Dramatic story: Witch burning on Kapuzinerberg revealed!

Dramatic story: Witch burning on Kapuzinerberg revealed!

In picturesque Salzburg, the corridor of the “Sternbräu” restaurant is decorated with an impressive monumental painting depicting the brutal execution of a witch on Kapuzinerberg in 1400. The work of art is by Karl Reisenbichler and was created in 1924. In the midst of this dramatic scenery, the painting not only acts as a work of art, but also provides an insight into the dark history of the witch hunts that shook the region in the 17th century. Since then, the restaurant has attracted numerous visitors who are interested in both the culinary and historical delicacies.

The painting is part of the second episode of the series “Power and Powerlessness” by Hans Peter Hasenöhrl, which illuminates the history of the prince-archbishops in Salzburg. This eventful history includes not only the founding of the university, but also the construction of the baroque city, as well as famous events such as the dismissal of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by a count.

The Salzburg Magician Boy Trials

One of the dark eras in Salzburg's history is captured in the Salzburg Sorcerer's Boy Trials, which took place from 1675 to 1690. This wave of witch hunts, which is considered particularly cruel, exposed the brutality and improper approach of the jurisprudence at the time. During the reign of Archbishop Max Gandolf of Kuenburg, over 150 people, including many children and young people, were executed for sorcery and witchcraft.

The focus of these persecutions was, among others, Barbara Koller, also known as Schinderbärbel, and her son Jakob Koller, who later became notorious as Schinderjackl. Barbara Koller was arrested in 1675 after a theft and confessed her alleged crimes under torture. She was executed in Salzburg-Gneis in August of the same year. Her son Jacob, who was said to be able to transform into a wolf, went into hiding to avoid capture; A bounty was placed on his head, while begging children around him were also accused of witchcraft.

Statistics and consequences

Between 1675 and 1690, a total of 232 people were tried, of whom 167 were executed. The youngest of those executed were only around ten years old. What is particularly noteworthy is that over two thirds of those executed were male and more than half were children and young people. Contemporary lawyers viewed the trials as legally harmless, which led to further waves of persecution in the region.

The gruesome events of the Sorcerer's Boys Trials are not only a part of local history, but also show the far-reaching social and legal consequences of the witch hunts that peaked in Europe in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The trials in Salzburg led to further persecutions, particularly in southeast Germany, and ultimately culminated in the child witch trials from 1715 to 1721 in the Freising monastery.

The memory of such events remains alive in the city, not least through works of art such as the fresco in the “Sternbräu”, which serves both as a memorial to the past and as part of a lively tourism history that attracts visitors from near and far.