Munzer, or Muncer, Thomas, an insurrectionary leader of the German Anabaptists, was born at Zwickau about the end of the fifteenth century. He was a priest, first at his native town, and afterwards at Altstadt, and he was at one time a follower of Luther. But at length his tenets assumed a fanatical tone, and his hot-headed zeal drove him forth to be the apostle of a revolution. Traveling into Thuringia and Swabia, he preached the abolition of all legal penalties and all distinctions of rank; the establishment of a community of goods, and the speedy coming of Christ to set up the New Jerusalem. Such startling doctrines, falling among a population already excited with discontent against their rulers, hurried the ignorant peasantry into open revolt. A force of 8000 Thuringians rallied round Muntzer, and acknowledged him as their prophet and leader. He fixed his head-quarters at Mühlhausen. Thither the neighbouring princes, headed by the landgrave of Hesse, advanced to attack him. Terms of capitulation were offered to him in vain. He animated his troops by assuring them that a miracle from heaven would foil and confound their foes. A battle ensued, which ended in the complete rout of the insurgents. Muntzer was soon afterwards caught lurking at Frankenhausen. He was carried back to Mühlhausen, and beheaded in 1625.