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Archiver > PALANCAS > 2003-12 > 1070908165


From: "E. J. Richards" <>
Subject: [PALANCAS] Moravians & Huguenots
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 19:29:25 +0100
References: <20031208.102056.1456.0.galls@juno.com> <001101c3bdac$0a079700$785ce942@coxinternet.com>


Moravia refers to an area in what is now the Czech Republic which is called
"Maehren" (Mähren) in German. The Moravians or Brothers, the Latin is
"Unitas Fratrum" or the "Union (or unity) of the Brothers" were the
spiritual descendants of Jan Hus, who in turn was inspired by John Wycliffe
in England -- the idea being to return to "primitive", i.e., original
Chistianity, which required that the believers hear The Word in their own
language, which is why Wycliffe translated the Bible into English (long
before the King James, sometimes by my students called the St. James,
Version) and which is why Hus translated parts of the Bible as well. The
Moravians were both German and Czech speakers -- if you go to Old Salem, in
North Carolina, you can find out a lot about them. Count Zinzendorf
protected some of the Brothers or Brethren.

Hus was burned at the stake in Constance in 1415. The story of his
condemnation is part of the history of the Council of Constance (in German
Kontanz).

If you are from North Carolina, by the way, you might know about a bank
there called "Wachovia" which is the Latin form for the German term "Wachau"
which is an area now in the Czech Republic.

Huguenots refers to French-speaking Protestants from both what is now
Switzerland (the area around Geneva) and southern France. Huguenot is
actually a bawdlerized form in French of the German word "Eidgenosse"
(literally, "oath-comrade", or better, "federalist", i.e., Swiss...).
Remember, please, that one third of the French population were Protestant
until Louis XVI decided to persecute the Protestants (remember the St.
Bartholomy Day's Massacre). Many of these French Protestants went off to
Holland or Switzerland or Prussia or America (especially South Carolina).
French Protestants, though, were Calvinists, and not Hussites. The
difference between Calvinism and Hussism has to do with the teaching about
Church hierarchy and the Sacraments. Ok, both groups were against the Latin
liturgy and the formal hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. It is very,
very complicated. Both groups were trying, just as we still are, to find
their way in the dark.

So, let's hear for lighting a candle.

Best,
Jeff Richards
Muenster, Germany


----- Original Message -----
From: "w. cary anderson" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 5:55 PM
Subject: Re: [PALANCAS] Moravians & Huegenots


> Check further back in religious history. John Hus, one of the very early
> ones who called for reforms in the church, was born and lived in Moravia.
> He was burned at the stake, if my memory serves me right. Most of the
> Hussites went back to their former churches, but a number continued to
> worship "underground". A remnant went west and were given shelter by
Count
> Zinzendorf. A number of other people in the area, and elsewhere, with
> similar beliefs came to Count Zinzendorf's estate to live.
>
> I haven't checked the web to see what is there on the "Moravian Church",
> Unity of the Brethren, Unitus Frattum or something like that in Latin. It
> has been so long since I worked on this and the above is just a short
> summary of what I recall.
>
> Even if you do not know of any Moravian ancestry, their records in both
PA,
> NJ, and NC are marvelous and include information about many who were not
> formal members of the Moravian church. They perform Christian rites
> (baptism, especially) for any who requested it.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 9:20 AM
> Subject: Re: [PALANCAS] Moravians & Huegenots
>
>
> > The Moravians were for the most part German - however there were
> > certainly Swiss Moravians as well including some of my ancestors...in
> > some cases these Swiss were originally Germans who had moved to
> > Switzerland because of religious persecution back in the 1500/1600s.
> > They were not from Moravia (Czeckosolvakia) - although Count Zinzendorf
> > who helped them and gave them refuge and helped with their
transportation
> > to America etc. was from Moravia - hence how the name Moravian got
> > attached to them.
> >
> > Susan Gall
> > Winston-Salem, NC - the "other" early Moravian area (Salem, Bethabara,
> > Bethania, etc.)
> >
> > On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 09:48:47 EST writes:
> > > Recently I learned that our Burgners were NOT German but Swiss. I
> > > have seen
> > > information on the list about both Moravians and Huegenots in the
> > > area. I
> > > understand that the Huegonots were French, what about the Moravians?
> > >
> > >
> > > John Andrew Burgner married one Julia Ann/Julian/Juliann McCloud who
> > > resided
> > > in the Zimmerman boarding house. My mother understands that she was
> > > with the
> > > Chautauqua before marrying. Anyone know how to find information
> > > concerning
> > > that?
> > >
> > > Thanks for the help,
> > > Candy Johnston
> > >
> > >
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> > > This is your list use and enjoy for genealogy.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
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>
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