The Witchcraze in Southern Germany (1581-1634)

What was the Holy Roman Empire?

The HRE was a massive region of territories in central Europe, where each individual territory was ruled by a prince who had autonomy of his land, but overall was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor, who was elected by his peers

Who elected the Holy Roman Emperor?

The German prince-electors, the highest ranking noblemen of the empire

When did the Holy Roman Empire develop and when did it dissolve?

It developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806

Who would crown the Holy Roman Emperor?

The Pope, until the tradition of papal coronations was discontinued in the 16th century

Who ruled over the individual sub-units and domains of the Holy Roman Empire?

Kings, dukes, counts, bishops, abbots and other rulers, collectively known as princes

Why did the Holy Roman Emperor have very little power?

The Emperor could not issue decrees or govern autonomously over the Empire, he was restricted severely by the local leaders

Why did the Holy Roman Emperor give more autonomy to local rulers?

To secure their position from the threat of being deposed

What was the "Carolina"?

It was a legal code that was supplied through the entire Empire, but there was no effective mechanism to enforce it and no imperial supreme court

How long did the witch hunt in Trier last for?

1581-1593

How many people were executed in Trier and the surrounding areas?

350 were executed in Trier, and up to 1000 in the surrounding areas

Who was Johann von Schonenburg?

He was an Archbishop who was appointed to be prince-bishop of Trier in 1581

What did Schonenburg order during his reign as prince-bishop?

The purging of Jews, witches and Protestants

What institution did Schonenburg found in Trier?

The Jesuit College

Who did Schonenburg appoint as suffragen?

Peter Binsfield

What was bishop Peter Binsfield's book named and what did it encourage?

It was named "Of the Confessions of Warlocks and Witches" and it encouraged denouncements and accepted confessions of torture

What did the Jesuit College do from 1585 during the witchcraze in Trier?

They kept young boys in custody who claimed to have attended sabbats and could recognise witches

What were the socio-economic factors for the witchcraze in Trier?

Poor harvest in the 1580s led to harsh economic conditions and misery, people sought scapegoats for their misery

What was a reason for confessional strife in Trier?

The Schmalkaldic War (1546-1547) between Protestants and Catholics

Who were the victims of the witchcraze in Trier?

Most of the victims were old, female and relatively poor, but as the witch-hunt gained momentum, even the rich and noble were not safe

Why were the nobility not safe from the witchcraze?

Trier authorities may have wanted to make money by confiscating the possessions of the wealthy witchcraft trial victims

Who was Dr Flade?

He was a councillor to the prince-bishop, a chancellor at the university and a chief prosecutor who was accused by one of the Jesuit boys of presiding at a sabbat in 1587

Why was Dr Flade accused?

Flade doubted the use of torture and treated the accused mildly in court. This meant he was viewed by the Jesuits as an enemy

What happened to Dr Flade?

He was tortured until he confessed and was burned in 1589

Who was Cornelius Loos?

A Catholic professor who wrote and published a sceptical treatise

What happened to Cornelius Loos?

He was arrested, the book was confiscated and banned and he was forced to recant his beliefs under torture

What is the overall evaluation of the witchcraze in Trier?

Accusations may have been used as a way to get social and political revenge, as well as introduce conformity in terms of religion. It could have also been a way for the prince-bishop to assert his power in Trier

How long did the witch hunt in Wurzburg last for?

1626-1631

How many were killed during the witch craze in Wurzburg?

300 in the city and 900 in the surrounding areas

Who was Philipp Adolf von Ehrenburg?

The prince-bishop of Wurzburg who supported Catholic counter-reformation and oversaw the witch trials. He was leader from 1623-1631

When was the Thirty Years War?

1618-1648

What was the Thirty Years War?

Emperor Ferdinand II aimed to reassert Habsburg authority over the Holy Roman Empire and there were a series of conflicts throughout Germany which resulted in France, Sweden and Spain getting involved

How did the Thirty Years War affect the Wurzburg witch hunt?

It resulted in the Catholic reconquest of some places in the Holy Roman Empire against Protestantism

When had there been witch hunts before in Wurzburg?

In 1616 and 1617

What socio-economic factors in the witch hunt in Wurzburg?

Bad weather in the 1620s led to crop failure and famine, Wurzburg also suffered from the plague

Who were the victims of the Wurzburg witch trials?

Executions were carried out regardless of gender, profession or age

Which people were executed in Wurzburg?

Von Ehrenburg's own nephew was executed, as well as children of 7 who were accused of having intercourse with demons. Priests, nobles, councilors, merchants and mayors were all also burned. At least 32 victims were vagrants.

Who was Friedrich Spee?

A Jesuit priest who was a "confessor" present during torture and execution of witches

Friedrich Spee anonymously published "Cautio Criminalis." What did this book contain?

- Criticised the use of torture to achieve false confessions

- Criticised the use of "sorcery of silence"

- Criticised the use of torture to extract further denunciations

- Documented the torture and sexual assault of the accused

Who was the prince of Bamburg during the witch hunt there?

Prince-bishop Johann Georg II Fuchs von Dornheim

When was Dornheim in power?

1623-1633

How long did the witch hunt in Bamburg last for?

1626-1632

What were the socio-economic factors for the witch hunt in Bamburg?

- 1616 crop failures

- 1626 night frosts severely damaged crops

- 60% of HRE population died from conflict, famine and disease during the Thirty Years War

How many trials were there in Bamburg before the main witch hunt?

