Witch persecution in the Hochstift Eichstätt

Map of the Hochstift Eichstätt with the exclaves Herrieden, Ornbau, Spalt, Pleinfeld and Abenberg

Executions for witchcraft in Eichstätt 1532–1723

During the witch hunt in the Hochstift Eichstätt between 1532 and 1723 at least 249 people, including 219 women (88%) and 30 men (12%), were charged with suspicion of so-called witchcraft and arrested. 224 people (197 women, 27 men) of them were demonstrably sentenced to death in a witch trial and executed. For the rest, the execution has either not yet been confirmed with certainty (12 cases), they died while in custody (4 people), were released again (8 women) or expelled from the country (1 woman). The main phase of the witch hunt in the Eichstätt monastery (80% of all victims) was between 1613 and 1630 and fell during the reign of Prince-Bishop Johann Christoph von Westerstetten . In these 18 years at least 199 arrests and trials and 176 executions of 150 women and 26 men for witchcraft can be proven. Between three and 25 (1620) death sentences were carried out each year. The last known execution for witchcraft took place in Eichstätt in 1723 .

Pursuit phases

Early phase before 1562

At the end of the reign of Prince-Bishop Gabriel von Eyb (1496-1535), two women were executed as alleged witches in 1532 and one woman in 1535. In 1551 Margreth Auerhamerin (# L1) was tried under Prince-Bishop Moritz von Hutten (1539–1552) on suspicion of witchcraft in Eichstätt and, when she did not confess, was relegated to the country for life.

First phase 1562–1590

The first major phase of the persecution of so-called witches falls during the reign of Prince-Bishop Martin von Schaumberg (1560–1590), especially in the Upper Abbey and in the year 1590. This includes at least 24 arrests of women, 23 of which are known to have been executed in 1590 alone - and one was released.

Second phase 1603-1612

During the reign of Prince-Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen (1595-1612) at least 20 women were sentenced to death and justified in the lower monastery for witchcraft. Since the Eichstätter Urfehdebuch begins with the year 1603 and no year is given for the first 15 witch executions, this year is assumed for this. Four other executions of judgments can be safely dated to 1603. The case of Agnes Hoffmännin from Ornbau, who, like her mother, was decried as a “foul woman”, shows that Bishop Johann Konrad withstood the pressure of persecution from the population shortly before his death and preferred a more moderate approach by not being arrested but by the country was referred.

Third phase 1613-1630

Executions for witchcraft in Eichstätt during the main phase of persecution 1613–1630

When Prince-Bishop Johann Christoph von Westerstetten took office at the end of 1612, in whose previous reign as Prince Provost in Ellwangen numerous executions of alleged witches had already taken place, the third and by far the largest phase of witch hunts began in the Hochstift Eichstätt, in which there were increasing numbers of arrests and Executions of men came. 80% of all victims were persecuted during Westerstetten's tenure. After the execution of a single woman in 1613, between three and 25 executions took place each year from 1616 to 1630. By 1617 at the latest, Herrieden even had its own prison for witches. In total, at least 199 people have been charged with witchcraft in those 18 years. That is an average of 11 charges a year. At least 176 trials (88%) resulted in an executed death sentence (150 women and 26 men). The execution of 10 women and 2 men has not yet been proven with certainty; three women and one man died during their imprisonment. Seven women were released from prison, some of them only after more than two years.

The End

The massive witch persecution in Eichstätt ended abruptly at the end of July 1630, when the Electoral Congress in Regensburg also dealt with the persecution practice in Bamberg and both Emperor Ferdinand II and the Bavarian Elector Maximilian I , previously a proponent of witch persecution, responded to a ban the witch hunt in Franconia contributed. The Electoral Day was preceded by numerous protests by victims of persecution and their families, as well as executions in disregard of the letters of protection previously issued to the delinquents by the Reichshofrat , for example from Dorothea Flock in Bamberg. With a mandate dated June 12, 1631, the Reichshofrat determined that the Bamberg witch trials had violated current spiritual and secular law. According to the Constitutio Criminalis Carolina of 1532, it was first necessary to check whether there was a crime at all before a certain suspect could be questioned about his possible perpetrator - even under torture. However, since the devil's pact as the central allegation could hardly ever be proven by external evidence ( corpora delicti ) in witchcraft laws, the embarrassing questioning was deprived of the procedural legal basis. In addition, the Reichshofrat forbade the confiscation of goods and thus also took away the financial basis of large waves of litigation. After all, even the Canon episcopi did not regard nightly witch flights as real, but as illusions and delusions that could only be punished with church fines but not with criminal penalties, which also contradicted the canonical legitimation of the witch trials.

In 1631 Westerstetten left his seat of government Eichstätt and went to Ingolstadt, where he stayed until the end of his life in 1637.

Last executions after 1700

Around 75 years after the end of the third phase, in 1705 a fifteen-year-old boy named Balthasar Gorck was executed as a witcher. The last known case in Eichstätt is the execution of the 22-year-old beggar girl Walburga Rung on November 22, 1723. However, these cases are atypical in the sense of the witch hunt up to 1630.

Compared to other places

Due to the high number of victims, especially in relation to the size of the city, Eichstätt belongs to the centers of witch hunts in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after Würzburg , Bamberg and Fulda . This is all the more noticeable as in neighboring Ingolstadt , which at that time belonged to the Duchy of Bavaria and had a university with a law faculty, only 11 executions for witchcraft took place. This shows that the opponents of the witch hunt were able to prevail in Ingolstadt, but not in Eichstätt.

Conditions of detention

Unlike many other cities, Eichstätt did not have a so-called witch tower . It is believed that the suspects were detained in the town hall, where there were probably only five detention cells, so no more than five people could be detained at a time.

