Bamberg Witch Trials

Where is Bamberg, and what was the country like?

Central Germany (not a unified state). Political entities varying in size/power, overlapping ==geographic== and religious boundaries. Some towns cities had ‘imperial city status’ meaning they only had to report to the HRE.

Who was Bamberg ran by?

Catholic prince-bishops- powerful, with significant political power. They were the biggest witch-hunters.

What was the Holy Roman Empire?

* Formed in 962, ruled by an emperor (appointed by a pope). ==This was where the counter-reformation began.==
* Charles V’s approach was to fight Protestantism (not a sustainable stance). Paul IV didn’t back Charles, allowing some Lutheranism.
* The ruling from Rudolf II saw confusion- the Bohemiam (P) rebellion started the thirty years war.
* Ferdinand II actively curtailed the religious freedoms of the Protestants and this made the situation worse.

What was the religious context of Bamberg?

Religious divide in German towns. Principle that religion of ruler should be the religion of the region.

Why was panic spreading?

* Political and judicial authority fragmented
* Counter/ reformation causing fear of the devil all around them.
* Germany had little legal framework against witches.
* Carolina law code specified that justice was a local matter, and was cited regularly despite containing little reference to witches.

What was the origins and impact of the Thirty Year’s War?

* Origins of the war lay in the ambitions of the Habsburg monarchy
* Religious divisions (tensions worsened).
* The office of the HRE was declining in authority.
* The hardships of the war had a significant impact on Bamberg.

Who were the witches of Bamberg?

* 72% women, 28% men (more than usual).
* Not necessarily ‘old’, more middle-aged.
* Many high status individuals were executed- see John Junius (mayor of Bamberg) ==and Hans Langhans (Mayor of Zeil).==
* More Protestants than catholics (though Catholicism did not protect)
* hereditary guilt.

Main 3 causes of the Bamberg hunt:

* Religion (reclaiming territory for the Catholic Church and the counter reformation)
* the thirty year’s war
* economic crisis ==(weather, crop failure,== inflation ).

2 main factors exacerbating witch-hunting

Torture, role of the prince-bishops

Aschhausen Hunts

* First wave of hunts.
* ==Wanted to push counter reformation== and so invited Jesuits to settle down and set up Catholic schools in Bamberg, any uncooperative priests were punished.
* 1610 ordinance (any person practicing magic would be severely punished) coincided with Protestant rebellions.

What did the 1611 bishop’s visitations discover?

Blasphemous practices still carried out. Regions where evidence of occult practice was found: Protestant preachers found. This enhanced the connection between Protestantism and witchcraft.

Dornheim hunts

Hunts began again under Dornheim after being shut down due to expense and war.

What were the four phases of the thirty years war?

Bohemian, Danish (local and religious), Swedish, French (continental and political).

What happened in the thirty years war?

Starts in Bohemia (Protestant majority).

Majesty’s letter of toleration revoked by Ferdinand II, sparking conflict.

In the early stages, Catholics were winning (confidence).

The Swedish got involved (Protestant, ==effective== and innovative warfare). They were surprisingly supported by the French (highly Catholic, ==but politics comes before religion).==

In the French phase, the Swedish supported

Impact of thirty years war on Bamberg

Presence of large armies: plundered towns/villages. Combined with crop failure and inflation, this leads to increased fear of witches as misfortune. Food was requisitioned. Suspicious people included: women who’s sexual behaviour deviated from that of church, those with political views different from that of the church, people with a rep for healing and members of upper classes.

Inflation in Bamberg

Tax records indicate ==a population increase.==

==Sense of growing hardship magnified 1621 after what was regarded the ‘western world’s first financial crisis’.==

==Period of hyperinflation brought misery (caused by starving of supply of silver from the america’s).==

Tax burden increased, taxes paid in debased coinage (harder for govt to use).

Economic impact on Bamberg

Made sense of increased hardship by relating it to magic. Society lacks the framework to see it as economic change and so explain it in the context of magic- not problems they can solve on a local level.

Who was John Junius?

High profile individual arrested in June 1628.

He was implicated by association after his wife was executed for being a witch.

