“Maleficium” and the Modern Witch Hunt
In the dark chapters of witch hunts, the accusation of “Maleficium” (harmful magic) was the ultimate weapon of the judiciary.…
Witch Hunts
Analyses and articles on the witch hunts in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (15th–18th centuries, peak: 1550 to 1650)
Strongholds of the Witch Hunts: Regional Centers of Persecution
The witch hunts of the early modern period were not evenly distributed across Europe but showed significant strongholds. Certain territories…
Katharina Henot: A Victim of Intrigue and the Witch-Hunt Frenzy in Cologne
Katharina Henot (c. 1570–1627) is one of the most famous victims of the witch hunts in Germany. Her fate serves…
The “Hochnotpeinliche Befragung”: Torture in the Name of Justice
The term sounds like a relic from a dark era, yet the “hochnotpeinliche Befragung” (extraordinary painful interrogation) was a fixed,…
The Witch Trials: A Dark Chapter of Political Persecution in the Holy Roman Empire
The witch trials that swept through the Holy Roman Empire between the 15th and 18th centuries are often remembered as…