Muckers (Johann Heinrich Schönherr)

A dualistic theosophical movement with a tumultuous history involving scandal and legal proceedings.


Religion: Christianity
Denomination: Lutheran
Founder: Johann Heinrich Schönherr
Founded: 19th century
Ended: 19th century
Location: Germany


The Muckers, named after the Middle German word “muckern” meaning canting bigots or hypocrites, emerged as followers of Johann Heinrich Schönherr’s teachings. Schönherr, born in 1770 to a non-commissioned officer in Prussia, pursued education at the University of Königsberg. This period was marked by a strong rationalist influence under Kantian idealism within the theological faculty. Dissatisfied with the prevailing philosophical notions that didn’t fully explain the “thing in itself,” Schönherr, reared in strict Lutheran orthodoxy, developed his own philosophy, heavily reliant on the Bible. Eventually, he considered himself to have attained ultimate knowledge, leading to his role as a prophet of a dualistic theosophy. This system, although closely resembling Gnosticism, was uniquely his creation, lacking any deliberate revival due to Schönherr’s limited theological education​​​​.

Schönherr’s theosophy distinguished two primal powers: a male and active Light, and a female and passive Darkness, symbolized as Fire and Water, respectively. These powers, both personal and volitional, existed in a void and their interaction led to the creation of God and the world. Evil entered through Lucifer’s fall, a Light-being created by God, who then aided the powers of Darkness. Sin originated with the Fall of Man, a corruption inherited through blood, necessitating redemption for restoring the harmony of primal powers. This redemption was Christ’s task, descending into a world divided into children of Light and Darkness. The Holy Ghost, emanating from Christ, aimed to perfect the higher natures representing Christ’s “law of righteousness” and to control lower natures to combat the powers of Darkness. Schönherr predicted an imminent end and the assured triumph of Light, identifying Napoleon as the Anti-Christ and foreseeing a time when faith would transform into knowledge​​.

Among Schönherr’s converts was Johann Wilhelm Ebel, an influential preacher in Königsberg from 1810. Although Ebel maintained orthodoxy in public sermons, he privately taught Schönherr’s doctrines to a select group. Following Schönherr’s death in 1826, Ebel, joined by Heinrich Diestel in 1827, continued spreading these teachings. Their ideas, particularly concerning “the purification of the flesh” and regulating marital relations, sparked controversy. In 1835, Count Finckenstein, a former follower, accused Ebel and Diestel of immorality. Diestel responded with two vehement tirades against the count, who subsequently won a slander lawsuit. This scandal culminated in the Königsberger Religionsprozess (1835–1841), a series of proceedings resulting in the deprivation of Ebel and Diestel’s pastoral positions. Although charges of immorality were dismissed, some Muckers practices resembled those of the Agapemone and the Perfectionists. Following these events, the group disbanded in 1839, with some members migrating to Brazil.

In Brazil, the Muckers, under the leadership of Jacobina Mentz Maurer, established an isolated community that sought to live out their religious convictions away from mainstream society. Jacobina, believed by some to be a prophet, claimed divine insight and began to attract a following through her interpretations of biblical passages, often entering trances. Her husband, João Jorge Maurer, gained fame as a healer, further elevating their status within the community. However, their unconventional beliefs and practices, including the declaration that the end of the world was near and that they were chosen by God to exterminate their enemies, led to tension and eventually violent conflict with local authorities and neighbors, in a period known as the Revolt of the Muckers. This resulted in the burning of homes and an aggressive crackdown by the National Guard, culminating in a tragic confrontation where many Muckers, including Jacobina, were killed​​​​. The Muckers are remembered in Brazil’s popular culture, including references in media coverage of violent incidents and film adaptations, notably “A Paixão de Jacobina” (2002), focusing on Jacobina Mentz Maurer.

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