Jesenice witch trials

Jesenice witch trials was a series of witch trials which occurred in the Jesenice area in Bohemia, present day Czech Republic, between 1678 and 1696. They are among the largest and most well known witch trials in the history of their country.

Bakground

The Jesenice witch trials are considered to be part of the the Catholic counter-reformation. The Bohemians were unwilling abandon their protestant religion after Bohemia had been taken by Austria during the Thirty Years' War. There was also great opposition to the social oppression of farmers under the landlords. This caused rebellions, such as the one of 1659-1662 led by Christopher Maršíkova, Nicholas Patzold and Jan Jaschke.

The Jesuit Arnold Engel wrote to the Emperor and warned him that Northern Moravia was dominated by sorcery and Satanism, and warned that it developed in to rebellions and harmed the souls.

Witch trials were otherwise uncommon in Bohemia. The first witch trials occurred in Jesenice in 1622, when 4 women were executed. In 1636, the first great hunt erupted and lasted until 1648; the number executed have been lost, but is considered to have been great. In 1651, 86 people were executed for witch craft. 250 people are estimated to have been executed for this charge in the first period of 1622-1651. In 1667, another 16 was burned in Ratibor. They occurred mainly in present day Silesia and the Principality of Nisském. This was the prelude of the more famous Boblig witch trials of 1678-96.

The trials

At easter 1678, Marie Schuhová from Vernířovic attended church, and during the mass, she was observed taking the bred of the communion from her mouth in to her pray book. This was the starting point of the witch trials. The local aristocrat, Countess Angelia Anna Sibyla of Galle, was advised to form a witch commission. Henry Francis Boblig was recommended as the judge and head of the commission. Boblig was to become a well known witch hunter.

The countess did not initially approve of torture. By displaying the torture devices for Schuhova, she pointed out the midwife Dorothy Grörové, who, in her turn, pointed out Dorothy Davidové, who had wanted the communion to use for a spell which would give the cows more milk. Boblig now convinced the countess that torture was necessary, and after this, torture was much used. The accused were stripped, the Devil's mark were searched for.

In 1679, Marie Schuhovou and three other women were burned at the stake; one, Davidová, had died in prison but her corpse was burnt all the same.

Boblig and his commission continued his work, and was rumored to be driven by economic reasons. He turned to the city Šumperk, were many wealthy families lived. Patřilo Marii Sattlerové, Mary Sattlerové Manželce and Kaspar Sattlera were among those found guilty by him.

The trial of Lautner

In February 1680, five women were decapitated and burned. Usually, those convicted by Boblig were sentenced execution by burning. In Great Losiny, Marie Sattlerová was pointed out by some of them. When four women were burned in September 1680, the crowd watching the execution cried Jesus to forgive them. this made an impression on the priest Tomas Königa. Together with another other priests, he protested against Boblig, saying that if the commission were allowed to continue, then soon no one could be certain of their lives. Boblig reacted with gathering incriminating material against the critics which would suggest that they were witches as well. König died in 1682, just avoiding an arrest, as Bobling was ready to present his with charge against him.

Another of the critics was Christopher Alois Lautner, vicar of Sumperk and a popular person because of his tolerance. The Sattlerů family belonged to the most known accused people of these trials. They had came in to an argument with members of the commission. Boblig had long plans to have them accused so that he may confiscate their property. An already arrested person was made to implicate them. Kaspar Sattleru, his wife Maria and daughter Lizl were arrested and tortured. They were made to implicate Zuzana Voglickovou, the house keeper and mistress of Lautner. The accused were made to confess to have committed incest and sex with demons at the witches' sabbath. They implicated Lautner, who was arrested as well with permission from the bishop. Lautner, Voglickovou and the Sattleru family were burned at the stake in 1685.

The persecutions continued for eighteen years, until the death of Boblig in 1696. About one hundred people are estimated to have been executed in the 1678-1696 witch craze.

References

* http://www.rozhlas.cz/toulky/vysila_praha/_zprava/141284
* http://www.metalopolis.net/art_downtown.asp?id=247
* http://www.muzeum-sumperk.cz/index.php?item=cinnost/publikacni-cinnost/vlastivedny-sbornik-severni-morava/obsah/&larticle=3005
* http://www.carodejnicke-procesy.mysteria.cz/