Menno Simons
Menno Simons | |
|---|---|
"Menno Simons from Friesland" 1608 engraving by Christoffel van Sichem | |
| Church | Mennonites |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1496 |
| Died | 31 January 1561 (aged 64 or 65) Wüstenfelde, Duchy of Holstein, Holy Roman Empire |
| Buried | Bad Oldesloe |
| Denomination | Catholic (until 1536), Anabaptist (from 1536) |
| Spouse | Geertruydt Jansdochter |
| Children | Two daughters, one son |
| Profession | Catholic priest (until 1536), Anabaptist minister and author (from 1536) |
Menno Simons (Dutch: [ˈmɛnoː ˈsimɔns]; West Frisian: Minne Simens [ˈmɪnə ˈsimə̃ːs]; 1496 – 31 January 1561) was a Roman Catholic priest from the Friesland region of the Low Countries who was excommunicated from the Catholic Church and became an influential Anabaptist religious leader. Simons was a contemporary of the Protestant Reformers and it is from his name that his followers became known as Mennonites.