Content

Question 1

How many witches were executed in Bamberg over a 9 year period?

Answer 1

900

Question 2

How did the structure of the Holy Roman Empire affect the witch trials?

Answer 2

• Not a united state
• If a state had the status of being an Imperial City - they would enjoy relative freedoms with only the Holy Roman Emperor to report too
• Legal systems varied between states
• Emperor had ultimate control - but it was difficult to unite all states

Question 3

What principle did Catholic Emperor Charles establish?

Answer 3

• 1548
• Victory over Protestant confederacy
• The religion of a ruler should be the religion of a region

Question 4

In which states were there the most amount of witch hunts?

Answer 4

Catholic regions ruled by prince-bishops.

Question 5

What factors in Germany led to more panics spreading?

Answer 5

• Political and judicial authority was fragmented
• Reformation and counter-reformation - Leading to an increased fear of the Devil’s work
• Limited legal framework - The Carolina Law Codes (1532) states justice should remain a local matter

Question 6

Why was there confusion over the role of prince-bishops?

Answer 6

• From 1242 - Bishops known as Prince Bishops
• A bishop may have complete judicial control over one geographical area
• But they lack the power to set up courts in other areas

Question 7

Who led the counter-reformation?

Answer 7

• Zealous prince-bishops (Catholic)

Question 8

Why did the counter-reformation gain momentum?

How did the Protestant community react?

Answer 8

• Through the influence of the Jesuit order
• This was approved by the pope in 1540
• These Jesuit churches were fiercely anti-protestant
• They encouraged shrines dedicated to saints - eg. A ceiling painting in the Church of St Micheal in Ziel, Bamberg - showing the connection between Protestantism and witchcraft
• They supported the Habsburgs and enabled them to cement their overall control.
• In return, the protestant community believed Catholics were in league with the Devil and that the Pope was antichrist.

Question 9

Who were the Habsburgs?

Answer 9

• German royal family.
• They provided rulers for a number of European states.
• 1551 - Family split into Spanish and Austrian lines.

Question 10

Give an example of opposition to the Counter-Reformation

Answer 10

• Marktzeuln (officially controlled by a bishop of Bamberg)
• Parishioners of the local protestant church refused to renounce their faith
• Catholic authorities tried to replace ministers they faced threats and weapons and were chased out of the area.

Question 11

What did Von Aschhausen aim to do as Prince-Bishop of Bamberg?

Answer 11

• 1609
• Aimed to convert Protestant parishes to Catholicism

Question 12

How did Von Aschhausen aim to convert Protestants to follow Catholicism?

Answer 12

• Imposed fines
• Restricted wood supply
• Quartered Catholic troops in the Protestant villages
• Dissents were exiled
• On occasion, Lutherans were rounded up and arrested
• Imprisoned them in Bamberg tower or specific ‘priest vaults’
• Invited Jesuits to settle in Bamberg.
• Accused 300 of supposed witchcraft

Question 13

What did Von Aschhausen issue in 1610?

Answer 13

• New Ordinance concerning witchcraft
• Ordering an investigation whereby any person found practising magic would be punished

Question 14

What did the Bishops Visitation Report of 1611 state?

Answer 14

• Blasphemous practices were still being carried out
• This included fortune-telling and spell casting

Question 15

When did Von Dornherim become prince-bishop?

Answer 15

1623

• Oppositions to witch-hunting within the authorities were removed.

Question 16

When was the 30-year-war?

Answer 16

1618-1648

Question 17

What sections of society were targeted?

Answer 17

• Women whose sexual behaviour deviated from Catholic expectations
• Peoples whose political views and attitudes to the war deviated from those of catholic authorities
• The reputation of healing, fortune-telling or sorcery (scapegoat)
• Members of upper class (to take land)

Question 18

Give examples of high-status individuals accused during the trial

Answer 18

• John Junius - Mayor of Bamberg
• Hans Langhans - Mayor of the town of Zeil - Executed after confessing under torture 1628 - Confessed to being baptised by Devil in 1611 and being responsible to destroying wine crop
• 17 households along the main street of Lange Gasse
• 11 members of town council and mayors office

Question 19

How many were implicated in the trials?

Answer 19

600-900

Women 72.8%

Question 20

Year - Bamberg Trial

Answer 20

1623-32

Question 21

What proportion of accused were women?

Answer 21

72.7% of the 600-900 implicated

Question 22

What was the average age of the accused?

Answer 22

33.5 years

• Younger than normal
• Only 7 older women executed (2 wise women)
• Most of marriageable age
• One 9 year old who confessed without torture to an encounter he had with a demon named George.

Question 23

What effect did hereditary guilt have?

Answer 23

• The extent of the trials
• Father initially accused and executed along with wife or daughter.
• Families executions also convinced others of an individuals guilt.
• Eg. Senior members of the town Council in Ziel - Conrad Merklein and Conrad Orter - Both executed 2 months later Orters wife and daughter and Merklein’s daughter and son-in-law arrested

Question 24

Which laws allowed torture?

Answer 24

Carolina Law Code of 1532

• These confessions were permissible in court where defendants were denied basic legal rights

Question 25

Year - Carolina Law Code

Answer 25

1532

Question 26

Explain some common methods of torture used im Bamberg

Answer 26

• Thumbscrews
• Strappado (to suspend by wrists)
• Buring of a women’s hair
• Whipping
• Foot containing excessive salt and pepper and depriving them of water.

Question 27

What did the authorities in Bamberg establish to get a confession?

Answer 27

Scheduled 101 questions to be asked during an interrogation.

• What did the Devil promise her?
• Where did she first pledge herself to the devil?
• In what locality was the devil’s pact conducted?

Question 28

Why were more wealthy accused?

Answer 28

• Property confiscations
• Allowing the confiscation of witches property
• Victim res[onsible for all court costs
• This reduced the financial liability of the state

Question 29

Give a specific example of how property confiscation benefited Bamberg financially

Answer 29

• End of persecutions - April 1631
• 22 inmates still held
• All land confiscated on admission to prison
• Totalling 220,000 florins
• 500,000 florins confiscated in total
• 100,000 from Georg Neudecker - Had been mayor of Bamberg
• Wolfgang Hoffmeister - 50,000 florins