The length of their imprisonment is known of 82 executed persons (70 women and 12 men). It ranges from 15 to 2741 days (about 7.5 years), with two other noticeably long detention periods of 884 (two years and five months) and 406 days (one year and one month). Most prison terms (92%) are less than five months. Half of those convicted were detained for a maximum of 50 days, and a quarter were detained for no more than 33 days. In the course of the persecution, there seems to be a trend towards shorter prison terms.

An exception is the case of the cathedral pastor Johann Reichard , who was arrested on September 6, 1624 at the age of 51 on suspicion of witchcraft and, although he did not confess, for twenty years until his death on November 20, 1644 remained imprisoned.

interrogation

In Eichstätt, a separate maleficence commission was set up for the witch trials, made up of secular lawyers. As Eichstätter witches Commissioners , the lawyer in the 1620s Dr. Schwarzkonz and the Princely Bavarian Council, Dr. Wolfgang Kolb verifiably, as well as Hans Martin Staphylo von Nottenstein , who was appointed by Elector Maximilian as a councilor . In the interrogation protocol of Kunigunde Sterzl 1620 the following are named as witch commissioners: D. Leythin, M. Haasen, M. Hanns.

From 1617, the interrogations in Eichstätt were largely standardized through the introduction of a special catalog of questions (interrogatoria) for witch trials, which refers to the Carolina of 1532. The first part consists of questions 1 to 24, which should be asked before reading the indictment. They affect the personal and private environment of the accused and their families. The second part with questions 25 to 79 relates to the criminal offenses of witchcraft, such as the devil's captivity , devil pact and devil baptism, flight of witches , witches dance , denial of God, blasphemy, wizardry against humans and cattle, making the weather, seducing others to witchcraft, house and cellar trips, dig up dead children, change shape. The third part, with questions 80 to 84, was intended for the case that the accused later revoked a confession given during torture, for example.

The questions in the second part were initially asked in the amicable interview. If no confession could be obtained in this way, the questioning in the torture chamber was continued first by showing the torture tools ( territion ) and finally using them in the form of the embarrassing questioning . At least the following torture methods were used in Eichstätt: 1. "Pulling up empty" or with weights, 2. "Sitting on the stick", presumably a torture chair with thumb screws , 3. Whipping with a rod . Before the first embarrassing questioning, the accused was stripped and her body examined for suspicious witch marks and bribed if necessary. This and the torture measures were carried out by the executioner and / or his assistant in the presence of the witch commissioners. The executioner in Eichstätt in 1620 was Matthias Hörmann, known as Master Mathes .

The interrogations stretched over days and weeks and served not only to obtain confessions for the above-mentioned criminal offenses, but also to get as many names as possible of other accomplices. A few denunciations were sufficient for an arrest on suspicion of witchcraft.

Place and type of executions

High court on the Galgenberg above Eichstätt 1627.

Stele for the victims of the witch hunt in Eichstätt at the place of execution on the high court on the former Galgenberg.

A court day was set for the pronouncement and execution of the judgment, usually a Saturday or Friday, but never a Sunday. On this day at 8 a.m. all members of the inner and outer councils of the city of Eichstätt gathered in the town hall, where the original judgment of the condemned and the verdict drawn up by the royal court councilor were read out by the blood judge , who asked each council member whether he agreed with this verdict. The meeting then went public and the accused were led in. After these had been presented and their original gout read out, the verdict was announced to them and a staff for each was broken into three parts and thrown on the floor. Then the condemned were brought to the place of execution in the executioner's car, with the blood judge riding ahead, accompanied by mounted city servants. The path led through the Buchtaltor and past the executioner's house (today Neuer Weg) up to the Galgenberg . From the years 1614 to 1618, the use of red-hot pliers at the Buchtaltor (Anna Demerling # 52, Apollonia Hartliebin # 53, Anna Spetin # 58, Ottilia Mayrin # 59, Anna Fackelmayrin # 60, Anna Schilherin) are documented in at least eight women as measures to tighten the punishment # 61, Barbara Khayerin # 62, Barbara Haubnerin # 69). The execution itself was also public and took place at the high court on the Galgenberg, probably where a memorial stele for the victims of the witch hunt was erected in 2001. Before the execution, the convicts were given the opportunity to make a final confession.

The death sentence was “death by fire” in all cases, with most of the convicts being beheaded with the sword and then cremated. From November 23, 1619 the same death sentence was used again and again. Six women from the period from 1603 to 1618 (Margaretha Beckin # 46, Ursula Schmelzerin # 47, Apollonia Oswaldin # 48, Elisabeth Scheuchin # 49, Magdalena Bruckmairin # 50, Kunigunde Bonschabin # 70) are known to have been strangled and then burned were. Whether there were live burns in Eichstätt cannot be proven with certainty, but it cannot be ruled out at the beginning of the persecution in 1585 and 1590 and also in at least two later executions (Magdalena Vischerin # 42 and Anna Schuesterin # 57). The executed were not given a Christian burial and their deaths were not recorded in the church register.

In 1620 there were nine, 1624 and 1627 even ten days of judgment on which death sentences for witchcraft were carried out. Often several people were "brought from life to death" one after the other on a judgment day. In the main phase of the persecution from 1617 to 1630, for which the dates of execution are best known, there were a maximum of five executions in one day, with the exception of October 18, 1617, with seven executions. Often there were four or three (on eleven days each), mostly two (on 22 days) and most often one execution (on 34 days).

