Zwingli and the plague

Ulrich (also Huldrych) Zwingli lived from 1484 to 1531. From 1519 he was a pastor at the Grossmünster in Zurich. He wanted to renew the church and base it only on the Bible. This renewal is called the Reformation. Zwingli is the reformer of Zurich. Martin Luther was the reformer in Germany, John Calvin in Geneva.

With the Reformation, much changed in Zurich: Mass was abolished, pictures were removed from the churches, monasteries were dissolved. Church services were now in German instead of Latin. Zwingli also fought against mercenary service, that is against Swiss men who fought in foreign wars for money. He died in 1531 in the Battle of Kappel.

In the 17th century the plague came to Zurich several times, above all in 1611, 1629 and 1635. The plague is a highly contagious disease. About 25 million people died of it in all of Europe. According to the learning brochure, half of Zurich's population died between 1611 and 1635. More recent historical research speaks of up to 40 percent.

Memory aid: Zwingli = Zurich, Luther = Germany, Calvin = Geneva.