==He documented his experience in letters to his daughter- and documented the torture.==

Thumb screws, leg screws, no blood flow after being pricked, strappado (suspended by wrists).

What are some other examples of torture?

* Burning hair
* whipping
* forced to kneel on spikes
* food with excessive salt/pepper and no water.

What did the Carolina Law code 1532 allow?

An extensive use of torture devices on suspects.

How did scepticism play a role in the witch hunts ending?

Torture was seen as morally wrong, and the nature of hunts meant confessors were hearing lies (guilty protest innocence) which was weakening the social fabric. Therefore, witch-hunting was wrong, seen as more about persecuting enemies instead of witches.

What was the argument about witch-hunting?

In the 1630s, it was not the norm to suggest that witches didn’t exist. It was more the argument the witch hunting didn’t serve the purpose that it should have done.

What was the case of Dorothea Flock?

* Flock was arrested after husband was accused.
* Her family appealed to Ferdinand over the health of her and her new-born.
* Dornheim ignored this enquiry. He then rushed the trial and carried it out in secret, at 6 am.
* Flock was beheaded, and then burned.

What was the impact of Flock’s case?

The Emperor involved as he was determined to uncover what was going on, the legitimacy of Dornheim’s trials were questioned because they were not in accordance with the Carolina law code.

What was the case of Barbara Schwarz?

Schwarz fled to Vienna after escaping a witch prison in Bamberg

When Ferdinand inspected the trial records, he criticised Dornheim for the overzealous use of torture and blatant disregard for imperial decree.

What was the impact of Schwarz’s case?

* Influential people are encouraging Ferdinand to shut down the trials.
* Furthermore, the emperors confidence in the prince Bishop was lost after copies were sent of the records, and he refused to send originals.

What were the actions of George Willem Dumler?

He was a former admin of Saint Martins Church, and his letter convinced Ferdinand to stop the trials. He detailed

* the false accusations
* excessive use of torture
* suspicious execution of his pregnant wife
* lack of proof
* Carolina law code (denied in court),
* the case is being heard behind closed doors instead of civil courts.

What boundaries did the Carolina Law try to set?

Narrowed the definition of witchcraft to the causing of someone’s death.

Expected local courts to seek professional advice (for example, from universities) and ruled that torture was only permitted in some cases and should be authorised by a judge.

Torture also shouldn’t be used as the only method to gain a confession.

Why did the boundaries set by the Carolina Law not work?

These laws were routinely flouted, local law often trumped Imperial law, and the imperial powers had no way of enforcing the law, relying on locals.

What did Ferdinand announce?

* He would punish anyone responsible for the Bamberg witch trials, and sent his own Witch commissioner (Dr Anton Winter) to Bamberg.
* Decreed that all future trials should be conducted according to the Carolina Law Code.
* However, Dornheim refused to interact with Winter, or leave Bamberg.

What did the Swedish invasion prompt?

* Dornheim was forced to flee, looted the church, and fled to Austria.
* The main motivator of the trials had vanished and they did not continue- there were no funds and too much going on to prioritise hunting witches.

What was Swedish army’s impact on bamberg?

Socio-economic: countryside plundered of goods, farms decimated. Counter attack from Catholic sources contributed to a general sense of chaos.

Who was John Junius?

Rich, male, burgomaster (mayor of Dutch/Swiss/Flemish/german/Austrian town). Popular, no political reason to dislike him.

Why was Junius under suspicion?

Accused by another burgomaster who was wealthy (Neudecker) , implicated by George Hann. Junius’ wife was executed, and witchcraft was believed to be contaminate/heritable.

How were the trials of Junius conducted?

Interview was a chance to confess, and then they were questioned under repeated rounds of torture. The third round looked for a full confession of guilt without torture, in accordance with the Caroline Law Code.

What did confessions consist of?

* Need fulfilled by devil
* seduction by devil
* committal of crimes in return for the need fulfilment
* Acting against God and desecrating religion.

What does the Junius letter show?

* He communicated to his daughter that he was not a witch to clear his name.
* Graphic descriptions to demonstrate why he confessed, tells her to flee.