Sidonia von Borcke (1548–1620) was a Pomeranian noblewoman who was tried and executed for

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

in the city of Stettin (today

Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

). In posthumous legends, she is depicted as a ''

femme fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...

'', and she has entered English literature as Sidonia the Sorceress. She had lived in various towns and villages throughout the country.

Alternative spellings

Her name may also be spelled as Sidonie von Bork, Borke, or Borken.

Life

Sidonia von Borcke was born in 1548 into a wealthy noble Pomeranian family.Riedl (2004), p. 138. Her father, Otto von Borcke zu Stramehl-Regenwalde, died in 1551, and her mother, Anna von Schwiechelt, died in 1568.Riedl (2004), p. 139. After the death of her sister in 1600 she took residence in 1604 in the Lutheran '' Noble Damsels' Foundation'' in Marienfließ Abbey which, since 1569 and following the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, was a convent for unmarried noblewomen. Before that she had been involved in several

lawsuits - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...

concerning support payments which, she claimed, were owed to her. Defendants in the suits were her brother, Ulrich, and

Johann Friedrich, Duke of Pomerania John Frederick (german: Johann Friedrich; 27 August 1542 – 9 February 1600) was Duke of Pomerania from 1560 to 1600, and Bishop of Cammin (Kamień) from 1556 to 1574. Elected bishop in 1556 and heir of the duchy in 1560, he remained under tutel ...

(died 1600). One of these suits was even heard in the imperial court in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

.Riedl (2004), pp. 140-141. While living in Marienfließ, Sidonia engaged in several private and judicial conflicts with her (mostly younger) co-residents and with the administrative staff of the abbey.Riedl (2004), p. 142. When in 1606 she was dismissed from her post as an ''Unterpriorin'' ( sub-prioress) by the convent's prioress, Magdalena von Petersdorff, she appealed her dismissal to Bogislaw XIII, Duke of Pomerania. Bogislaw sent a Commission, headed by Joachim von Wedel, to investigate the dispute. The interaction between the Commission and Sidonia soon metamorphosed into a major

feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...

. Von Wedel met in private with the Marienfließ

Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...

(captain), Johannes von Hechthausen, to consider "getting rid of this poisonous snake." The feud ended with the death of Bogislaw XIII in 1606 and the deaths of von Petersdorff, von Wedel, and von Hechthausen (all in 1609).Riedl (2004), p. 143. Two years later, Sidonia filed complaints against the new prioress, Agnes von Kleist. These complaints were addressed to

Philip II Philip II may refer to: * Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC) * Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor * Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374) * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) * Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497) * Philip ...

, Bogislaw's successor. Like his predecessor, Philip sent a Commission to investigate the complaints — a Commission headed by Jost von Borcke, a relative of Sidonia's who had already been humiliated when he was involved in prior lawsuits brought by Sidonia.Riedl (2004), p. 145. The new Commission did not succeed in calming the dispute, and Jost von Borcke described the situation at Marienfließ as one of chaos, mistrust, name-calling, and occasional violence. Philip II died in 1618 and was succeeded by Duke

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

. Jost von Borcke was in good standing at Francis's court and remained head of the investigating Commission.Riedl (2004), p. 144. In July 1619, a dispute between Sidonia and ''Unterpriorin'' (sub-prioress) Dorothea von Stettin escalated out of control during a

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...

, and both women were arrested. Dorothea von Stettin then accused Sidonia of witchcraft, specifically of forcing a former Marienfließ

factotum Factotum may refer to: *A handyman, employed as a servant * ''Factotum'' (novel), a 1975 novel by Charles Bukowski * ''Factotum'' (film), a 2005 film adaptation of the novel * Factotum (arts organisation), an arts organisation based in Belfast * fa ...

, Wolde Albrechts, to ask the devil about her (Sidonia's) future. Wolde Albrechts made her living from

fortune-telling Fortune telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115-116. The scope of fortune telling is in principle identical w ...

and begging after she lost her position at Marienfließ (this loss was a consequence of the death of Johannes von Hechthausen). She had travelled with

gypsies The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

in her youth, was known to have had several unstable sexual relationships, and was unmarried with an illegitimate child. Dorothea von Stettin persuaded Anna von Apenburg, her Marienfließ roommate, to support her accusation of Sidonia. According to contemporary law, the ''Constitutio Criminalis Carolina'', two eyewitnesses were sufficient to convict both Sidonia and Wolde. Anna, however, withdrew her support of the accusation when she was asked to repeat her statement under

oath Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to ...

