Torture and the Witchcraze of Early Modern Europe continued

While the extant description of the Pappenheimers' torture and execution is difficult to read, it is essential in understanding the potential impact of these public spectacles on the viewer, and their significance upon the victims as well. The sentence pronounced upon the Pappenheimers and two other men was severe. They were sentenced to "death by torment". Their bodies were to be torn with red hot pincers, Anna Pappenheimer's breasts were to be cut off, the five condemned males were to be broken on the wheel, and Paulus Gamperle was to be impaled on a stake, then all were to be burnt. While the sentence alone is enough to deeply disturb any reader or scholar, the extant descriptions of their punishments are far worse. The procession which led to the execution began when the Pappenheimers, a farmer named Ulrich Scholz and the tailor Georg Schmalzl were led down the steps of the town hall. In the plaza below, all six were stripped to the waist. The flesh of all six of the convicted was "ripped" with red hot pincers. Anna Pappenheimer's breasts were cut off, and rubbed against her mouth and around the mouths of her grown sons. The symbolism of this action is clear. The six of them were then loaded on to two horse drawn carts to be taken to the place of execution. The Pappenheimers' young son, Hansel, was forced to witness all of this. After the five men and one woman were tortured in the town square, they were moved to the place of execution. There they were offered wine and communion. This served not only to nourish their souls, but also to enable them to bear more tortures. The five men were each broken on the wheel, a process which involved strapping the victim to a flat surface and dropping a heavy wheel on his limbs, thus breaking his bones. Many died during this particular torture, and in the Pappenheimer case, the executioner was careful to keep the victims alive. For reasons which are unclear, women were not subjected to the wheel. Again, young Hansel witnessed the torture.

The most unusual and brutal torture of the proceedings was yet to come. Paulus Pappenheimer, the father, was impaled on a stake driven through the anus. This particular punishment was quite unusual, even in Bavaria, and when used, was typically rather symbolic, using only a very short stick to humiliate the victim. Paulus, however, was impaled in the full sense of the word.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic