The great fire of Bern 1405. Amtliche Berner Chronik by Diebold Schilling, Bd. 1, 144, 1478.
Tijs van Lin (16th century) was a kind and religious man from Roermond. He was known for his compassion and generosity towards the poor. He helped those in need with what he had, earning him a good reputation in the community.
After leaving the Roman Catholic Church and its practices, Thijs became an Anabaptist. He tried to live a holy life every day, aiming to honor God, help others, and spread light to those still in spiritual darkness.
His strong commitment to his new faith made him a target for those who opposed it. Tijs was accused of heresy, imprisoned, and tortured in an attempt to make him abandon his beliefs. Despite all the suffering, he stayed firm in his faith. In the end, he was sentenced to death under Imperial law and was burned to ashes.
A few years after his execution in 1551, a fire broke out in Roermond (1554), almost burning the entire city to the ground. Was this, as many believe it was, the divine punishment for the unjust killing of Tijs?