Trials

The trials of Sidonia von Borcke and Wolde Albrechts were held at the court in

Stettin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin language, Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Po ...

. These trials are well documented, with more than a thousand pages of the original trial record available in an archive in

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (german: Universitäts- und Hansestadt Greifswald, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostoc ...

(''Rep 40 II Nr.37 Bd.I-III''). The recent unexpected deaths of several

Pomeranian dukes This is a list of the duchies and dukes of Pomerania. Dukes of the Slavic Pomeranian tribes (All Pomerania) The lands of Pomerania were firstly ruled by local tribes, who settled in Pomerania around the 10th and 11th centuries. Non-dynastic ...

, along with widespread superstition, had created an atmosphere in which the public was prepared to blame the dukes' deaths on Sidonia's alleged witchcraft.Riedl (2004), p. 136.Inachim (2008), p. 65. This bias was strengthened when the Pomeranian dynasty became extinct in 1637.Riedl (2004), p. 137.

Wolde Albrechts

The trial of Wolde Albrechts was a preface to the trial of Sidonia. Albrechts was arrested on 28 July 1619. On 18 August, she was charged with maleficium and ''Teufelsbuhlschaft'' (i.e., sexual relations with the devil). On 2 September,

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...

was admitted as a legitimate means of interrogation by the supreme court at

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...

. On 7 September, Albrechts confessed under torture and accused Sidonia and two other women of witchcraft.Riedl (2004), p. 146. She repeated these confessions in the presence of Sidonia during Sidonia's trial, which began on 1 October 1619. Albrechts was

burned at the stake Death by burning (also known as immolation) is an execution and murder method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a punishment f ...

on 9 October 1619.

Sidonia von Borcke

Sidonia, who had been imprisoned in the Marienfließ Abbey, attempted to escape but failed. She also attempted

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

, but this also failed.Riedl (2004), p. 148. On 18 November 1619, she was transferred to a prison in Stettin. In December, 72 charges were brought against her.Riedl (2004), p.149 The most important of these were: *murder of her nephew, Otto von Borcke *murder of a priest, David Lüdecke *murder of duke

Pomerania-Stettin The Duchy of Pomerania-Stettin, also known as the Duchy of Stettin, and the Duchy of Szczecin, was a feudal duchy in Farther Pomerania within the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Szczecin. It was ruled by the Griffin dynasty.B. Dopierała, ''Po ...

(died 1618) *murder of Magdalena von Petersdorff, prioress of Marienfließ *murder of Matthias Winterfeld, gatekeeper at Marienfließ *murder of Consistorial Counsellor Dr. Heinrich Schwalenberg *paralyzation of Katharina Hanow, a noblewoman at Marienfließ *consultation with soothsayers *knowledge of future and distant events *sexual contacts with the devil (who allegedly materialized in animals, such as Sidonia's cat, whose name was Chim)Riedl (2004), p.149 *magical practices, such as praying the " Judas psalm" (

Psalm 109 Psalm 109 is a psalm in the Book of Psalms. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 108. It is attributed to King David and noted for containing ...

) and crossing brooms beneath a kitchen table In January 1620, a man named Elias Pauli was appointed as Sidonia's defender. Although he presented a defense showing that those allegedly murdered had died natural deaths, he also dissociated himself from statements of Sidonia which had incriminated Jost von Borcke and other officials. About fifty witnesses were questioned at the trial. On 28 June, the

court permitted the Stettin court to use torture. When torture was applied on 28 July, Sidonia confessed. The verdict of death was read to her when she was dragged to the execution site and her body was "ruptured" four times with

pliers Pliers are a hand tool used to hold objects firmly, possibly developed from tongs used to handle hot metal in Bronze Age Europe. They are also useful for bending and physically compressing a wide range of materials. Generally, pliers consist ...

. When Sidonia recanted her confession, she was tortured anew on 16 August.Riedl (2004), p. 150. On 1 September 1620, the final verdict was rendered. Sidonia was sentenced to death by

beheading Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

and subsequent burning of her body.Inachim (2008), p. 65. The sentence was carried out in Stettin, outside the mill gate. The exact date of her death is not known.