Social origin of those arrested

According to the current state of research, there are no indications of the social origin of the persecuted until 1603. Accordingly, at the beginning of the persecution, the women mainly come from the rural lower class. From the main phase of the persecution, women and men from the middle class of the city of Eichstätt are increasingly affected. However, numerous members of the Eichstatt upper class also fell victim to the persecution. Including Maria Richlin, b. Bonschab (# 115), the wife of the Prince-Bishop's Councilor and Vice Chancellor Dr. Bartholomäus Richel, whose 36-year-old brother and mayor Lorenz Bonschab (# 193) with his wife Ursula Bonschabin born. Möringer (# 183), whose father councilor and landlord Kaspar Möringer (# U6) and mother Eva Susanna Möringerin (# 88), Maria Martha Mittnerin, alias Doctor Mittnerin (# 92), the wife of the prince-bishop's court advisor Dr. jur. Michael Mittner, Sabina Eckardin (# 136), wife of the cathedral chapter Obleiers Valentin Eggharter, cathedral pastor Johann Reichard (# H4) etc.

Often there are several victims within a family. An example of this is Leonhard Guettmann, landlord and judge in Pietenfeld, whose widow Anna Schilherin (# 61) and two of her sons Andreas (# 71) and Georg Guettmann (# 72) were executed within a few weeks. Another example is Paulus Danner (# 76), a councilor and landlord in Eichstätt, convicted in 1618, whose daughter was previously executed in Ellwangen and his granddaughter Anna Maria Schneiderin (# 118) was executed after him in Eichstätt. A third example is the councilor and wine tavern Jakob Räbl (# 171), who himself, as well as his wife Barbara Räblin, alias Schweizer-Casparin (# 85) and the wife of his brother Kunigunde Räblin (# 142) are convicted.

Altogether there were six councilors, ten mayors and five castlers or their wives among the victims , as well as numerous women whose husbands worked as craftsmen for the prince-bishop's court. The most common civil professions of those arrested for witchcraft or their husbands are brewer (14), baker (11), butcher (8), innkeeper (7), shopkeeper (5), midwife (4), cook (4), farmer ( 3) and Schuster (3).

Age of those arrested

The age of 87 people (70 women, 17 men) at the time of liability is known because it is in the trial files received. However, this information is fraught with a considerable degree of uncertainty, since an approximate age is usually only given for the elderly but also for the younger ones, presumably because the defendants themselves did not know their age exactly. The age distribution is almost symmetrical around a mean of 49 years, whereby it is noticeable that the age group of 40 to 45 year olds is only weakly represented. Half of the people were under 50 and 75% at most 60 years of age when they were arrested. The range extends from 12 to 77 years.

List of those arrested for witchcraft

The following list contains 249 people who were arrested for witchcraft in the Eichstätt monastery between 1532 and 1723. The real number is likely to be higher, an estimated 10% higher. Most of the people named have been proven to have been convicted and executed (chronologically numbered in the list according to the date of execution). The execution of some people has not yet been proven with certainty and is therefore uncertain (in the list numbered chronologically with U according to the date of arrest). In addition, the people who died while in custody are listed (numbered chronologically with H in the list according to the date of arrest or death), as well as the few who were released again (numbered chronologically with F in the list according to the date of arrest) and one Woman expelled from the country (numbered L).

The list does not include people who were arrested for sorcery because this offense was treated differently in Eichstätt. The following cases are known to date:

• Margreth Hensthaub, wife of the farmer Hans Hensthaub von Mischelbach near Pleinfeld , arrested together with two daughters in Sandsee in 1497 on suspicion of magic. The mother and daughter were executed that same year, while the other daughter, Margreth, was released from custody.
• A sorceress of unknown name and place of residence was "burned to powder" in Eichstätt in 1535.
• Lorenz Hörlein, alias the Hagenberger von Winterzhofen bei Berching , executed in 1613 for sorcery with the sword and burned.

Also not included is the case of Anna Käserin, who, although denounced in Eichstätt, was arrested and executed in 1629 at her later place of residence in Neuburg an der Donau .

Overview of all arrested persons by group and gender

group	Women	Men	total
1. Executed (# 1-222)	197	27	224
2. Execution unsafe (# U0a-U9)	10	2	12
3. Those who died in custody (# H1-H4)	3	1	4th
4. Released (# F1-F6)	8th	0	8th
5. Expelled from the country (# L1)	1	0	1
All in all	219	30th	249

Note: The following list of those arrested for witchcraft is sorted chronologically , but can be rearranged as required: Clicking on a column header sorts the list according to this column, clicking twice reverses the sorting. Any desired sorting combination can be achieved by clicking two columns in a row.

