5.2 Numbers and Social Groups Affected by the Witch Hunts (All in 1)

How many individuals were implicated in the Bamberg witch trials between 1623 and 1632?

Estimates range from 600 to 900, with at least 642 formally brought to trial.

What percentage of accused individuals were women between 1623 and 1631

72.7%

Were older women the primary targets of the Bamberg witch trials

No, most accused women were of marriageable age rather than widows or traditional "wise women"

What was the average age of the accused women

33 ½ years old

Who was Georg Eder, and why was he executed

A Counter-Reformation supporter who opposed the trials; officials saw opposition as aiding the Devil

How did the concept of hereditary guilt affect accused families

Executions often implicated relatives, wiping out entire families

Who was Hans Laughan

As mayor of Zeil, Hans Langhans was accused and executed during the Bamberg witch trials. His forced confession under torture highlights how officials and local leaders were persecuted, often due to their opposition to the trials or their political influence

What law allowed the use of torture in Bamberg

The Carolina Law Code of 1532

Why was torture widely used in Bamberg witch trials

The prince-bishop had judicial freedom, allowing extensive use of torture to extract confessions

Name some common torture methods used in Bamberg

Thumbscrews, strappado (suspension by wrists), whipping, kneeling on spikes, sleep deprivation

Who was John Junius and why is his case significant

John Junius was Bamberg’s mayor, tortured severely after his wife’s execution, and confessed only under torture

What typical elements were included in confessions extracted during Bamberg witch trials

Deals with the Devil, oaths of loyalty, naming fellow witches, and admitting to harmful acts like crop destruction and sacrilege

How did property confiscations impact the witch-hunt in Bamberg

Confiscations funded the trials, making the witch-hunt self-sustaining and encouraging persecution.

Who bore the costs of the witch trials

The accused and their families paid for all court costs, including interrogators, travel, execution materials, and fees.

How much property value was confiscated during the Bamberg witch trials

Around 500,000 florins in total; for example, Georg Neudecker’s property worth 100,000 florins was confiscated

Who was Prince-Bishop John George II Fuchs von Dornheim and what was his role in the Bamberg witch-hunt

He was known as the "Hexenbischof" (witch-bishop) and played a central role in expanding and intensifying the witch-hunt, overseeing investigations, authorizing torture, and building the Drudenhaus prison

Why did von Dornheim support the witch-hunts

As a champion of the Counter-Reformation, he saw witch-hunting as a religious duty to root out heresy and disobedience to God, while also benefiting financially through property confiscations

What was the Drudenhaus

A witch-prison built in 1627 by von Dornheim to house and torture 30–40 suspects at a time, with biblical texts on the walls

Who was Frederick Förner and what was his contribution to the Bamberg witch-hunt

Förner was von Dornheim’s vicar general and intellectual architect of the hunt. He provided theological justification for the persecution and linked witchcraft to Protestant heresy

What were the main ideas in Frederick Förner’s sermons and writings

He claimed Calvinists were like magicians, said Protestant areas harbored occult practices, and argued that witchcraft was a demonic response to the success of the Catholic Counter-Reformation

How did Förner and von Dornheim justify the use of torture and violence

They believed that as the Devil became more violent in response to his impending defeat, it was justifiable for Catholics to respond with violence against witches