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History Daily

The End of the Münster Rebellion

History Daily

History Daily

History

4.42.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2026

⏱️ 17 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

June 24, 1535. A radical political uprising comes to an end when the city of Münster falls to a Bishop’s army. This episode originally aired in 2024.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

It's April 5, 1534, outside Munster, a German city in the Holy Roman Empire.

0:14.5

Forty-year-old Bishop Franz von Valdek emerges from a tent into glorious sunshine.

0:25.4

It's Easter Sunday, and normally Bishop Valdek would be preparing for religious services that marked the most important festival in the Christian calendar.

0:29.0

But this year, Bishop Valdek isn't at church he's leading an army.

0:33.5

Two months ago, a religious uprising occurred in the city of Munster.

0:38.0

A radical sect known as Anabaptists took over the town and expelled anyone who refused to convert to their version of Christianity.

0:46.0

This was unacceptable to Franz von Valdeck.

0:49.1

He's not only the local Catholic bishop, he's also the region's ruler.

0:53.4

So now he's come to Munster to return the

0:55.7

city to what he views as the one true Christian faith, and he's prepared to use force to do it.

1:01.4

He set up camp outside Munster and deployed his army to besiege the city. Now, as he watches on,

1:08.1

the city gates begin to open. Bishop Valdeck praises God that the rebellious subjects of Munster have chosen this holy day to surrender.

1:16.8

But his celebrations are cut short when he sees a dozen horsemen gallop out of the gates.

1:22.1

They have their weapons drawn, and they're heading straight for the bishop's tent.

1:26.6

The bishop's soldiers rush to meet the threat, forming a defensive line.

1:30.7

Guards plead for Bishop Valdek to flee to safety, but he's not going to turn away from

1:35.1

his enemy, especially when this small group of attackers is hopelessly outnumbered by the

1:40.0

hundreds of the bishop's pikemen.

1:42.1

So instead, Bishop Valdock stands with his soldiers,

1:45.1

waiting, expecting the oncoming riders to recognize the overwhelming odds and retreat. Instead,

1:51.2

they keep coming until they clash with the bishop's well-organized line. It is a one-sided

1:56.9

fight. The horses are brought down almost immediately, and the riders tumble from their

...

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