List of those arrested for witchcraft

#	Surname	First name	Alias		Age (years)	place	Arrest (date)	Execution (date)	Death in prison (date)	Release (date)	Imprisonment (days)
0a	Bißwangerin	Elisabeth				forehead	May 22, 1532	29 Aug 1532			99
0b	Disgrace	Margaretha				forehead	May 22, 1532	29 Aug 1532			99
0c	Kop	Bärbel				Wernfels	Apr 29, 1535	June 25, 1535			57
L1	Auerhamerin	Margreth				Allmannsdorf	0Feb 6, 1551			0June 6, 1551 expulsion from the country	120
0d	Gaunt	Margaretha	Khernin			gap	Feb. 27, 1562	June 27, 1562			120
1	Finckhin	Margaretha				Gusseldorf	?	July 23, 1575
2	Maulin	Anna				Gusseldorf	?	July 23, 1575
3	Hackers	Apollonia				Dollnstein	July 16, 1589	Oct. 20, 1589			96
4th	Fisherman	Apollonia				Dollnstein	Dec. 26, 1589	1590
5	Peuer	Elisabeth				Dollnstein	Dec. 26, 1589	1590
6th	Mürling	Apollonia				Dollnstein	Dec. 26, 1589	1590
7th	Paumgarten	Elisabeth				Dollnstein	Dec. 26, 1589	1590
21st	Blade smith					Abenberg	?	May 28, 1590
22nd	Hunchback	Elsbet				Abenberg	?	May 28, 1590
23	NN					Abenberg	?	May 28, 1590
24	NN					Abenberg	?	May 28, 1590
25th	NN					Abenberg	?	May 28, 1590
26th	NN					Abenberg	?	May 28, 1590
26a	NN					Abenberg	?	July 13, 1590
26b	NN					Abenberg	?	July 13, 1590
26c	NN					Abenberg	?	July 13, 1590
26d	NN					Abenberg	?	July 13, 1590
26e	NN					Abenberg	?	July 13, 1590
27	Christian	Margaretha				Herrieden	?	1590
28	Blacksmith	Anna				Herrieden	?	1590
29	Sharpfin	Barbara				Herrieden	?	1590
30th	Baroness	Ursula				Herrieden	?	1590
F1a	Enamel	Anna				Arberg	?			1590?
31	Heylingmayrin	Margaretha	the shepherdess			Landershofen	?	1603
32	Maylin	Ursula				Eichstatt	?	1603
33	Kraftmayrin	Margaretha	the rabbit				?	1603
34	Hörlein	Maria	Swabian Maria				?	1603
35	Luzin	Dorothea	Hooded durl			Eitensheim	?	1603
36	Schrötlin	Anna	Krombaltlin				?	1603
37	Peurin	Barbara	Pfudin			Eichstatt	?	1603
38	Daumin	Margaretha	Loudmouth or Zezel			Landershofen	?	1603
39	Voglin	Barbara	Stilt bear			Eichstatt	?	1603
40	Wagner	Walburga					?	1603
41	Dangling jerkin	Walburga				Dollnstein	?	1603
42	Vicarage	Magdalena					?	1603
43	Peurlin	Magdalena	Seymadel				?	1603
44	Hillerin	Catherine				Enkering	?	1603
45	Obermairin	Margaretha	Heinzgrette			Enkering	?	1603
49	Scheuchin	Elisabeth	the Brodt-Els			Eichstatt	0Apr 7, 1603	May 19, 1603			42
46	Beckin	Margaretha	Kronengrete			Eichstatt	?	May 19, 1603
47	Smelter	Ursula	Gröerlein-Ursel			Eichstatt	?	May 19, 1603
48	Oswaldin	Apollonia	the Alt Zierl-Apel			Eichstatt	?	May 19, 1603
50	Bruckmairin	Magdalena	Bruckhmair Madel			Eichstatt	?	1606
51	Kolbenhoferin	Catherine				Stake village	?	1613
52	Demertin	Anna	Nose cutter			Ornbau	?	1616
53	Hartliebin	Apollonia				Arberg	?	1616
U0a	Peter Ulrich's wife		Pelt twinkle			Ornbau	22 Feb 1616
53a	Veitin	Apollonia				Ornbau	Oct 17, 1616	0Dec 2, 1616			46
53b	Magin	Christina				Ornbau	0Dec. 1, 1616	1617
U0b	Blacksmith	Barbara	Old blacksmith			Ornbau	0Dec. 1, 1616
F1b	Barbara Schmiedin's daughter					Ornbau	0Dec. 1, 1616			?
54	Homemaker	Anna			18th	Langensallach	0Feb 3, 1617	Oct 18, 1617			257
U0c	Hans Huebner's wife		Dressmaker			Ornbau	Feb. 27, 1617
58	Spetin	Anna	Fisherman Anna			Pietenfeld on the Leithen	0July 5, 1617	Oct 18, 1617			105
55	Scheurin	Anna				Landershofen	July 17, 1617	Oct 18, 1617			93
56	Lehenbäurin	Anna	Schaubäurin the parents			Landershofen	July 25, 1617	Oct 18, 1617			85
64	Lehenbäurin	Anna				Landershofen	July 26, 1617	Dec. 20, 1617			147
57	Shoemaker	Anna	Brendlin the Lang		49	Wasserzell	10 Aug 1617	Oct 18, 1617			69
59	Mayrin	Ottilia				Eichstatt	Aug 1617	Oct 18, 1617			64
61	Schilherin	Anna	the old landlady			Pietenfeld	22 Aug 1617	Dec. 20, 1617			120
60	Torch Mayrin	Anna	Hedge landlady			Landershofen	?	Oct 18, 1617
63	Bonschabin	Anna	Rues farmer			Pietenfeld	Oct. 19, 1617	Dec. 20, 1617			62
