About Henry Nicholis
Lived 1502 – 1580 (aged 77–78). Henry Nicholis was a merchant.
Hendrik Nicholis (or Hendrik Niclaes, Henry Nichlaes, Heinrich Niclaes; c. 1501 – c. 1580) was a German mystic and founder of the proto-deist sect "Familia Caritatis" (a.k.a. "Family of Love","Familia Caritatis" or "Hus der Lieften").
Life Nicholis was born in 1501 or 1502 at Münster, where he was married and was a prosperous merchant.
As a boy he was subject to visions, and at the age of twenty-seven charges of heresy led to his imprisonment. About 1530 he moved with his family to Amsterdam, where he was imprisoned on a charge of complicity in the Münster Rebellion of 1534–1535.
Nicholis signed his works with his initials, "H.N.", which coincidentally also stood for Homo Novus, "new man", which became a sort of call sign for the movement.
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Important facts
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Henry Nicholis?
German mystic
When was Henry Nicholis born?
Henry Nicholis was born in 1502 in Münster.
When did Henry Nicholis die?
Henry Nicholis died in 1580 in Cologne.
What was Henry Nicholis's occupation?
Henry Nicholis was a merchant.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry Nicholis. https://biography.guide/henry-nicholis/
MLA: "Henry Nicholis." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-nicholis/.
Chicago: "Henry Nicholis." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-nicholis/.
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