Felix Manz (ca. 1498–1527) was born out of wedlock, the son of a canon in the Grossmünster of Zurich. He received a good education and had a thorough knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. He became a follower of Ulrich Zwingli, who led church reforms in Zurich. He was among the first group to baptize one another, breaking with Zwingli and the Protestant state church. He was arrested several times, the last time on December 3, 1526. He was sentenced to death and drowned on January 5, 1927, becoming the first Anabaptist martyr.
