Posted by J. Roslyn Antle on 5/17/2013 to
General
We recently discussed the Basque Witch Trials, occurring at the beginning of the 17th Century, and have previously discussed various other instances where Practitioners have been persecuted for their spiritual beliefs. These include the Salem Witch trials, the early Spanish Inquisition, and the Burning Times in general. Today, we will delve into one of the most devastating witch trials in human history, known as the Bamberg Witch Trials.
The Bamberg Witch Trials occupy a very important place in history, especially during a period of extreme religious discrimination and witch ‘hunting.’ However, the significance of this event is too often overlooked because it occurred around the same time as many other witch trials – just years after the Basque Witch Trials, the same time as the Wurzburg Witch Trials, and only decades before the Salem Witch Trials. But unlike the Basque Trials, which ended without punishment to any despite over 7,000 interrogations and 11,000 pages of supporting documentation, and the Salem Trials, in which nineteen innocent individuals were found to have been Practitioners, the trials in Bamberg resulted in the execution of 300-600 individuals, most of whom had no connection whatsoever with the Craft. The death total covers such a wide range because while there exists evidence of at least 300 executions, there were another 300 individuals who were never declared dead, but were nonetheless never seen again.