THE WITCH HUNTER HALL OF FAME
Hopkins wasn’t the only one making – and investigating – marks in Europe
Pierre de Lancre 1553-1631
Granted the power to rout out witches by King Henri IV himself, Lancre led a witch hunt in the Labourd area with devastating consequences. He started work in 1609, after the number of accusations of witchcraft in the area caused official concern – a task he committed himself to with great enthusiasm. The deadly judge was finally relieved of his post, but not before an estimated 80 people were executed in the fourmonth period he was active.
Johann von Schönenberg
1525-1599
Archbishop of Trier, Johann von Schönenberg presided over a set of German witch trials that, starting in 1581, lasted for over a decade. The witch hunt may have claimed 368 lives in the city of Trier alone, with the final death count much higher: in two villages, it was said only one woman was left alive. Schönenberg belatedly attempted to rein in the terror, fearing for central control, but the damage was already done.
nicholas rémy 1530-1616
This lawyer-turned-witch-hunter took great pride in his work; according to Rémy, he was responsible for the death of over 900 witches, and even if only less than 150 can be substantiated, his dedication to the cause cannot be doubted. His written works were also highly influential, acting as a ‘guide’ to other hunters of witches. It is thought that he turned to witch hunting after his son died, supposedly cursed by a beggar woman.
Georg Scherer 1540-1605
Responsible for Vienna’s only witch burning, Scherer earns a place in the list of witch hunters due to his ferocious persecutions of Elisabeth Plainacher in roughly 1583. The 70-year-old Lutheran woman was accused by Scherer of causing fits in her granddaughter Anna after no other cause could be found, and after questioning and torture, she confessed that she had been the one responsible. Despite intervention from Vienna’s mayor, Elisabeth was burned as a witch.
Balthasar von dernbach 1548-1605
During his stint as prince-abbot at the monastery of Fulda, in 1602 fanatical Dernbach unleashed terror and persecution throughout the area, with the final death toll at over 200. Accusations included copulation with the Devil, carrying his children and murder. This witch hunter didn’t work alone, with a fellow minister at the monastery boasting of his blood-thirsty streak. Thankfully, the trials did not long outlast his death, bringing this brutal episode to an end.