Tracking the Witch-Hunts in Trier

But what was normal at the time? From the 15th century onwards, anyone who had unusual knowledge, led a supposedly improper lifestyle, or simply had money could be made a witch. This applied to men and women, the rich and the poor, single people and entire families. After all, someone had to be held accountable for famines, extreme weather events and epidemics. And if the executed person also left some assets behind, their death was considered a double blessing.

The tour tracks the witch-hunts that raged particularly fiercely in Trier in the 16th and 17th centuries. It sheds light on all aspects of the belief in witches: The belief in the witches’ dance floor, where witches would court demons, the belief in torture as the only possible way of withdrawing confessions from witches and sorcerers, and the belief that this entire belief is false. In any case, Trier is still home to the grave of the man (Friedrich Spee) whose polemic against the belief in witches significantly helped end the fearsome series of executions – well beyond Trier’s borders.

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