Barbara Heinemann Landmann - Barbara Is Arrested For The First Time.

Barbara Is Arrested For The First Time.

While still in Bergzabern with Kreutzer, Barbara suffered her first arrest. The town's pastor urged the authorities to take action against the Inspirationists. The authorities sent spies to a prayer meeting of the Inspirationists. Before the meeting, at supper with a family of Inspirationists, Barbara became inspired and testified that there would be spies at that night's prayer meeting. Barbara herself did not go to the meeting. After the meeting, several who had attended came and asked why she had not come. They said that there had been two aristocratic gentlemen there. Barbara explained that they were spies. She showed them the testimony she had delivered earlier that evening. They were astounded.

Barbara sensed that the houses of the Inspirationists were about to be searched. She had the people put all their books and testimonies in a sack, which they hid under a tub in the basement. This was scarcely done when the house was surrounded by soldiers, policemen, and townspeople. They searched the house. Several times they turned over the tub, but they left the sack undisturbed.

Although the search was fruitless, many of the Inspirationists, including Barbara, were arrested and taken to the town hall. All of Krausert's luggage was confiscated.

Christian Metz came to visit them in the town hall. Metz was the third Werkzeug of the Reawakening. This was the first time that Barbara met him.

Unlike Barbara, Metz was born within the Community of True Inspiration. One of his grandfathers, Jacob Metz, was a principal member of one of the congregations established by Gruber and Rock. Christian Metz was a carpenter in Ronneburg when he heard Krausert's first testimony, "Oh, Ronneburg. . . ." Upon hearing this summons, Christian Metz experienced a thorough revival; soon after, he received the gift of Inspiration.

From Bergzabern, Barbara and the other arrestees were transported to Landau for imprisonment. The women were put into a special jail, for women only. To the women already in the prison, the Community members said that they were being imprisoned for good deeds, not for bad.

Among the arrestees were Krausert's wife and his wife's sister, who were extremely distressed. That night Barbara had a vision in which she saw that the two women would be released the next day. Sure enough, they were released the next day, as was Krausert himself. Krausert and his party returned to Ronneburg. Barbara, however, had to remain under arrest for eight more days. Fortunately, the town councilman sympathized with her, and had her serve the rest of her sentence as a guest in his own house.

When the eight days were over, she demanded a hearing, to learn why she had been held captive. Several doctors came to the hearing, to examine her concerning her Bewegungen. In their presence, she experienced a strong bodily trembling and spoke out a testimony. Everyone was startled. Her testimony included a denunciation of the pastor at Bergzabern who had instigated the actions against the Community.

She returned to Bergzabern, to general rejoicing among the Inspirationists. All this occurred in January 1819, one month after Barbara's first Aussprache.