In fiction

After Sidonia's death, her fate became legendary and was even more strongly associated with the extinction of the

House of Pomerania The House of Griffin or Griffin dynasty (german: Greifen; pl, Gryfici, da, Grif) was a dynasty ruling the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637. The name "Griffins" was used by the dynasty after the 15th century and had been take ...

. Portrayed as a ''

'', she became the subject of several fictional works in German and English, especially during the 19th century.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as trea ...

's brother-in-law,

Christian August Vulpius Christian August Vulpius (23 January 1762 – 25 June 1827) was a German novelist and dramatist. His sister married the noted German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Biography He was born at Weimar, and was educated at Jena and Erlangen. In ...

, in 1812 included Sidonia in his book ''Pantheon berühmter und merkwürdiger Frauen'' (''Pantheon of Famous and Noteworthy Women''). A

Gothic romance Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

,Bridgwater (2000), p. 213. ''Sidonia von Bork, die Klosterhexe'', was written in 1847–1848 by

Wilhelm Meinhold Johannes Wilhelm Meinhold (27 February 1797Bridgwater (2000), p. 213. – 30 November 1851) was a Pomeranian priest and author. Life Meinhold was born in Lütow on the island of Usedom, where his father Georg Wilhelm Meinhold (1767–1728) ...

, a Pomeranian priest and author. It was published in three volumes in 1848.Rudolph (2004) p. 155.Full title in German: ''Sidonia von Bork, die Klosterhexe, angebliche Vertilgerin des gesamten herzoglich-pommerschen Regentenhauses''
preview at google books
An English translation of this novel, titled ''Sidonia the Sorceress'', was published in 1849 by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's mother,

Jane Wilde Jane Francesca Agnes, Lady Wilde (née Elgee; 27 December 1821 – 3 February 1896) was an Irish poet under the pen name Speranza and supporter of the nationalist movement. Lady Wilde had a special interest in Irish folktales, which she help ...

(later known as Lady Wilde).O'Neill (1985), p. 119.Rudolph (2004) p. 156. This translation was also published by

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

in his

Kelmscott Press The Kelmscott Press, founded by William Morris and Emery Walker, published fifty-three books in sixty-six volumes between 1891 and 1898. Each book was designed and ornamented by Morris and printed by hand in limited editions of around 300. Many ...

in 1894.Full title of the English version: ''Sidonia the Sorceress: The Supposed Destroyer of the Whole Reigning Ducal House of Pomerania''
full text
at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

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and

Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a Virtual volunteering, volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the ...

). Also referred to as ''The Convent Witch'', a translation of the German subtitle ''Die Klosterhexe''
Daguerreotype of 1848
The English translations achieved a popularity in Great Britain that was unmatched by any other German book in British literary history. Especially in the

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (later known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James ...

, whose members included William Morris,

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhoo ...

, and

Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August, 183317 June, 1898) was a British painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, Ford Madox Brown and Holman Hun ...

, enthusiasm for Sidonia as a Medusa-type ''femme fatale'' was widespread.Bridgwater (2000), pp. 217-218. Rossetti is said to have referred to and quoted from the novel "incessantly".Bridgwater (2000), p. 216. Several members created paintings based on the novel, the most famous being ''Sidonia Von Bork'' and ''Clara Von Bork'' by Burne-Jones in 1860.Bridgwater (2000), p. 218. For his Sidonia painting, Rossetti's

mistress Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a ...

Fanny Cornforth Fanny Cornforth (born Sarah Cox; 3 January 1835 – 24 February 1909) was an English artist's model, and the mistress and muse of the Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Cornforth performed the duties of housekeeper for Ros ...

served as the model.Bridgwater (2000), p. 220. Other authors who wrote novels based Sidonia's life were

Albert Emil Brachvogel Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert ...

(1824–1878) and Paul Jaromar Wendt (1840–1919).

Theodor Fontane Theodor Fontane (; 30 December 1819 – 20 September 1898) was a German novelist and poet, regarded by many as the most important 19th-century German-language realist author. He published the first of his novels, for which he is best known toda ...

(1819-1898) had prepared a novel, ''Sidonie von Borcke'', since 1879. However, he did not finish it. The fragments of it were published in 1966.Nürnberger (1996), p. 705.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

An article in ''Journal von und für Deutschland'', 1786.
Wilhelm Meinhold: ''Sidonia von Bork die Klosterhexe'' (1847-48)(downloadable, illustrated, complete transcription of the original German text)English translations of Wilhelm Meinhold's ''Sidonia the Sorceress''
at