Margarethe Werthmann

Margarethe Werthmann , also Margarete , (* in the 17th century ; † 1639 in Stadtoldendorf ) was accused of witchcraft and probably died under torture with a broken neck.

Witch trial

Werthmann probably came from a middle-class family. In 1639 the ducal mayor initiated a lawsuit against them for witchcraft before the council in Stadtoldendorf. The embarrassing neck court order of Emperor Charles V , which was adopted in 1568 by Duke Heinrich for the Principality of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel , was used for the indictment . Properly executed indictment proceedings were followed during this trial, but the proceedings were delayed , so that a complaint was made to Herzog August . This reprimanded the “dissolute judiciary of the council” and ordered the accused to be subjected to the “tortura”.

Both the Vogt and the town clerk as well as two councilors were present at this torture . After the amicable questioning that followed, the defendant was found dead. The messenger of the death report testified "that her lover broke her neck". He also reported that the devil himself prevented the woman from confessing before killing her. It is not known which accusations were made against Werthmann because the trial files were not preserved. It is also unclear whether her corpse was subsequently cremated at the stake as a proxy, as is customary in the case of the death of a suspect on suspicion.

literature

Albert Rhamm : Faith in witches and witch trials, especially in the Brunswick region. Julius Zwißler, Wolfenbüttel 1882, pp. 81–82 ( Text Archive - Internet Archive or tu-braunschweig.de ).
Ernst Eggeling: Chronicle of Stadtoldendorf, the Homburg and Amelungsborn monastery. 2nd edition, supplemented by 1936. August Lönneker, Stadtoldendorf 1936, pp. 65, 194, OCLC 72185006 .
Gritt Brosowski: Werthmann, Margarethe. In: Horst-Rüdiger Jarck , Dieter Lent et al. (Ed.): Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon - 8th to 18th century . Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2006, ISBN 3-937664-46-7 , p. 737 .
Claudia Kauertz: Science and belief in witches. The discussion of sorcery and witchcraft at the University of Helmstedt (1576–1626) (= witch research. Volume 6). Publishing house for regional history, Bielefeld 2001, ISBN 3-89534-353-6 (also: Göttingen, Universität, dissertation, 1998).

Individual evidence

^ Albert Rhamm: Witches' belief and witch trials, primarily in the Braunschweigischen lands. Julius Zwißler, Wolfenbüttel 1882, pp. 81–82 ( tu-braunschweig.de ).
↑ Horst-Rüdiger Jarck , Dieter Lent et al. (Ed.): Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon - 8th to 18th century . Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2006, ISBN 3-937664-46-7 , p. 737 .

personal data
SURNAME	Werthmann, Margarethe
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Werthmann, Margarete
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Victims of the witch hunt
DATE OF BIRTH	17th century
DATE OF DEATH	1639
Place of death	Stadtoldendorf

[1] Albert Rhamm: Witches' belief and witch trials, primarily in the Braunschweigischen lands. Julius Zwißler, Wolfenbüttel 1882, pp. 81–82 ( tu-braunschweig.de ).

[2] Horst-Rüdiger Jarck , Dieter Lent et al. (Ed.): Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon - 8th to 18th century . Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2006, ISBN 3-937664-46-7 , p. 737 .