The Rottweil Witch Trials were a series of

witch trials A witch-hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. The Witch trials in the early modern period, classical period of witch-hunts in Early Modern Europe and European Colon ...

in the town of

Rottweil Rottweil (; Alemannic: ''Rautweil'') is a town in southwest Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Rottweil was a free imperial city for nearly 600 years. Located between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alps, Rottweil has nearly 25,000 in ...

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

, a town in what is now

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, between 1546 and 1661. 234 women and 53 men were accused of witchcraft. Out of 287 accused, only 21 were found innocent, while the other 266 were killed. The majority of the victims were burned to death, although some were beheaded (which was becoming more 'fashionable' in the 16th century). 400 years later, the town pardoned the accused posthumously. A commemorative plaque was placed on the tower in the city, which was formerly a prison, to serve as a memorial for the victims of the trials.

Known victims

1546 - Ottilia Pöttin burned to death 1546 - Agatha Seyfried burned to death 1546 - Walburga Posenberger burned to death 1546 - Walburga Zimmermann aus Rottenburg (Also known as Rottenburg am Neckar) burned to death 1547 - Anna Hermanns burned to death 1554 - Margaretha Weißbrot von Schemberg burned to death 1561 - Catharina Höhnmeyer burned to death 1561 - Margaretha Parnayer burned to death 1561 - Barbara Rebin von der Neuenburg burned to death 1566 - Elsa Rainherin aus Straßberg burned to death 1566 - Wilhelm Zorn aus Schwäbisch Gmünd beaten and burned to death 1569 - Margaretha Höhn burned to death 1569 - Anna Quatlender von Weiler burned to death 1571 - Catharina Strobenhauser aus Horb burned 1572 - Ursula aus der Wentin burned to death 1572 Margaretha Reiderken burned to death 1572 Barbara Vogler burned to death 1572 Hans Kilian aus Pfullingen burned to death 1572 Margaretha Stimler aus Waldmössingen burned to death 1572 Petronellea Rein aus Trailfingen burned to death 1573 Anna Kermann Witwe von Hans Bilgen burned to death 1573 Waldpurga Dilgass genannt Faulhaberin burned to death 1574 Margaretha Burg aus Binzwangen burned to death 1574 Hans Baugen aus der Altstadt burned to death 1574 Barbara Heinzmann burned to death 1574 Margaretha Hochburger aus Ravensburg burned to death 1574 Apollonia Winding von Sunderfingen burned to death 1574 Barbara Egloff killed by unknown means 1575 Margaretha Brig von Hangen burned to death 1576 Ursula Rößler burned to death 1577 Rosina Gräf burned to death 1579 Barbara Nieth von Blattenhardt vor Hinrichtung branded and burned to death 1580 Barbara Strom von Trossingen burned to death 1580 Hans Engel gerädert dann burned to death 1580 Michel Reitz von Ratshausen burned to death 1581 Waldburga Heinzelmann von Schramberg burned to death 1582 Paul Benz von Westhofen burned to death 1582 Hans Dorn von Hasenweiler gerädert dann burned to death 1582 Hans Heinrich Hessen von Lützelburg beaten then burned to death 1583 Anna Möslin burned to death 1583 Cordula Müller burned to death 1583 Margaretha Rötlin burned to death 1584 Ulrich Loschner von Metzingen burned to death 1584 Michael Frieß ein Schmied burned to death 1584 Hans Jacobs von Molspern burned to death 1585 Apollonia Klug aus dem Blatterhaus burned to death 1585 Margaretha Breller burned to death 1586 Anna Werlin burned to death 1586 Apollonia Marstall burned to death 1586 deren Mann Hans Schürlin burned to death 1586 Hans Reinhardt von Geißlingen bei Ulm burned to death 1586 Matthias Kugel von Brienbach burned to death 1587 Angesa Decker von Meßstetten burned to death 1587 Anna Funck aus Erla unter Rosenfeld burned to death 1587 Agnes Rosenberger burned to death 1588 Anna Menin aus der Altstadt burned to death 1588 Katharina Ruopp von Tailfingen burned to death 1588 Margaretha Baurmännin von Schwenninge burned to death 1588 Anna Scherlin burned to death 1588 Agneta Petermann drowned 1588 Daughter of Agneta Petermann drowned 1588 Katharina Gender burned to death 1589 Anna Kurt von Zeidlfingen burned to death 1590 Salomea Herder burned to death 1590 Conrad Haller burned to death 1590 Barbara Zeller burned to death 1590 Paula Biler von Pforra bei Eschingen burned to death 1590 Thongius Schentzlin von Schwenningen burned to death 1591 Hans Bosch von Wernsreute bei Ravensburg burned to death 1591 Anna Vischer burned to death 1591 Catharina Ackerknecht burned to death 1592 Anna Schuler Witwe Folter dann Haft 1592 Conrad Ernst von Reutlingen burned to death 1592 Anna Probst burned to death 1592 Brigitta Pöttlin burned to death 1592 Martin Brienen burned to death 1592 Verena Hundspissin von Tuttlingen burned to death 1592 Ursula Häsin von Täbingen burned to death 1592 Anna Stieling aus der Altstadt burned to death 1593 Tobias Wirt aus Steißlingen beaten then burned to death 1593 Martin Fritz aus Kemnat beaten then burned to death 1593 Hans Schlieffer von Frittlingen beaten then burned to death 1593 Heinrich Fausten aus dem Breisgau beaten then burned to death 1593 Georg Finckhels aus dem Gunthartz beaten then burned to death 1593 Hans Schmidt burned to death 1593 Margaretha Waldkaff von Sigmaringen dem Dorf burned to death 1595 Georg Jank von Mörspurg beaten then burned to death 1595 Hans Wilden von Tüwingen beaten then burned to death 1595 Anna Burdig von Tuningen burned to death 1595 Barbara Pack von Bretingen burned to death 1595 Margaretha Piekherna von Schleickhen burned to death 1595 Jacob Striegel der Alte burned to death 1595 Anna Wernitz burned to death{{cite book , last1=Zeck , first1=Mario , title="Im Rauch gehen Himmel geschüggt", Hexenverfolgung in der Reichsstadt Rottweil , date=2000 , publisher=Stuttgart , location=Rottweil

References

Rottweil (district) Trials in Germany *