F2	Wind ice	Mary Magdalene	the old Schmidin von Leibelbach		70	Leibelbach	Nov 24, 1617			Oct 31, 1619	706
65	Stroblin	Catherine			62	Schernfeld	Nov 24, 1617	Jan. 26, 1618			63
68	Weaver	Walburga	Seng Wappel		60	Pietenfeld	Dec 12, 1617	Jan. 26, 1618			45
71	Guettmann	Andreas			28	Pietenfeld	Dec 12, 1617	Feb 16, 1618			66
72	Guettmann	George	the scribe		22nd	Pietenfeld	Dec 12, 1617	Feb 16, 1618			66
62	Khayerin	Barbara	Fritzin			Pietenfeld	?	Dec. 20, 1617
64a	Old landlady of Großenried					Herrieden	?	1617
64b	NN					Herrieden	?	1617
64c	Bärbel old basin					Herrieden	?	1617
66	Friederichin	Barbara	Ruoser		50	Eichstatt	Dec. 21, 1617	Jan. 26, 1618			36
69	Haubnerin	Barbara	the stuetter		55	Nobility strike	Jan. 18, 1618	Feb 16, 1618			29
70	Bonschabin	Kunigunde	Crispinusin		70	Eichstatt	Jan. 18, 1618	Feb 16, 1618			29
U2	Hardinger	Anna	Josam Anna		64	Jettingen	Jan. 19, 1618	?
75	Beckin	Anna	the Sebastian Beckin		45	Eichstatt	Jan. 23, 1618	0Apr 5, 1618			72
67	Hartlin	Barbara	Bidenbarbel				?	Jan. 26, 1618
F5	Riedlin	Anna	Pig tailor		64	Nobility strike	March 21, 1618			Jan 29, 1621	1045
F3	Langin	Margaretha			47	Eichstatt	March 22, 1618			July 22, 1620	853
80	Violinist	Margaretha	the Hofwagnerin		35	Eichstatt	March 23, 1618	June 30, 1618			99
76	Danner	Paul			70	Eichstatt	March 27, 1618	June 30, 1618			95
73	Khayer	Michael				Pietenfeld	?	0Apr 5, 1618
74	Obermayrin	Judith	Sailer			Eichstatt	?	0Apr 5, 1618
83	Pronner	Kunigunde			60	Berching	0May 2, 1618	Sep 15 1618			136
U1	Mayerin	Maria			29	Eichstatt	June 21, 1618	?
77	wagner	Hans	Spitlhänsl			Eichstatt	?	June 30, 1618
78	Ardigin	Anna	Josen-Anna			Eichstatt	?	June 30, 1618
79	Schallerin	Maria				Wasserzell	?	June 30, 1618
82	Bülerin	Anna	Widman			Eichstatt	0Aug 1, 1618	Sep 15 1618			45
87	Hirschin	Barbara	the Baderfazlin		64		04th Sep 1618	March 15, 1619			192
85	Rabbit	Barbara	the Swiss Casparin		53	Eichstatt	05th Sep 1618	March 15, 1619			191
81	Long	Valentine	the hungarian		36	Eichstatt	?	Sep 15 1618
84	Widman	Anna	Heybeckhen		75	Berching	?	Sep 15 1618
88	Möringerin	Eva Susanna			39	Eichstatt	Feb 14, 1619	March 15, 1619			29
86	Noblewoman	Barbara			62	Eichstatt	?	March 15, 1619
F2a	Spindler	Anna				Arberg				before 1620
93	Ehrenfridin	Barbara			60	Eichstatt	Nov 16, 1619	Feb 15, 1620			91
89	Romin	Anna	Long Preuin			Eichstatt	?	Nov 23, 1619
90	Rehelin	Maria				Eichstatt	?	Nov 23, 1619
91	Butcher	Apollonia				Eichstatt	?	Nov 23, 1619
92	Middleman	Maria Martha	Doctor Mittnerin			Eichstatt	?	Nov 23, 1619
U2a	Puckelin	Catherine				Ornbau	1619	?
97	pharmacist	Barbara	Court butcher		45	Eichstatt	0Feb 3, 1620	March 21, 1620			47
94	Silver ice cream	Barbara	Kandler-Bartlin		77	Eichstatt	?	Feb 15, 1620
95	Mayrin	Afra				Eichstatt	?	Feb 15, 1620
98	Öttin	Elisabeth	the great Beckin			Eichstatt	March 13, 1620	Apr 10, 1620			28
96	Pupil	Elisabeth	the leuress				?	March 21, 1620
99	Bonschabin	Barbara	the Grezlgeörgin				?	Apr 10, 1620
104	Hohenschildin	Eve	the cook Eva		36	Eichstatt	Apr 28, 1620	July 18, 1620			81
105	Sterzlin	Kunigunde	Nonn		76	Eichstatt	0May 8, 1620	July 18, 1620			71
100	Romin	Barbara	Old Bonschabin			Eichstatt	?	May 15, 1620
101	Rayerin	Anna			55	Eichstatt	?	May 15, 1620
108	Miracle	Anna	Brigl Cramerin		33	Eichstatt	0July 9, 1620	22 Aug 1620			44
F4	Glass head	Catherine	Boyin			Eichstatt	?			July 18, 1620
102	Snail	Helena			67		?	July 18, 1620
103	Freyin	Barbara				Eichstatt	?	July 18, 1620
109	Queen	Barbara	Forester			Eichstatt	17 Aug 1620	Oct 10, 1620			54
106	Farmer	Hans				Eichstatt	?	22 Aug 1620
107	judge	Elisabeth				Eichstatt	?	22 Aug 1620
110	judge	Walburga				Eichstatt	?	Oct 10, 1620
111	Steinlin	Ursula	Gronlin			Eichstatt	?	Oct 10, 1620
112	Hellamayrin	Anna	Gardener Anna			Eichstatt	?	Oct 10, 1620
