Varuna's Homepage



 
This page is dedicated to all the victims of the Inquisition



In Germany from the middle of the 15. century until the end of the 18. century (1775) hundred-thousands people of every gender, age, social-status or religion were accused of being witches, were tortured and then burned on stakes. The ones who confessed were beheaded or strangled before burning. Some of the defendants died during the torture.
Responsible for these murders were the two churches, mainly the catholic one, whose first man Pope Innozenz VIII wrote the witch-bull "Summis desiderantes affectibus" in 1484 and appointed the authors of "Malleus Maleficarum" (1487), the theologists Jacob Sprenger and Heinrich Institoris, to be judges for the Inquisition.
But also the protestantic clergymen, for example Dr. Martin Luther, supported the burning of the "witches".

In Dortmund, the city where I live today, at least 16 women and 2 men were victims of the "witch-mania":
Anna Coesters died during the torture on 6. June 1581
Gertrud Nevelings beheaded on 4. August 1581
Bernd Badde beheaded on 17. August 1581
two women beheaded on 17. August 1581
Carda Mana died during the torture on 26. June 1593
Wessel Kippe beheaded on 14. July 1593
Enne Kurlemans died during the torture on 31. July 1593
Korte Enne burned alive on 4. August 1593
Katharina Dieffhausen died during the torture on 28. August 1593
Katharina Harnsmacher died during the torture on 4. September 1593
Tribbel Enne burned alive on 6. October 1593
Catharina Spieckers beheaded on 6. Oktober 1593
Mümmel Elsken burned alive in May 1595
Tele Seiffe burned alive on 5. November 1595
Margrita Martens beheaded on 6. November 1595
Else Hilgenschneiders beheaded on 6. November 1595
Catharina Peters beheaded on 11. Dezember 1595



© Varuna Holzapfel 1998.