Kaspar Von Schwenkfeld, the founder of a religious sect, born in Ossig, Silesia, in 1490, died in Ulm about 1561. He was a nobleman of ancient lineage, councillor to the duke of Liegnitz and an eager advocate of the reformation. He differed with Luther especially on the deification of the body of Christ; and he was persecuted by both Roman Catholics and Protestants. His character was never impugned by any of his opponents, and his numerous writings (including Bekanndtnus und Re-chenschaft von den Hauptpunkten des christ-lichen Glaubens, 1547, and nearly 100 treatises) are among the most valuable sources of the history of the reformation. His adherents, called Schwenkfelders or Schwenkfeld-ians, lived mostly in Silesia. In 1734 a considerable number emigrated to Pennsylvania, where they settled principally in Montgomery, Berks, Bucks, and Lehigh counties. They still number there about 300 families and 800 members, and have five churches and school houses. - See Ausführliche Geschicte Kaspar von Schwenkfed's, etc. (Lauban, 1861).