113	Walchin	Walburga	Strickerwastlin			Eichstatt	?	Nov 27, 1620
114	Waiglin	Catherine	Liver Cätherlein		60	Eichstatt	?	Nov 27, 1620
115	Richlin	Maria				Eichstatt	?	19 Dec 1620
116	Wildin	Walburga				Eichstatt	?	19 Dec 1620
117	Hänlin	Maria	Kirschnerin			Eichstatt	?	19 Dec 1620
199	Reuterin	Barbara	Reuter Enderlin		46		Jan. 11, 1621	July 14, 1628			2741
H1	Ramerin	Anna			50	Eichstatt	Jan 16, 1621		Jan 25, 1621
118	Seamstress	Anna Maria	of the Danner Paulusen Enickhle				?	Feb. 20, 1621
119	Rotherin	Benigna	the rabbits Enderlin			Eichstatt	?	Feb. 20, 1621
121	Volgschaffin	Maria			66	Ehingen	0March 4, 1621	0Apr 2, 1621			29
120	Hänin	Walburga				Eichstatt	?	0Apr 2, 1621
U3	Oswald	Barbara	Erla Hännsin		59	Eichstatt	May 10, 1621	?
U4	Weissin	Catherine			30th	Eichstatt	Jan. 12, 1622	?
122	Boy	Walburga	the beautiful belt woman		37	Eichstatt	?	19 Feb 1622
123	Half Mayrin	Elisabeth				Eichstatt	?	Apr 23, 1622
124	priestess	Anna	the Eschenbacherin			Eichstatt	?	June 20, 1622
125	Nobleman	Kaspar			66	Eichstatt	?	July 30, 1622
F6	Resentment	Barbara			65	Nobility strike	22 Aug 1622			Oct 12, 1622	51
126	Schiesslin	Anna					?	29 Aug 1622
127	Amerschein	Walburga	the Scotch woman			Eichstatt	?	Nov 12, 1622
128	Mosin	Maria				Eichstatt	?	December 17, 1622
129	Prändlin	Margaretha				Eichstatt	?	Feb. 18, 1623
130	German	Walburga				Eichstatt	?	Feb. 18, 1623
131	Head miller	Margaretha				Eichstatt	?	0Apr 8, 1623
133	Nueberin	Apollonia	Parlor		32	Eichstatt	May 10, 1623	June 23, 1623			44
132	Cold snow	Veronica	Pumpernicklin			Eichstatt	?	May 13, 1623
134	Porcinine	Maria	Welsch Peterin		37	Eichstatt	?	June 23, 1623
135	Knezlin	Catherine			45	Eichstatt	0July 5, 1623	Aug 21, 1623			47
136	Eckardin	Sabina				Eichstatt	July 12, 1623	0Sep 9 1623			59
137	Kraisinger	Magdalena	Mittermüllerin		50	Beilngries	?	0Sep 9 1623
138	Daschnerin	Margaretha			17th	Plankstetten	?	0Sep 9 1623
139	Möringerin	Anastasia					?	0Oct 7, 1623
140	Hohlerin	Margaretha	the goose liendlin				?	0Oct 7, 1623
143	Mayrin	Kunigunde	Mosandl Bastlin			Eichstatt	Dec 13, 1623	Jan. 19, 1624			37
141	Sweetheart	Anna				Eichstatt	?	Dec 15, 1623
142	Rabbit	Kunigunde				Eichstatt	?	Dec 15, 1623
H2	Rällin	Catherine			59	Mörnsheim	?		1624
144	Rayer	Adam	the schuester Adam			Eichstatt	Jan. 23, 1624	Feb 17, 1624			25th
145	Alacrain	Barbara			55	Rebdorf	?	Feb 17, 1624
148	Langin	Margaretha	the Bonschaben Greth		55	Eichstatt	March 20, 1624	May 24, 1624			65
146	Mosnerin	Euphrosina				Eichstatt	?	March 23, 1624
147	pharmacist	Eve				Eichstatt	?	March 23, 1624
152	Zieglmayrin	Helena	Florian Seamstress			Eichstatt	May 20, 1624	0Aug 3, 1624			75
150	Bigess	Justina	Muckhenthaler's Justina		38		May 21, 1624	June 21, 1624			31
149	Auermayrin	Margaretha	the Beckhin she-wolf		65	Eichstatt	?	May 24, 1624
151	Rottinger	Maria	Raphlin			Eichstatt	June 14, 1624	0Aug 3, 1624			50
154	Hötzler	Johanna	the Holy Spirit		25th	Eichstatt	July 30, 1624	27 Sep 1624			59
153	Pföringer	Eve	old Khoch Eva		47	Eichstatt	17 Aug 1624	16 Sep 1624			30th
H4	Reichard	Johann				Eichstatt	06 Sep 1624		Nov 20, 1644
155	Hötzlerin	Margaretha			50	Eichstatt	?	Oct. 24, 1624
156	Steinlin	Maria	Old Gronlin			Eichstatt	?	Dec 14, 1624
157	Rainin	Anna					?	Dec 14, 1624
158	Mayrin	Ursula					0Jan. 7, 1625	0Feb 3, 1625			27
159	Senglin	Anna	Saumüllerin		45	Eichstatt	Jan. 13, 1625	0Feb 3, 1625			21st
160	Grechin	Margaretha			60	Dollnstein	Feb 15, 1625	Apr 14, 1625			58
161	Hackspacherin	Margaretha			66	Eichstatt	?	0June 6, 1625
H3	Peurin	Anna	Kue Anna		53	Obermässing	?		June 11, 1625
193	Bonschab	Lorenz			36	Eichstatt	July 15, 1625	Dec 16, 1627			884
162	Höring	Jacob			43	Eichstatt	Sep 24 1625	Nov 15, 1625			52
163	Lederin	Apollonia	the old leather woman		72	Beilngries	?	Nov 15, 1625
