Sentence and Execution

In front of the so called “Cent Gericht” the condemmed received his sentence: “the stick was broken”.

A part of the victims became tortured even shortly before they were burned at the stake: glowing irons were burning the breast of the female victims or they got chopped off one or both hands.

Before the execution happened they rang the so called MALEFIZ BELL in the “Majors Haus” in the middle of the river Regnitz - so all the citizens of Bamberg knew, that there was another witch burning at the execution location. For those who commited “Schadenszauber” and if they were willing to overwrite all their posessions to the catholic church, they were granted the so called “mercy sheet” from the prince bishop. This meant, that they were decapitated before their body got burned.

The burning of the bodies had to be complete, because any bones could still contain “witchcraft” - so they fired the stakes until only ashes was left, which was afterwards thrown into the river Regnitz. In the cities of Zeil and Geroldshofen it was said, that they have had so called “Hexenöfen” - witch ovens, in which they could completely carbonate a witch corps in less than 3 hours and “safe a lot af wood”.