Aufgetaufte

Aufgetaufte is a German term formed from auf- (again) and getauft (baptized). It functions as an adjective meaning "baptized again" and can also be used as a noun, for example in the phrase die Aufgetaufte, to refer to persons who have undergone a second baptism. The word is relatively rare in contemporary language and is mainly encountered in historical or theological contexts.

Historically, the term is tied to debates about rebaptism (Wiedertaufe) during the Reformation and early modern periods. In this discourse, Aufgetaufte could be used by opponents or commentators to designate individuals or groups who had received a second baptism, often in contexts where infant baptism was contested or where adult baptism was practiced as a reaffirmation of faith. The label served to distinguish those who had undergone a second rite from others within or outside the religious community.

In modern usage, Aufgetaufte is largely archaic. Contemporary German scholarship and religious studies more commonly employ terms such as Wiedertaufe, Wiedertäufer, or Wieder-Taufe to describe the phenomenon and its adherents. When the term appears, it is typically in historical sources, lexica, or analyses of confessional polemics rather than in everyday language.

See also: Wiedertaufe, Wiedertäufer, Anabaptismus, Baptismus.

Notes: When used as an adjective, aufgetaufte remains unhyphenated in standard prose (aufgetaufte Person). When used as a noun, capitalization is standard in German (die Aufgetaufte).