“The unlawfull confiscation”

Confiscation of Money and property as the reason for this catholic mass murder ?

It was usual in those times, that the victims,themselves, or their family had to pay all costs for the execution, the meals, the torture, and the wage for the executioners and members of the witch-commision. The so called “Drudenkittel” was the only clothing, that a delinquent got in the Malefiz House - it had to be paid as well as the stake plus the “justice meal for the witch commisioners” after the execution.

If a victim did not have any family, his complete belongings, houses, animals and plots of lands were confiscated by the catholic church. A great part of the work of a witch commisioner was the calculation of the inventory of a victim - and the calculation of how these belongings could be used for the costs of the whole law suite.

Confiscation of the belongings of a victim was an essential necessity for the continuity of the complete persecution - but in the beginning it does not seem to be the reason for this human catastrophy. As more and more victims got arrested, the historic files show, that from a certain time on, preferably rich citizens were burned at the stake.

The complete confiscation of the witch burner Fox of Dornheim is estimated at approximately 500.000 Guilders. We have to keep in mind that the price for a normal house in those times was no more than 150 Guilders.