Kettenbach, Heinrich Von

Kettenbach, Heinrich Von an eminent German writer of the period of the Reformation, was probably of French extraction. Little is known of his life. He became a Franciscan, and in 1521 went to Ulm in the place of one of the brethren expelled by the general of the order for holding evangelical opinions. Kettenbach, however, soon followed the example of his predecessor: he preached against the papacy and the monks, and, having thus aroused the enmity of the Dominicans, was in turn obliged to leave Ulm the same year. He then went to Wittenberg, where he openly joined the Reformation, took part in all the movements in favor of emancipation from Rome, and was probably killed in the peasants' war. Kettenbach was a very popular preacher, and made many converts from Romanism, which he attacked in Vergleichung des Allerheiligsten Herrn u.Vaters Papst gegen d. seltsamen u.fremden Gast in d. Christenheit, genannt Jesus, etc. (M Wittenb. 1523) :Practica; Neue Apologie u. Verantworfung Martini Luthers wider d. Papisten Mordgeschrei (1523). It is generally supposed that Kettenbach wrote largely, but that his works have been lost. His influence among the Reformers must have been great, or he would not have been among the persons cited by Eck to appear with Luther before the Reichstag at Augsburg. See Pierer, Univ. Lex. s.v.; Veesenmeyer, Beitrdge z. Gesch. d. Literatur u. Rej: p. 79 sq.; Keim, in Herzog, Real-Encyklopadie, s.v.