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102:, because of his lighter weight after subsisting on prison rations. However, the pursuing guard fell through the ice and yelled for help as he struggled in the icy water. Willems turned back to save the life of his pursuer and thus was recaptured. His former pursuer stated his desire to let Willems go, but the
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on horseback nearby was so saddened by
Willems' suffering that he said to the executioner, "Dispatch the man with a quick death." Though it is not known if the executioner obeyed this request, it is known that Willems eventually died there, "with great steadfastness", and "having commended his soul
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Willems was held in a residential palace turned into a prison, from which he escaped using a rope made out of knotted rags. Using this, he was able to climb out of the prison onto the frozen moat. A guard noticed his escape and gave chase. Willems was able to traverse the thin ice of a frozen pond,
117:". Willems was executed in Asperen, and with a strong eastward wind blowing that day, the fire was driven away from the condemned's upper body, thus prolonging his torturous death. It was reported that the wind carried his screams all the way to nearby
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Protestants in the
Netherlands, which he would have received previously. This action, plus his continued devotion to his new faith and the baptism of several other people in his home, led to his condemnation by the
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most famous for escaping from prison but then turning back to rescue his pursuer – who had fallen through thin ice while chasing
Willems – only to be recaptured, tortured, and killed for his beliefs.
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Willems was thereafter held until he was condemned by a group of seven judges, who, quoting
Willems' "persisting obstinately in his opinion", ordered that he be
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on 16 May 1569, as well as that all his property be confiscated "for the benefit of
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among modern residents of
Asperen. A historical drama based on his life –
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Dirk
Willems saves his pursuer in this etching from the 1685 edition of
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249:"A Story of Faith and the Flag: A Study of Mennonite Fantasy Rhetoric"
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in the
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Today, he is one of the most celebrated martyrs among
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368:Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
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312:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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328:"Dirk Willems Statue Unveiled at MHV"
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219:"Compassion For The Enemy"
217:; Kreider, Robert (1995).
187:"Dirk Willems, A. D. 1569"
156:Mennonite Heritage Village
51:; died 16 May 1569) was a
413:Dutch Christian pacifists
278:Juhnke, James C. (1989).
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44:[ˈdɪr(ə)kˈʋɪləms]
126:into the hands of God".
364:Dirk Willemsz (d. 1569)
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284:North Newton, Kansas
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160:Steinbach, Manitoba
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136:Anabaptists
104:burgomaster
87:established
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166:References
158:museum in
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75:rebaptized
56:Anabaptist
308:cite book
148:folk hero
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232:14 April
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