The Münster Rebellion

In the early 1500s, Germany was a mess of small counties, bishoprics and free cities.  As the Protestant Reformation got under way, it was not uncommon for these miniature states to come under new religious administration.  One of the most extreme examples was the city of Münster in 1534.

Jan Matthys and Jan Bockelson were converts to the new sect of Anaptism.  Unlike the the modern Anabaptists who pretty much mind their own business (such as the Amish and the Mennonites), the Jans added something of a violent-expansion twist to their version.  They overthrew the government of Münster and proclaimed it the New Jerusalem of biblical prophecy.

As usually happens when a place is declared the New Jerusalem of biblical prophecy, shit quickly proceeded to get a little rapey.  Private property was abolished, trade or barter for profit was outlawed and a system pretty similar to communism was implemented.  The leaders of the movement soon declared polygamy legal, and took many wives - Jan Bockelson is accused of publicly executing a woman for refusing to be his wife/sex slave.  Things were not good.

Meanwhile, the deposed bishop of the city gathered his forces and laid siege.  Matthys, deciding that he was the unstoppable avatar of God's wrath, rode out with only 30 men to meet the army.  His plan was to lay waste to them and then proceed to conquer the rest of the world in God's name.

He was quickly killed, of course, his head placed on a pike outside the walls and his genitals nailed to the town gates, because that was apparently a thing to do back then.  Despite the impressive defense mustered by the fanatics, the city eventually fell to the siege.  The leaders of the movement were captured, tortured and brutally executed.  Their corpses were then hung in cages from the city cathedral.  Although the remains have since been removed, the cages can still be seen hanging from the steeple.