Catholics began to leave Munster in mid-February 1534, in the first of two major departures that month. While the first departure was fairly peaceful, the last was not. On February 27, 1534, the Anabaptists forced all non-believers to leave Munster, on foot, leaving all their belongings behind. This was the first of the notably brutal occurrences in the saga of the Anabaptist kingdom of Munster. Women were forced from their beds in labor, and were left to beg for rags to clothe their naked children. Those who did not convert were forced from the city without either property or food. Many did covert, and on February 27, over 300 baptisms occurred in the town marketplace. The irony of this cannot be lost on the modern observer, aware of the final fate of the Anabaptists themselves. The siege of Munster by the Prince-Bishop Franz von Waldeck was evident on the morning of February 28, 1534. The Bishop's forces, largely made up of mercenary soldiers, took up residence all around the walls of the city of Munster. Munster was a well-defended city, surrounded by walls and a large moat, as well as a gun tower that housed cannons and sharpshooters. The river Aa crossed the city, providing an ample source of water, as well as carp, bass and eels for food. Many of the cottages in the city had vegetable gardens and the city had many smokehouses, granaries and breweries, insuring an adequate supply of food for at least a year. The majority of sieges ended in far less than a year.
While the city did not have a substantial number of soldiers, all of the population, including women and children were called to aid in the defense of the city. Many of the men who had come to the city had brought weapons with them, thus providing the city with arms. The community rallied together to defend the city, bolster the walls and prepare for the forthcoming siege.
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