Dear Media watch friends
have a look at this!!
These are documents from the middle ages.

http://history.hanover.edu/texts/bamberg.html
http://history.hanover.edu/texts/bamberg.html
read how a good man confesses under torture of  being
a witch, and how he is made to accuse others who in
turn are tortured...
Best wishes
Sigi


The Witch Persecution at Bamberg

George L. Burr, ed., The Witch Persecutions
in Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources
of European History, 6 vols.
(Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania History
Department, 1898-1912) vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 23-28

Hanover Historical Texts Project
Scanned by Mike Anderson, May 1998.
Proofread and pages added by Jonathan Perry, March
2001.


Burr's note:
[Page 23] From mss. in the Bamberg library, as printed
by Leitschun, Beitrage zur Gesckickte des Hexenwesens
in Eranken (Bamberg, 1883. In 1628 there was tried for
witchcraft at the episcopal city of Bamberg, in
Germany, the Burgomaster Johannes Junius. The minutes
of the trial, which is in all respects a fair specimen
of German witch-trials, are still to be seen at
Bamberg. Translated from German into English, the
greater part runs as follows:

. . . On Wednesday, June 28, 1628, was examined
without torture Johannes Junius, Burgomaster at
Bamberg, on the charge of witch-craft: how and in what
fashion he had fallen into that vice. Is fifty-five
years old, and was born at Niederwaysich in the
Wetterau. Says he is wholly innocent, knows nothing of
the crime has never in his life renounced God: says
that he is wronged hefore God and the world, would
like to hear of a single human being who has seen him
at such gatherings [as the witch-sabbaths].

Confrontation of Dr. Georg Adam Haan. Tells him to his
face be will stake his life on it [er wolle darauf
leben und sterben], that he saw him, Junius, a year
and a half ago at a witch-gathering in the electoral
council-room where they ate and drank. Accused denies
the same wholly.

Confronted with Hopffens Elsse. Tells him likewise
that he was on Haupts-moor at a witch-dance; but first
the holy wafer was desecrated. Junius denies. Hereupon
he was told that his accomplices had confessed against
him and was given time for thought.

On Friday, June 30, 1628, the aforesaid Junius was
again without torture exhorted to confess, but again
confessed nothing, whereupon, . . . since he would
confess nothing, he was put to the torture, and first
the [Page 24] Thumb-screws were applied. Says he has
never denied God his Saviour nor suffered himself to
be otherwise baptized; [1] will again stake his life
on it; feels no pain in the thumb-screws.

Leg-screws. Will confess absolutely nothing [and]
knows nothing about it. He has never renounced God;
will never do such a thing; has never been guilty of
this vice; feels likewise no pain.

Is stripped and examined; on his right side is found a
bluish mark, like a clover leaf, is thrice pricked
therein, but feels no pain and no blood flows out.

Strappado. He has never renounced God; God will not
forsake him; if he were such a wretch he would not let
himself be so tortured; God must show some token of
his innocence. He knows nothing about witchcraft. . .
.

On July 5, the above named Junius is without torture,
but with urgent persuasions, exhorted to confess, and
at last begins and confesses:

When in the year 1624 his law-suit at Rothweil cost
him some six hundred florins, he had gone out, in the
month of August, into his orchard at
Friedrichsbronnen; and, as he sat there in thought,
there had come to him a woman like a grass-maid, who
had asked him why he sat there so sorrowful; he had
answered that he was not despondent, but she had led
him by seductive speeches to yield him to her will. .
. . And thereafter this wench had changed into the
form of a goat, which bleated and said, "Now you see
with whom you have had to do. You must be mine or I
will forthwith break your neck." Thereupon he had been
frightened, and trembled all over for fear. Than [sic]
the transformed spirit had seized him by the throat
and demanded that he should renounce God Almighty,
whereupon Junius said, "God forbid," and thereupon the
spirit vanquished through the power of these words.
Yet it came straightway back, brought more people with
it, and persistently demanded of him that he renounce
God in Heaven and all the heavenly host, by which
terrible threatening he was obliged to speak this
formula: "I renounce God in Heaven and his host, and
will henceforward recognize the Devil as my God."

