Nominated podcast Jan van Leiden listened to 200,000 times

The four-part podcast series Jan van Leiden and the End of Times aired in November on the VPRO radio program OVT. Since then, the podcast has been downloaded over 200,000 times. Earlier this year, the series was translated into German, with podcast creator Max Boogaard using artificial intelligence techniques for the adaptation.

Audience Award

The Dutch version has been downloaded more than 200,000 times and topped the podcast charts on Spotify and Apple for several weeks. The podcast is available for free in your favorite podcast app, in both Dutch and German. In the series, journalist and podcast creator Max Boogaard investigates the story of Jan van Leiden and the mechanisms of radicalization throughout history. Max was inspired by the opera J.S. Bach – The Apocalypse, which was performed in theaters across the Netherlands and Germany from January to June 2024. This opera used Jan van Leiden’s life story to depict the mechanisms that can lead to radicalization and polarization.

Relevant to a Broad Audience

The story of Jan van Leiden takes place in Münster around the year 1530. Jan van Leiden—an actor, innkeeper, and tailor—became the leader of a movement that proclaimed the apocalypse was near. In 1531, he established a utopian state in Münster that quickly radicalized into a brutal tyranny. The opera J.S. Bach – The Apocalypse follows Jan from his initial idealism, through his flamboyant yet ruthless reign as king, to his final confession in a prison cell. The opera illustrates how people radicalize in response to perceived abuses of power and injustice, and how this process can escalate into violence. According to artistic director Serge van Veggel, this story deserves to reach a wider audience beyond the theater:

“During the creation of this opera, we conducted extensive research into themes of polarization, radicalization, and apocalyptic thinking. How do these mechanisms work, what drives a person to radicalize, and how should we view this story in today’s world? If you open a newspaper, you’ll see these mechanisms at play everywhere—whether in debates on climate change, migration, or politics. It was striking to see that these patterns have remained unchanged for 500 years. We are all, often unknowingly, susceptible to them. The insights we gained helped us create the opera, but they also helped us better understand our own time. That’s why we wanted to share this knowledge more broadly beyond the opera. Together with On the Record Media, we created this podcast series, where we explore these themes in depth with experts.”

A Podcast About the History of Jan van Leiden

In Jan van Leiden and the End of Times, journalist Max Boogaard takes listeners on a journey through history, uncovering the story of Jan van Leiden. In a storytelling format reminiscent of a true crime podcast, Boogaard explores how Jan van Leiden’s story serves as a case study for universal radicalization processes. He investigates Jan’s intentions: Did Jan truly believe he was doing the right thing? The podcast delves into the stages of radicalization that Jan and his followers experienced. It is also a story about apocalyptic thinking: the Anabaptists believed the end of the world was imminent. The podcast shows how the idea of an impending apocalypse has existed throughout history and how it fuels radicalization.

Experts Weigh In

The podcast features insights from various experts, including historian and journalist Luc Panhuysen, terrorism expert and professor Bob de Graaff, New Testament professor Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte, and Martje Thalmann, the tower warden of St. Lambert’s Church in Münster. Podcast creator Max Boogaard reflects on a particularly memorable moment:

“The most remarkable conversation took place in the tower of St. Lambert’s Church—the very tower where the iron cages still hang, in which Jan van Leiden’s body was once displayed. His remains were left there until 1585, when his body had completely decayed. Even today, the tower warden still sounds the peace horn over the city every evening. In that moment, everything came together.”

The podcast also includes a conversation with Serge van Veggel about the creation of the opera, why he chose to tell this particular story, and what he personally learned from his research into Jan van Leiden.