164	Thiermayrin	Anna	Cyprianusin		47	Eichstatt	?	December 22, 1625
165	Schiffelholzin	Apollonia				Eichstatt	?	March 18, 1626
166	Bastard	Anna				Eichstatt	?	05th Sep 1626
167	Haecklin	Anna	Beckhen Enderlin			Eichstatt	0Sep 9 1626	Oct 19, 1626			40
172	pharmacist	Barbara	Crom cloth			Eichstatt	0Oct 1, 1626	Nov 20, 1626			50
173	Funckin	Ursula				Eichstatt	0Oct 2, 1626	Nov 20, 1626			49
170	Bittelmayrin	Margaretha			53	Eichstatt	Oct 15, 1626	Nov 20, 1626			36
171	Räbl	Jacob			38	Eichstatt	Oct 15, 1626	Nov 20, 1626			36
168	Rotherin	Elisabeth	Dollingerin / Hare Enderlin		67	Eichstatt	?	Oct 19, 1626
169	Pföringer	Sabina				Eichstatt	?	Oct 19, 1626
174	Schmidin	Walburga					Nov 17, 1626	19 Dec 1626			32
175	Jelin	Margaretha	Old grinder		52	Eichstatt	Nov 23, 1626	19 Dec 1626			26th
176	Hartmannin	Margaretha				Eichstatt	?	19 Dec 1626
196	Loyalty	Walburga	the long seamstress				?	1627
180	Guardian	Margaretha				Eichstatt	0Feb 3, 1627	0March 6, 1627			31
183	Bonschabin	Ursula			36	Eichstatt	0March 1, 1627	0May 8, 1627			68
177	Prandt	Lorenz			40	Eichstatt	?	0March 6, 1627
178	Sengin	Maria	Yellow shoemaker's wife				?	0March 6, 1627
179	Widman	Barbara				Eichstatt	?	0March 6, 1627
181	Haimin	Anna	Hämenenderlin			Eichstatt	?	March 18, 1627
182	Pogner	Ursula					?	March 18, 1627
184	Gläzin	Christina	Eisenkramerin		60	Eichstatt	?	0May 8, 1627
185	Rottinger	Michael	Clasen Michaelin		50	Eichstatt	?	0May 8, 1627
190a	Gölderin	Anna	the old Gölderi		57	Großlellenfeld	March 22, 1627	Sep 24 1627			186
186	Seizin	Maria Maximiliana			37	Eichstatt	June 21, 1627	July 23, 1627			32
U6	Möringer	Kaspar				Eichstatt	July 15, 1627	?
187	Shoemaker	Maria	Beckhen Enderlin			Eichstatt	?	July 23, 1627
188	Bum	Eugenia				Eichstatt	?	July 23, 1627
189	Louder	Maria			34	Eichstatt	?	Aug 20, 1627
190	Körberin	Barbara	Landlady			Eichstatt	?	Aug 20, 1627
191	Jerk	Hans			58	Eichstatt	06 Sep 1627	0Oct 8, 1627			32
U7	Tobogganers	Kaspar			50	Möckenlohe	0Sep 7 1627	?
192	Porcine	Peter	the welsch Peter		52	Eichstatt	?	0Nov 8, 1627
194	Mayrin	Maria	Zachariasin		51	Eichstatt	Nov 10, 1627	December 17, 1627			37
195	Gronerin	Maria	Groner Paulusin		40	Eichstatt	Nov 15, 1627	December 17, 1627			32
197	Hohenschild	Michael	Kochmichel		52	Eichstatt	March 14, 1628	0Apr 8, 1628			25th
198	Aunbeckin	Anna					March 18, 1628	June 10, 1628			84
201	Ansfelderin	Magdalena	the Hainzin			Eichstatt	29 Aug 1628	0Dec 5, 1628			98
200	Müller	Anna	Melber Jacobin				?	0Dec 5, 1628
202	Glaz	Andreas				Eichstatt	?	0Dec 5, 1628
203	Rehel	Matthew				Eichstatt	?	0Dec 5, 1628
204	Langin	Catherine	Former court sergeant			Eichstatt	?	1629
205	Lenzin	Biebl					?	1629
206	Stroblin	Maria	Haimbekin ufm Roßmarkt			Eichstatt	?	1629
207	autumn	Hans	Lang Beittler			Eichstatt	March 12, 1629	May 19, 1629			68
208	Hörmannin	Walburga	Pumpernicklin				May 10, 1629	0Aug 4, 1629			86
209	Schöttnerin	Anna	Whip styline				June 26, 1629	0Aug 4, 1629			39
210	Schradin	Anna	Israeli			Eichstatt	June 26, 1629	0Aug 4, 1629			39
211	Bohemian	Anna Maria				Hirnstetten	?	Sep 1629
213	Louder	Christoph				Eichstatt	0Oct 1, 1629	Nov 20, 1629			50
212	Prukmayer	George				Eichstatt	?	Oct 31, 1629
214	Steinle	Ursula			12	Eichstatt	?	Nov 20, 1629
215	Gebhard	Johann				Eichstatt	?	Nov 22, 1629
U9	Brentlin	Veronica	Ferber Endlin			Eichstatt	1630?	?
216	Whip style	Michael			36	Eichstatt	?	1630
217	Haim	Andreas	Haimen Enderle		52	Eichstatt	?	March 27, 1630
218	Stiglitz	Hans				Eichstatt	May 12, 1630	May 27, 1630			15th
U8	Failure	Kunigunde			70	Kirchanhausen	May 24, 1630	?
219	Fingerin	Elisabeth			48	Eichstatt	June 17, 1630	July 30, 1630			43
220	Walchin	Sabina	Kröser-Sabina		30th	Eichstatt	June 27, 1630	July 30, 1630			33
221	Gorck	Balthazar			15th		?	1705 approx.
222	Rung	Walburga			22nd	Buchdorf	Oct 10, 1722	Nov 20, 1723			406

