Flagellant Movement

Timeline

1. 1349Germany · GermanyAt the height of the plague in 1349, groups calling themselves penitents organized public processions across Germany, wearing white robes and collectively whipping themselves with scourges, claiming to atone for humanity through penance. The movement rapidly attracted large numbers of followers, forming a wave of religious fervor that crossed city-states.
2. 1349Central Europe · Central EuropeFlagellant groups spread into the Low Countries and elsewhere, and some developed anti-Jewish rhetoric and tendencies toward violence. In October 1349 Pope Clement VI issued the bull Inter sollicitudines condemning public flagellation without Church permission; bishops in various regions subsequently banned the movement, and its public activities quickly declined.