Greek `baptize again' a member of any of 
various 16th-century radical Protestant 
sects. They believed in adult rather than 
child baptism, and sought to establish 
utopian communities. Anabaptist groups 
spread rapidly in N Europe, particularly in 
Germany, and were widely persecuted. Notable 
Anabaptists included those in Moravia (the 
Hutterites) and Thomas Muntzer (1489-1525), a 
peasant leader who was executed for fomenting 
an uprising in Muhlhausen (now Mulhouse in E 
France). In Munster, Germany, Anabaptists 
controlled the city 1534-35. A number of 
Anabaptist groups, such as the Mennonites, 
Amish, and Hutterites, emigrated to N 
America, where they became known for their 
simple way of life and pacifism.