See also

• Witch trials in Bamberg
• Witch trials in Ellwangen
• Witch trials in Fulda
• Witch trials in Kurmainz
• Witch trials in Wemding
• Witch trials in Würzburg

literature

• Anonymous: Copy of the witch trials in the files, which were tried in court in 1590, 1626, 28, 30 and 1637 . Brönner, Eichstätt 1811 ( PDF 28.3 MB [accessed on June 29, 2013]).
• Auer Josef, Stürzl Heinrich: Executions for witchcraft in Eichstätt from 1585-1723 . In: Leaflets of the Bavarian State Association for Family Studies. Self-published, Munich. 2013: 76: 225-283. ISSN  0005-7118 . P. 225 f.
• Bacherler, Michael: About Eichstätter witch trials. Reprint from: Heimgarten. Supplement to the Eichstätter Volkszeitung - Eichstätter Kurier 10. 1929. No. 43–47.
• Behringer, Wolfgang: Witch persecutions in the mirror of contemporary journalism. The Erweytterte Unholden Zeyttung from 1590. Upper Bavarian Archive. Published by the Historical Association of Upper Bavaria. 1984. Volume 109 Issue 2, pp. 339-360.
• Behringer, Wolfgang: Witch persecution in Bavaria: Folk magic, zeal for faith and reasons of state in the early modern period. R. Oldenbourg, Munich. 1988.
• Brems, Joseph: Excerpts from Eichstadt's original witch protocols. Eichstätt City Archives. 1840. Nos. 38-43.
• Buchta, Wolfgang: The Urgichten in the Urfehdebuch of the city court Eichstätt. On the history of the witch hunt in southern Franconia. In: Yearbook for Franconian State Research. Kommissionsverlag, Neustadt (Aisch). 1998: 58: 219–250. MDZ online version
• Durrant, Jonathan B .: Witchcraft, Gender, and Society in Early Modern Germany. Brill, suffering. 2007.
• Stürzl Heinrich: The Fall of Kunigunde Sterzl - An Eichstätter witch trial from 1620 with a standardized death sentence. In: Leaflets of the Bavarian State Association for Family Studies. Self-published, Munich. 2013: 76: 284-328. ISSN  0005-7118
• Stürzl Heinrich, Marshal Rosa: Family Chronicle Stürzl. Origin and distribution of the surnames Sterzl and Stürzl in southern Germany. Cardamina Verlag, Weißenthurm. 2016.
• Stürzl Heinrich: On the witch hunt in the Upper Abbey of the Hochstift Eichstätt. Addendum to: Executions for witchcraft in Eichstätt. In: Leaflets of the Bavarian State Association for Family Studies. Self-published, Munich. 2016: 79: 123-140. ISSN  0005-7118
• Thoma, Hermann: On witch persecution in the upper foundation offices of the Hochstift Eichstätt and its peripheral areas - Part I. In: Alt-Gunzenhausen. Ed. Association for local history Gunzenhausen. Gunzenhausen. 2005: 60: 79-169.
• Thoma, Hermann: On the persecution of witches in the upper collegiate offices of the Hochstift Eichstätt and their peripheral areas - Part II. In: Alt-Gunzenhausen. Ed. Association for local history Gunzenhausen. Gunzenhausen. 2006: 61: 35-109.
• Thoma, Hermann: On the persecution of witches in the upper monastery of the Hochstift Eichstätt (Part III): new findings from the caste office accounts; the fate of Apollonia Veit from Ornbau and 18 other persecuted women. In: Alt-Gunzenhausen. Ed. Association for local history Gunzenhausen. Gunzenhausen. 2015: 70: 43-58.

Primary sources

• State Archives Nuremberg, Rep. 190 II, Eichstätter archives, files on Eichstätter witch trials from No. 4015
• State Archives Nuremberg, Rep. 190 II, Eichstätter archives No. 4110, “Interrogatoria. About what the witchcraft half suspects and imprisoned people to question ”, Eichstätter questionnaire for witch trials, approx. 1617
• Diocesan archive Eichstätt: B 15. Urvedt Büech de anno 1603. The Urfehdebuch of the City Court Eichstätt contains the original judgments and judgments for almost all death sentences for witchcraft, murder, theft, poaching from 1603 to 20 August 1627.
• Diocesan archives Eichstätt: hh 1. “General Instruction How everyone and every nurse judge and civil servant with the Unhold- and Hexenwerckhs verleimbden persons in recognition moving in and discussion, whose others have to act in one and the other.” 1593. Without pagination.

Web links

Commons : Witch Chase Image Collection  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Witches trials Hochstift Eichstätt with a list of the names of the victims
• Witch trial torture of pastor Johann Reichard Eichstätt 1626 (PDF; 164 kB)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Stürzl, On the persecution of witches in the upper pen of the Hochstift Eichstätt. P. 137 ff.
2. ↑ Thoma 2006, p. 63 ff.
3. ↑ Wolfgang Buchta: The Urgichten in the Urfehdebuch of the Eichstätt city court. On the history of the witch hunt in southern Franconia. Yearbook for Franconian State Research 1998, p. 219 ff, p. 224
4. ↑ Britta Gehm: Witches in the Bamberg Monastery zeitenblicke 3 (2004), No. 3
5. ↑ Britta Gehm: The witch hunt in the bishopric of Bamberg and the intervention of the Reichshofrat to end it . Georg Olms Verlag , Hildesheim, Zurich, New York 2000, p. 228 ff. At the same time, Univ.-Diss. Jena 1999
6. ^ Durrant, Witchcraft, Gender, and Society in Early Modern Germany. P. 12
7. ↑ Durrant, ibid. P. 7
8. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, executions for witchcraft in Eichstätt from 1585-1723. P. 276 f.
9. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. P. 271 f.
10. ↑ Behringer 1988, ibid. Pp. 239 + 317
11. ↑ Stürzl, The Fall of the Kunigunde Sterzl - An Eichstätter witch trial from 1620 with a standardized death sentence. P. 286
12. ↑ Stürzl, ibid., Complete Transcription of the Interrogatoria pp. 286–292
13. ↑ Stürzl, ibid. Pp. 292 + 323
14. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. P. 278
15. ↑ Stürzl, ibid. P. 294 f.
16. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. P. 277
17. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. P. 277
18. ↑ Stürzl, ibid. P. 325 ff.
19. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. P. 277 f.
20. ↑ Stürzl, ibid. P. 295
21. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. P. 276
22. ↑ Durrant, ibid. P. 23
23. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. P. 282
24. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. P. 279 f.
25. ↑ Stürzl, On the persecution of witches in the upper pen of the Hochstift Eichstätt. P. 135 f.
26. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. P. 278
27. ↑ Auer, Stürzl, ibid. List of those executed p. 230–268, List of people whose execution is uncertain p. 269–270, List of those who died in custody p. 271, List of those released p. 272–273, each with sources and additional information about the person
28. ↑ Stürzl, On the persecution of witches in the upper pen of the Hochstift Eichstätt. P. 128 ff.