Torture in the Archbishopric of Bamberg

Torture is the systematic use of physical and/or psychical pain, to obtain confession or to force the victims to a certain behaviour. As sociological phenomena the tortur may be as old as mankind himself.

Untill the 13 th century torture was not expilicitly forbidden bei the church laws. Then, the law about treasury changed and was now looked upon being a crimen laesae maiestatis Divinae, a crime against god himself.

The death of the tortured victim was taken for granted or it was as well wanted, that unwanted suspects “just disappeared”, after they were brought to a witch jail. Some died on the injuries or sickness, other commited suicide and, on very rare occasions, very few could flee and never came back.

As a part of the Inquisition, Pope Innoncence IV, published a degree in the year 1252, which allowed his church officials to use torture as a legal method for witch suspects and other heretics - “the crown of evidence”.

Torture was generally used until the 17th / 18th century and due to the fact, that there were no real trials like we know them nowadays, the confession of an accused witch suspect was absolutely necessary - only because of his confession he could be punished. thumb|left|500px

Please see also the following PART 2:

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A single grade of the torture should not last longer than 15 Minutes, the whole Torture session should not last longer than one hour.

If the victim gave a sign, that he would confess, he must be brought to another chamber, where he should confess free from pain to the so called Torturat-Questions.

Did he not really confess - the torture was repeated the next day.

If it became obvious, that the tortured victim was not willing to confess after one hour of torture, or if it was assumable that the victim´s life was in danger, so the torture was stopped and the judgement was called Absolutio ad instantia, the confinement of the instance.

The torture was not exercised on general holidays - not, when the Inquisit has just eaten, but in the early morning ours or during the night.

The Inquisit was not told, when the torture was about to be exercised, but in some cities the victim was visited by a monk who advised him to confess his witchcraft.