinck was made a burgomaster in Feb. 1534. Anabaptism had already (Sept. 8, 1533) been proclaimed at Miinster by a journeyman smith; and, before this, Heinrich Roll, a refugee, had brought Rothmann (May 1533) to a rejec tion of infant baptism. From Jan. 1, 1534, Roll preached Ana baptist doctrines in a city pulpit; a few days later, two Dutch emissaries of Jan Matthysz, or Matthyssen, the master-baker and Anabaptist prophet of Haarlem, came on a mission to Munster. They were followed (Jan. 13) by Jan Beukelsz (or Bockelszoon, or Buchholdt), better known as John of Leyden. It was his
second visit to Mi,inster; he came now as an apostle of Matthysz. He was 25, with a winning personality, great gifts as an organ izer, and plenty of ambition. Knipperdollinck, whose daughter Clara was ultimately enrolled among the wives of John of Leyden, came under his influence. Matthysz himself came to Miinster (1534) and lived in Knipperdollinck's house, which became the centre of the new movement to substitute Miinster for Strasbourg (Melchior Hofmann's choice) as the New Jerusalem. On the death of Matthysz, in a foolish raid (April 5, John became supreme.
Knipperdollinck, with one attempt at revolt, when he claimed the kingship for himself, was his subservient henchman, wheedling the MUnster democracy into subjection to the fantastic rule of the "king of the earth." He was made second in command, and executioner of the refractory. He fell in with the polygamy inno vation, the protest of his wife being visited with a penance. In the military measures for resisting the siege of Munster he took no leading part. On the fall of the city (June 25, 1535) he hid in a dwelling in the city wall, but was betrayed by his landlady. After six months' incarceration, his trial, along with his comrades, took place on Jan. 19, and his execution, with fearful tortures, on Jan. 22, 1536. Knipperdollinck attempted to strangle himself, but was forced to endure the worst. His body, like those of the others, was hung in a cage on the tower of St. Lamberti, where the cages are still to be seen. An alleged portrait, from an engraving of 1607, is reproduced in the appendix to A. Ross's Pansebeia (1655).
See L. Keller, Geschichte der Wiedertiiufer and ihres Reichs zu Miinster (188o) ; C. A. Cornelius, Historische Arbeiten (1899) ; E.