A Patrician's Son Abroad
Conrad Grebel was born about 1498, probably at Grüningen in the territory of Zurich, the second of six children of Jakob Grebel and Dorothea Fries. The Grebels were one of Zurich's leading families. His father, an iron merchant, served as the city's magistrate at Grüningen and later sat on the Zurich council and represented the city at meetings of the Swiss Confederation. Around 1513 the family moved into Zurich, and Conrad probably studied at the Latin school of the Great Minster.
His father meant him for a career of learning and public office. In 1514 Conrad enrolled at the University of Basel, where he studied under the humanist Heinrich Loriti, called Glarean. From 1515 to 1518 he studied at Vienna on a stipend from the emperor and formed a lasting friendship with the Swiss humanist Joachim Vadian, who later married Conrad's sister. Then a stipend from the French king took him to Paris. There he lived wildly, fell into brawls, and wasted his money, and in 1520 his father cut off his funds and called him home. After six years at three universities he had no degree.
Loading the rest of this biography