In what years did The Great Witch-Hunt in Bamberg take place?
1623-1632
What are the three main sections to consider when looking at the importance of Bamberg?
Background - the significance of the economic, political and religious context.
Individuals - Why, and with what effect, were specific individuals and groups targeted in Bamberg?
The End - Why did the witch craze come to an end?
Around how many people were accused and executed as witches in Bamberg across the nine year Witch-Hunt?
between 600-900
What was the Holy Roman Empire?
- territory in Western and Central Europe ruled by the Emperor
- Germany was part of the Holy Roman Empire
What impact did Germany being part of the Holy Roman Empire have?
- Some towns and cities could enjoy relative freedom if they had the status of an Imperial City (meaning they had only the Holy Roman Emperor to report to)
- Town and village courts were given the freedom to make their own judgements, with jurors selected from the locality
- Cases could be referred to the governor of a territory, and sometimes appeals to the higher courts were possible
What was the religious state of Germany at the time?
- Geographical as well as religious boundaries were overlapped, with Catholics living alongside Calvinists and Lutherans, making the situation even more dangerous
- German towns quickly became divided as the Protestant faith gradually gained support in the early 16th century
- After the Catholic Emperor Charles V gained victory in 1548, a new rule that the religion of a ruler should be the religion of a region was established
What factors led to the widespread nature of witchcraft fears in Germany?
- political and judicial authority was fragmented meaning panics could easily take hold
- the context of the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation led to Germans fearing the Devil all around them
- Germany had limited legal framework to use against witches making justice a local rather than national matter
When did the Counter-Reformation begin and what was it?
- the second half of the 16th Century
- movement against the Protestant Reformation (the Catholics regaining power and territory)
What was the Jesuit order and its impact?
- Helped the Holy Roman Empire to gain momentum
- the Jesuit order was a hard-line Catholic priesthood intent on destroying Protestantism
- Jesuit churches were founded in cities such as Munich, and the message from the clergy was fiercely anti-Protestant
- Catholic emperors were keen to promote the Jesuit case
How did the Counter-Reformation impact life in Bamberg?
- The counter-Reformation suffered resistance which stimulated mistrust, hatred and division between Catholic and Protestant rulers
- Bamberg was caught in a religious battleground
Who was Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen?
- appointed prince-bishop of Bamberg in 1609
How did von Aschhausen establish further resentment?
- he prioritised the conversion of Protestant parishes
- imposed fines on parishes that remained Protestant
- Lutherans were rounded up and arrested
- Supplies of wood to Protestant parishes were restricted
- founded Catholic schools
Who succeeded von Aschhausen?
John George II Fuchs von Dornheim
How many witches did von Dornheim have executed throughout his time in power?
Around 300
What was the Thirty Years War (1618-1644)?
- the origins of the war lay in both the religious divisions and the ambitions of the Habsberg monarchy
- Many of the German states became embroiled in the war, and many historians argue this increased witch hunting
- Foreign armies then became involved in the war
- From 1635, France joined the anti-Habsburg alliance and the war became less of a war of a religion and more of a continuation of a pre-existing war
What was impact of the War on quality of life in Bamberg?
- The presence of large armies had a devastating impact on Bamberg and the wider empire
- Famine was caused as foreign soldiers took food and resources
- Crop failures added with inflation led to an increased fear of witches as misfortune was seen to be present everywhere
How did the War effect the religious tensions in Bamberg?
- Catholics in Bamberg that fought for the Counter-Reformation became more fanatical than ever
- Anyone who deviated from orthodox Catholic practises were labelled as heretics
What categories did the people usually targeted by witchcraft accusations fall into?
- women whose sexual behaviour deviated from that expected by the Catholic Church
- People whose political views to the war deviated from the Catholics
- People with an existing reputation for healing, fortune telling and sorcery
- Members of the upper class (confiscation of the accused properties)
What % of the witches accused and executed in Bamberg did women make up?
72.7%
When was John George II Fuchs von Dornheim elected as Prince-Bishop?
1623
When and why did mass trials begin in Bamberg?
- 1626
- John George II Fuchs von Dornheim being elected as Prince-Bishop allowed for the craze to become widespread
