BUCKHOLDT [properly BEUKELSZ, or BOCKELSZOON], JOHANN (c. 1508-1535)  , Dutch Anabaptist fanatic, better known as JOHN OF LEIDEN, from his place of birth, was the illegitimate son of Bockel, burgomaster of Soevenhagen, who afterwards married his mother . He was born about 15o8, apprenticed to a tailor, became infected with the opinions of Thomas Miinzer, travelled in pursuit of his trade (being four years in London), married a widow, became bankrupt, and in September 1533 joined the Anabaptist movement under Johann Matthysz (Matthyszoon), baker of Haarlem . He had little education, but some literary faculty, and had written plays . On the 13th of January 1534 he appeared in Minster as an apostle of Matthysz . Good-looking and fluent, he fascinated women, and won the confidence of Bernard Knipperdollinck, a revolutionary cloth merchant, who gave him his daughter in marriage . The Munster Anabaptists took up arms on the 9th of February 1534 (see ANABAPTISTS) . On the death of Matthysz (1534), Buckholdt succeeded him as prophet, added his widow to the number of his wives, and organized a new constitution for Munster, with twelve elders (suggested by the tribes of Israel) and other officers of a theocracy, but soon superseded these, making himself king of the new Zion . His arbitrary rule was marked by pomp and severity . Munster was retaken (June 25, 1535) by its prince-bishop, Franz von Waldeck . Buckholdt, after many indignities, was cruelly executed on the 22nd of January 1536; his body, and those of his companions, were hung in cages to the tower of the Lamberti church . His portrait is in Grouwelen der Hooftketteren (Leiden, 1607; an English edition is appended to Alexander Ross's Pansebeia, 2nd ed., 165J); a better example of the same is given by Arend . See Arend, Algenaeene Geschiedenis des Vaderl and s (1846), ii., iii., 629 ; Van der Aa, Biographisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden (1853); E .

Belfort Bax, Rise and Fall of the Anabaptists (1903) . (A .