152 in 1622

What did the previous prince bishop of Bamburg do which confirms belief in witches?

Burned 300 suspected witches, including 102 in 1617

When did Dornheim build the Drudenhaus?

1627

What was the Drudenhaus?

It was purpose built to detain suspected witches and contained individual cells and large cells for holding groups. There was also a special torture chamber

Who was Friedrich Forner?

The Suffragen bishop for Dornheim

How does Forner fit into the factor of confessional strife?

- Took part in the militant conversion of protestants in a small town in 1598

- Planned on catholicizing Nuremburg by cutting off food supplies to create a famine

- Got into disputes with nuns at the convent in Bamburg

What happened to Forner in 1628?

He was denounced but the prince-bishop intervened on his behalf

How many victims were there in Bamburg?

Around 600

What did Dornheim want to do in Bamburg?

He was an ardent catholic reformer and wanted to create a godly state

Who was Dr George Haan?

A judge who was suspected of being a witch-sympathiser

What happened to Haan's wife and daughter?

His wife, Ursula, and daughter, Maria, were arrested and accused in 1627

How did Haan and his son, Adam, respond?

They fled to the imperial court and obtained an injunction which forbade the prince-bishop from proceeding against Ursula and Maria

What happened when Haan and Adam returned?

Maria and Ursula had already been tortured into confession, and burned. Father and son were then arrested and burned in 1628

What did Haan confess to during torture?

Seeing five councilors at a sabbat

Who was Johannes Junius?

The 55-year-old lord-mayor who was denounced by Haan

What happened to Johannes Junius after his arrest?

He was tortured and agreed to confess to whatever the witch-commissioners wanted

What did Johannes Junius confess to?

The Devil's Pact, having intercourse with a succubus and dancing at a sabbat

What happened to Junius and his family?

Johannes Junius and all of his family, except one daughter, were executed in 1628. He was beheaded with a sword before being burned

How did the witch hunt make Dornheim more powerful?

Many rich and powerful people who were executed for witchcraft had their property and assets confiscated

How did the witch hunt in Bamburg lead to a chain-reaction?

The practice of torturing suspects to name their accomplices cumulatively drove up the number of the accused. As this occurred, witches conformed less and less to the stereotype and many prominent citizens were arrested, tortured and burned

What methods of torture were used in Bamburg?

- Thumbscrews

- Leg vices

- Scourging

- The stocks (with iron spikes)

When Dorothea Flock was accused in Bamburg, what did her husband do?

He fled to Nuremburg to appeal to the Emperor and the pope

How did the Emperor respond to Dorothea Flock's accusation?

In April 1630, he issued a directive calling on Dornheim to account for the charges against him, but was ignored. A stronger directive was issued that forbade all future proceedings against Dorothea

What happened to Dorothea Flock?

She was executed by Dornheim in May 1630, before letters from the Emperor and the pope arrived

What did the Emperor do in September 1630 and June 1631?

Issued strong directives opposing the persecution in Bamberg and ordered that for future trials, legal counsel should be given to the accused and confiscation of property must cease

What caused the end of the terror in Bamburg?

Opposition from Emperor Ferdinand II, the death of Bishop Forner in December 1630, and the threats of the Swedish King Gustavus, who entered Leipzig in September

When did Swedish and Saxon troops occupy Bamberg?

In February 1632

What happened to Dornheim?

He died in exile in 1633

When was the witch hunt in Cologne?

1626-1634

How many victims were there in Cologne?

2000, 19 of which were in Cologne itself

Who was Ferdinand of Bavaria?

He became the Arch-bishop Elector of Cologne in 1612, he was also the ruler of several other lands in the HRE

What were the factors in Cologne that were related to confessional strife?

Ferdinand was an enthusiastic Catholic reformer who was inspired by the objectives of the Council of Trent

What did Ferdinand do during the witch hunt in Cologne?

He appointed witch commissioners to take control after the witch hunt was well-established, the commissioners escalated the witch hunt by acting independently and developing their own policies

What were the socio-economic factors of the witch hunt in Cologne?

The Thirty Years War and a series of devastating crop failures

Who was Katherine Hernot?

She was a wealthy widow who inherited the role of General Postmaster from her father, despite having political power, her family were seen as "outsiders"

Who were the Taxis family?

The rivals of Katherine Hernot, who competed for the role of General Postmaster. The Taxis family gained the title in 1615, but Hernot gained it back in 1625

What happened at the Abbey of St Clara in 1626?

There were a number of mysterious illnesses, some deaths and several women claimed to have been possessed. During an exorcism, Hernot's name was mentioned

What happened to Hernot in 1627?

She was accused by another woman at the Abbey who claimed to have been possessed, as well as another woman under torture for suspected witchcraft. Hernot was tortured but refused to confess

How did Hernot's brother, Hartger, respond?

He pleaded to the Archbishop Elector for her release

What happened to Katherine Hernot?

She was found guilty, hanged, and then burned in May 1627, and the Taxis family gained the title of General Postmaster

What happened to Hartger Hernot?

He was named by Christina Plom (a suspect in 1629) but his trial was interrupted by an investigation

Who were the victims of the Cologne witch trials?

17 out of 19 were women, all who confessed were under the age of 30, with an average age of 17

How were children persecuted for witchcraft in Cologne?

A 10 year old girl and a 12 year old boy were held for 2 years before being hanged

Who was the youngest victim in Cologne?

Maria Cecilia von Ahrweilar at only 7 years old, she was orphaned after the rest of her family was burned for witchcraft