Hirzel, Rudolf (d. 1622) Three Hirzels are listed in the
chronicles of the Hutterian Brethren in the 1620s: the cousins
Rudolf and Christoph, and Konrad Hirzel. The best known was
Rudolf. When after the death of Ulrich Jaussling on 8 April
1621, the brotherhood had been without a head for four weeks
because of the danger of meeting earlier, they chose Rudolf
Hirzel to be their leader on 9 May. He was apparently not
qualified for the position, and soon fell into disrepute in the
brotherhood. The impression that the Hutterites had stored up
vast treasure was prevalent in the land, supported by the
writings of Christoph Andreas Fischer. For this reason Cardinal
Franz von Dietrichstein had Hirzel and two other brethren seized
at Neumühle and taken to prison in Nikolsburg. After several
weeks Hirzel was sharply questioned concerning the location of
this money, by the cardinal and two other prominent men. If he
refused to give this information willingly, they would eradicate
the brotherhood from the ground up, begi