Johann Georg II. Fuchs of Dornheim

Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim, copper engraving by Johann Salver

Johann Georg II. Fuchs Freiherr von Dornheim (born April 23, 1586 in Wiesentheid , Lower Franconia; † March 29, 1633 in Spital am Pyhrn , Upper Austria) had been Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and champion of the Counter-Reformation since 1623 as well as ruthless witch hunters ("Hexenbrenner" or also called "witch bishop").

The witch hunt in Bamberg, which was already intensively pursued under his predecessor Johann Gottfried I von Aschhausen , was increased again under the government of Johann Georg II. On Friedrich Förner , his appointed already under his predecessor vicar general and auxiliary bishop , the construction of their own went Drudenhauses (Malefizhaus, witch prison) back in Bamberg. It was completed in 1627 and had room for 30 to 40 prisoners. Under Dornheim's rule, at least 642 people fell victim to the witch trials in the Hochstift . Well-known personalities such as the mayor Johannes Junius and the episcopal chancellor Dr. Georg Haan , who criticized the trials, had Christina Morhaubt and Dorothea Flock executed. In response to complaints from relatives, the Reichshofrat in Vienna intervened in the rampant Bamberg witch trials from 1629 and put an end to them in 1631.

On February 11, 1632, the bishopric of Bamberg was occupied by the Swedes under the leadership of King Gustav Adolf and Johann Georg II fled to Spital am Pyhrn (Upper Austria) with some of the cathedral treasure and important documents with members of the cathedral chapter .

He died of a stroke at the age of 47 in his exile in Upper Austria.

In the film adaptation of Sabine Weigand's novel The Souls in Fire , he is embodied by Paulus Manker . The German metal band Narrator deals with the subject in the song Shrine of Horror .

literature

Ronny Baier: Dornheim, Johann Georg II. Fuchs Freiherr von. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 24, Bautz, Nordhausen 2005, ISBN 3-88309-247-9 , Sp. 535-541. ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )
Britta Gehm: The witch persecution in the Bamberg monastery and the intervention of the Reichshofrat to end it (= legal history and civilization process. Vol. 3). Olms, Hildesheim et al. 2000, ISBN 3-487-11144-6 (also: Jena, University, dissertation, 1999).
Ralph Kloos, Thomas Göltl: The witch burners of Franconia. The story of a hushed up mass murder. Sutton, Erfurt 2012, ISBN 978-3-95400-109-5 .
Alfred Wendehorst : Johann Georg II. Fuchs v. Dornheim. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 10, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1974, ISBN 3-428-00191-5 , p. 468 ( digitized version ).

Individual evidence

↑ life data
↑ Wolfgang Behringer: WITCHES - Faith, tracking, marketing , Verlag CH Beck oHG, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-406418821 . P. 57
^ Britta Gehm: The persecution of witches in the bishopric of Bamberg and the intervention of the Reichshofrat to end it , p. 268; List of the names of the victims of the Bamberg witch trials (PDF; 268 kB)
↑ For a Drüdnerverhörs in 1629
^ Britta Gehm: Witches in the Bamberg Monastery

predecessor	Office	successor
Johann Gottfried I of Aschhausen	Prince-Bishop of Bamberg 1623 - 1633	Franz von Hatzfeld

personal data
SURNAME	Johann Georg II. Fuchs of Dornheim
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Dornheim, Johann Georg Fuchs Freiherr von; Fuchs von Dornheim, Johann Georg; Johann Georg II.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Prince-Bishop of Bamberg; Champion for the Counter Reformation; Witch hunters, called witch burners
DATE OF BIRTH	April 23, 1586
PLACE OF BIRTH	Wiesentheid
DATE OF DEATH	March 29, 1633
Place of death	Spital am Pyhrn

[1] ta

[2] Wolfgang Behringer: WITCHES - Faith, tracking, marketing , Verlag CH Beck oHG, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-406418821 . P. 57

[3] Britta Gehm: The persecution of witches in the bishopric of Bamberg and the intervention of the Reichshofrat to end it , p. 268; List of the names of the victims of the Bamberg witch trials (PDF; 268 kB)

[4] For a Drüdnerverhörs in 1629

[5] Britta Gehm: Witches in the Bamberg Monastery