After the renunciation he was so far persuaded by
those present and by the evil spirit that he suffered
himself to be otherwise baptized [1] [Page 25] in the
evil spirit's name. The Morhauptin had given him a
ducat as dower-gold, which afterward became only a
potsherd.

He was then named Krix. His paramour he had to call
Vixen. Those present had congratulated him in
Beelzebub's name and said that they were now all
alike. At this baptism of his there were among others
the aforesaid Christiana Morhauptin, the young
Geiserlin, Paul Glaser, [and others]. After this they
had dispersed.

At this time his paramour had promised to provide him
with money, and from time to time to take him to other
witch-gatherings. . . . Whenever he wished to ride
forth [to the witch-sabbath] a black dog had come
before his bed, which said to him that he must go with
him, whereupon he had seated himself upon the dog and
the dog had raised himself in the Devil's name and so
had fared forth.

About two years ago he was taken to the electoral
council-room, at the left hand as one goes in. Above
at a table were seated the Chancellor, the Burgomaster
Neydekher, Dr. George Haan, [and many others]. Since
his eyes were not good, he could not recognize more
persons.

More time for consideration was now given him. On July
7, the aforesaid Junius was again examined, to know
what further had occurred to him to confess. He
confesses that about two months ago, on the day after
an execution was held, he was at a witch-dance at the
Black Cross, where Beelzebub had shown himself to them
all and said expressly to their faces that they must
all be burned together on this spot, and had ridiculed
and taunted those present. . . .

Of crimes. His paramour had immediately after his
seduction demanded that he should make away with his
younger son Hans Georg, and had given him for this
purpose a gray powder; this, however, being too hard
for him, he had made away with his horse, a brown,
instead.

His paramour had also often spurred him on to kill his
daughter, . . . and because he would not do this he
had been maltreated with blows by the evil spirit.

Once at the suggestion of his paramour he had taken
the holy wafer out of his mouth and given it to her. .
. .

A week before his arrest as he was going to St.
Martin's church the Devil met him on the way, in the
form of a goat, and told him that he would soon he
imprisoned, but that he should not trouble himself--he
would soon set him free. Besides this, by his soul's
salvation, he [Page 26] knew nothing further; but what
he had spoken was the pure truth; on that he would
stake his life. On August 6, 1628, there was read to
the aforesaid Junius this his confession, which he
then wholly ratified and confirmed, and was willing to
stake his life upon it. And afterward he voluntarily
confirmed the same before the court.


Burr's note: So ended the trial of Junius, and he was
accordingly burned at the stake. But it so happens
that there is also preserved in Bamberg a letter, in
quivering hand, secretly written by him to his
daughter while in the midst of his trial (July 24,
1628):

Many hundred thousand good-nights, dearly beloved
daughter Veronica. Innocent have I come into prison,
innocent have I been tortured, innocent must I die.
For whoever comes into the witch prison must become a
witch or be tortured until he invents something out of
his head and--God pity him--bethinks him of something.
I will tell vou how it has gone with me. When I was
the first time put to the torture, Dr. Braun, Dr.
Kotzendorffer, and two strange doctors were there.
Then Dr. Braun asks me, "Kinsman, how come you here?"
I answer, "Through falsehood, through misfortune."
"Hear, you," he says, "you are a witch; will you
confess it voluntarily? If not, we'll bring in
witnesses and the executioner for you." I said "I am
no witch, I have a pure conscience in the matter; if
there are a thousand witnesses, I am not anxious, but
I'll gladly hear the witnesses." Now the chancellor's
son was set before me . . . and afterward Hoppfen
Elss. She had seen me dance on Haupts-moor. . . . I
answered: "I have never renounced God, and will never
do it--God graciously keep me from it. I'll rather
bear whatever I must." And then came also--God in
highest Heaven have mercy--the executioner, and put
the thumb-screws on me, both hands bound together, so
that the blood ran out at the nails and everywhere, so
that for four weeks I could not use my hands, as you
can see from the writing. . . . Thereafter they first
stripped me, bound my hands behind me, and drew me up
in the torture. [2] Then I thought heaven and earth
were at an end; eight times did they draw me up and
let me fall again, so that I suffered terrible agony.
. . .

