The Anabaptist Path (Schaffhausen) is a hiking route on the Schaffhauser Beetswho have favourited three sections of Schleitheim, Hemmental and Merishausen meet on the 1 Zelgli-Meadow.
Tour profile
- Length: Three sections of 3.8 - 5.6 km in length
- Signposting: Signpost with a light green square labeled "Anabaptistweg"
- Path condition: Forest roads and footpaths
background
The Schaffhauser Anabaptist Path was expanded and re-signposted by the Randen Association jointly on behalf of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Schaffhausen, the Regional Nature Park Schaffhausen and the participating Anstösser communities for the Schaffhausen Reformation anniversary in 2017.
The Anabaptist Movement had its origins in Zurich in Switzerland, around 1523 there was a break between the Zurich reformer Huldrych Zwingli and believing Christians from his environment, such as Konrad Grebel, Felix Manz and Jörg Blaurock, who initially supported the Reformation ideas but who implemented it when too little oriented to the biblical example went too little. On January 18, 1525, after a disputation between the supporters of the different beliefs, the Zurich city council issued a first Anabaptist mandate, which expelled the Anabaptists who refused to baptize children from the area of Zurich within eight days; a little later a de facto ban on assembly was pronounced.
Numerous supporters of the new movement, which were called "Anabaptists" because they were the ones in the Roman Catholic resp. who did not accept the child baptism carried out by the Reformed Church, fled from Zurich Zollikon and later settled in the Zurich Oberland and also in the north of the canton of Schaffhausen. Johannes Brötli left Zollikon and worked in Hallau, where an Anabaptist congregation was formed, which took on free-church features and was broken up by the authorities a little later.
The Anabaptists withdrew to the Randen Heights, where in times of persecution they could escape across the Wutach River into German territory (and vice versa). On February 24, 1527 took place in Schleitheim under the direction of Michael Sattler a "brotherly union" of Anabaptists took place, here it was Schleitheim Confession composed. The seven articles form a written basis for the early Anabaptist congregations, one of the two known copies could be dated Schleitheim Museum can be purchased, it is exhibited in the "Baptist Room".
preparation
- Maps of the local topography 1: 25,000, unfortunately the path lies at the intersection of several sheets, at the starting points and at Schaffhauserlandtourismus a folding flyer with the section of the national map 1: 25,000 with the route is available.
getting there
The three routes of the Schaffhausen Anabaptist Path meet on the meadow "Zegli", you can take one of the routes to the ascent, one to the descent from Randen, but you must always be concerned about the return to the starting point.
The camp meadow "Zelgli" cannot be reached by public transport, two parking spaces at the Randenüberfahrt (1 Talisbänkli and 2 Mäserich) are easily accessible by car, the gravel roads are no problem for approaching by bike.
Public transportation
- to Schleitheim Buses operate on line 21 of the Transport company Schaffhausen, closest to the beginning of the path at the local history museum Schleitheim is the 3 Swiss Federation stop.
- Line 22 travels to Hemmental, stop 4 Hemmental village square
- after Merishausen line 23, stop 5 Merishausen parish hall
You can also park your private vehicle near the public transport stops.
Schleitheim - Zelgli (5.6 km) 
The trail starts at Schleitheimertal Museum, in which one of the two copies of the Schleitheim Confession is on display.
- Via the "Chilcheraa" (Kirchenrain) one arrives at the small street on the hill 1 "Höhi" above the village, we continue on a gravel road in the direction of Strickhof. There you turn right and walk a bit on the asphalt road to the Babental restaurant.
- Shortly before the2 Babental turn left and follow the Chräbsbach; the cows in the pastures show that you are in the area of the only alp in the canton of Schaffhausen where cattle are summered.
- The path now goes into the forest in the area of "Chälle". Here, near the ravines, the huts of the last Anabaptists had stood in clearings. were expelled from Schleitheim. An information board at a 3 Refuge informs about what happened.
- The path follows the forest road and then climbs in one 4 Ravine steeply towards Randen.
- Soon the camp meadow will be "Zelgli" with fireplace, toilet and a refuge reached. In the summer months, the meadow near the Schaffhausen people is a popular destination for picnics and games.
- An information board "Pears instead of arrest" reports on an episode in which the Schaffhausen official brought pieces of pear to an Anabaptist from Feld instead of carrying out the planned arrest.
Hemmental - Zelgli (3.75 km) 
In Hemmental, which was incorporated into the city of Schaffhausen in 2009, the Anabaptist Trail begins at the bus stop in the center of the village.
- The path leaves the village in the west and follows a gravel road a little above the "Guggental".
- The narrow footpath descends from the forest road in the "Langtal" 5 Anabaptist Rise Also a ravine similar to the fall line on the edges, trees provide shade on the way up, but some nettles line the path.
- When you have reached the Randenhöhe with its plateau, the nature reserve "Mösli" stretches to the right with its poor meadows, home to native ochids.
- The one set in 2004 as a symbol of remembrance of the persecution of Anabaptists and for reconciliation 1 Baptist stone lies on the Zelgliewiese plateau. The memorial stone with a central line, the elevations and depressions as an expression of the Randen Hill and three crosses in memory of three martyrs, is made of Black Forest granite.
- The path continues along the edge of the forest to the refuge on the Zelgli with the intersection with the other sections of the route.
Merishausen - Zelgli (5.6 km)
In the village of Merishausen in the Durchtal valley, the Anabaptist Trail begins at the bus stop in the center of the village, near the church. On the Quartierstrasse 6 Anabaptist Path if you leave the village in a westerly direction.
- The path crosses the Dostenbach, here at the 2 Anabaptist Source, which carries water all year round, an artificially created basin in the stream bed suggests its use as a baptismal font. Here a shady resting place has been created by the enclosed spring, which invites you to have a picnic.
- The route follows Dostentalstrasse, then branches off 7 Forest roads to the left and after a short distance the ascent begins.
- The path leads along a ravine in a fairly straight line to the Randenhöhe, after a forest clearing with a poor meadow you reach the Randenüberfahrt with the parking lot at Mäserich.
- From there the last stretch leads to the edge of the forest Zelgliwiese along to the refuge, where the other sections of the path join.
Places to eat / stay overnight
Restaurants are rare in the area of the hiking route, but there are a number of options in Merishausen, Hemmental and Schleitheim; You can also spend the night here.
- 1 Babental alpine restaurant, Babental 354, 8226 Schleitheim, Germany. Tel.: 41 (0)52 680 12 72, Email: [email protected]. Restaurant and guest room on the Alp Babental.Open: closed Tuesdays, Mondays and Wednesdays only until 6 p.m., other days also in the evening.
security
The paths are a bit slippery on the descent, good footwear is recommended.
References to literature and maps
- Website to the Anabaptist Path at the ref. Regional Church SH
- Website to the Anabaptist Path on the website of the regional nature park Schaffhausen, with a map section for download
- the Schleitheim Confession with a copy on the side of the Museum Schleitheimertal and up e-rara
