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Elisabeth von Wolkenstein of Uttenheim 171 many points of Anabaptist faith. However, she remained firm in her conviction that confession and the sacrament of the altar, as well as infant baptism were to be rejected. In these matters she wanted to keep the teachings of her Anabaptist brothers and sisters. However, she requested the judicial authorities to give her one year's time to think about these doctrinal issues before making a final decision. During this time she wanted to ask God for grace, to enlighten her regarding the genuine religious truth, and to lead her to the right faith.29 In the meantime, on March 22, 1534, her oldest son Hans and her son­in­law Michael von Teutenhofen made a request of the authorities to be allowed to speak with Elisabeth in prison, in order to convince her of her error. The government welcomed this effort by her close relatives and allowed her son and son­in­law to converse with Elisabeth in prison in the presence of the crown administrator of Taufers, Fridrich Fueger, the local judge, Hans Egle, and sworn witnesses, in addition to the beneficiary and cathedral priest in Brixen, Wolfgang Wiser, and the parish priest of Taufers, Sigismund Zott.30 We do not know what resulted from this meeting. It seems, however, that at first Elisabeth was not ready to give a full recantation. The government of Innsbruck found it necessary to send a report to King Ferdinand I concerning the capture and interrogation of Elisabeth von Wolkenstein and, at the same time, that of her husband, Anton, and son Paul. They sought direction on how to proceed against the prisoners.31 In his answer of April 15, 1534, the king ordered that Elisabeth be given a third hearing with "serious" interrogation. In other cases, "serious" questioning meant that torture was to be used during the interrogation. We do not know whether Elisabeth was tortured or only threatened with torture. Disturbed as he was by the events occurring in Minister in northern Germany, the king wanted detailed information from Elisabeth about her own activities as well as the goals and plans of the Anabaptist movement. King Ferdinand I also was willing to have her son Hans and son­in­ law, Michael von Teutenhofen, meet a second time for discussion with Elisabeth in prison, in case the judicial process alone did not bring the desired results. Either the crown administrator or the judge of Taufers, as well as the sworn witnesses, were also to be present. The court met in mid­April 1534. However, this time the government of Innsbruck instructed that another official, Vice Marshal Erasmus Offenhauser, be in charge. The crown administrator and proprietor of the territory of Taufers, Fridrich Fueger, the judge of the territorial district of Taufers, Hans Egle, and the resident court secretary, Martin Stangl, also were present. The court officials presented the defendant with the following questions, which the government of Innsbruck had formulated previously:­ When were you baptized, who baptized you, and where is that person now? 172 Profiles of Anabaptist Women­ For what reason did you become involved with the devious sect of Anabaptism?­ What were you told by the leader who baptized you; who was baptized with you; what are the intentions and plans of the Anabaptists?­ In which places have you attended the meetings and celebrations of Lord's Supper of the Anabaptists? Did you make space available to them in your house for their meetings and give them shelter?­Do you know the names of others who are in the movement?32 Following the interrogation, Erasmus Offenhauser and Fridrich Fueger had to report to the government of Innsbruck that neither the judicial process nor the discussion with close relatives, her son Hans and her son­in­law, Michael von Teutenhofen, had convinced Elisabeth von Wolkenstein of her guilt or persuaded her to recant fully. Thereupon, the government took a different approach to the problem and requested the bishop of Brixen to send a priest well­versed in theology to Elisabeth at the Taufers Castle, in order to instruct her in the true Christian faith and to bring her to a knowledge of her error.33 Elisabeth Gives a Christian Confession, Swears an Oath and Delivers a Public Recantation As instructed by the government of Innsbruck, the court met on May 8, 1534, for thefourth time. Among those in attendance were two very learned theologians and members of the clergy: Albert Kraus, the suffragan bishop...

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