[Page 27] And this happened on Friday, June 30, and
with God's help I had to bear the torture. . . . When
at last the executioner led me back into the prison,
he said to me: "Sir, I beg you, for God's sake confess
something, whether it be true or not. Invent
something, for you cannot endure the torture which you
will be put to; and, even if you bear it all, yet you
will not escape, not even if you were an earl, but one
torture will follow after another until you say you
are a witch. Not before that," he said, "will they let
you go, as you may see by all their trials, for one is
just like another." . . .

And so I begged, since I was in wretched plight, to be
given one day for thought and a priest. The priest was
refused me, but the time for thought was given. Now,
my dear child, see in what hazard I stood and still
stand. I must say that I am a witch, though I am not,
--must now renounce God, though I have never done it
before. Day and night I was deeply troubled, but at
last there came to me a new idea. I would not be
anxious, but, since I had been given no priest with
whom I could take counsel, I would myself think of
something and say it. It were surely better that I
just say it with mouth and words, even though I had
not really done it; and afterwards I would confess it
to the priest, and let those answer for it who compel
me to do it. . . . And so I made my confession, as
follows; but it was all a lie.

Now follows, dear child, what I confessed in order to
escape the great anguish and bitter torture, which it
was impossible for me longer to bear.

Burr's note:Here follows his confession, substantially
as it is given in the minutes of his trial. But he
adds:

Then I had to tell what people I had seen [at the
witch-sabbath]. I said that I bad not recognized them.
"You old rascal, I must set the executioner at you.
Say--was not the Chancellor there?" So I said yes.
"Who besides?" I had not recognized anybody. So he
said: "Take one street after another; begin at the
market, go out on one street and back on the next." I
had to name several persons there. Then came the long
street. [3] I knew nobody. Had to name eight persons
there. Then the Zinkenwert--one person more. Then over
the upper bridge to the Georgthor, on both sides. Knew
nobody again. [Page 28] Did I know nobody in the
castle--whoever it might be, I should speak without
fear. And thus continuously they asked me on all the
streets, though I could not and would not say more. So
they gave me to the executioner, told him to strip me,
shave me all over, and put me to the torture. "The
rascal knows one on the market-place, is with him
daily, and yet won't name him." By that they meant
Dietmeyer: so I had to name him too.

Then I had to tell what crimes I had committed. I said
nothing.

. . "Draw the rascal up!" So I said that I was to kill
my children, but I had killed a horse instead. It did
not help. I had also taken a sacred wafer, and had
desecrated it. When I had said this, they left me in
peace.

Now, dear child, here you have all my confession, for
which I must die. And they are sheer lies and made-up
things, so help me God. For all this I was forced to
say through fear of the torture which was threatened
beyond what I had already endured. For they never
leave off with the torture till one confesses
something; be he never so good, he must be a witch.
Nobody escapes, though he were an earl. . . .

Dear child, keep this letter secret so that people do
not find it, else I shall be tortured most piteously
and the jailers will be beheaded. So strictly is it
forbidden. . . . Dear child, pay this man a dollar. .
. . I have taken several days to write this: my hands
are both lame. I am in a sad plight. . . .

Good night, for your father Johannes Junius will never
see you more. July 24, 1628.

Burr's note:And on the margin of the letter he adds:

Dear child, six have confessed against me at once: the
Chancellor, his son, Neudecker, Zaner, Hoffmaisters
Ursel, and Hoppfen Els--all false, through compulsion,
as they have all told me, and begged my forgiveness in
God's name before they were executed. . . . They know
nothing but good of me. They were forced to say it,
just as I myself was. . . .



Footnotes

[1]"Otherwise baptized" is the usual phrase for the
rite, a parody of baptism, by which the Devil was
believed to initiate his followers.

[2]This torture of the strappado, which was that in
most common use by the courts, consisted of a rope,
attached to the bands of the prisoner (bound behind
his back) and carried over a pulley at the ceiling. By
this he was drawn up and left hanging. To increase the
pain, weights were attached to his feet or he was
suddenly jerked up and let drop.

[3]"Die lange gasse"-the street is still known by that
name.




Hanover Historical Texts Project
Return to Hanover College Department of History

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