German Jesuit against torture in the early 17th century – Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15633/tes.07101Keywords:
Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld, Jesuits, witch hunt, witch trials, TrevirAbstract
Witch hunts were common in many European countries in the modern period. The period of the greatest persecution on the German area was between the second half of the 16th and the first half of the 17th century. Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld was one of the most determined opponents of witchcraft trials. This German Jesuit, professor, and poet was a staunch opponent of the trials involving torture. As a confessor to the women sent to the stake during executions, he wrote Cautio Criminalis – a work depicting not only the cruelty of the trials but also condemning all those responsible for the judgments and sentences handed down.References
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