Dances, Death and the Devil / Book by Hans-Peter Pracht

Dances, Death and the Devil / Book by Hans-Peter Pracht

DANCES, DEATH AND THE DEVIL
WITCH HUNTING IN THE EIFEL

When witch hunts swept through Germany and Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Eifel region was particularly affected. The author examines the background of the witch hunts in the Eifel, the church's justifications, and individual cases in the region. He also recounts the actions of courageous individuals who resisted the persecutions.

The 16th and 17th centuries were a time of great hardship in Europe and the German regions. War, famine, and disease ravaged the land – and entire villages in the Eifel region were almost depopulated by these horrific conditions. It was in the interest of the rulers, landowners, and government officials – princes and church leaders alike – to attribute the causes not to their own actions, but to the workings of supernatural, demonic powers. And so, an unprecedented persecution of innocent people raged across the land: the witch hunts. The Eifel region, too, was a scene of this hysteria, which led to numerous witch trials and murders sanctioned "with God's blessing." Indeed, it is considered certain that the Eifel was affected to a particularly large extent.

Hans-Peter Pracht's standard work: It delves into the background, the church's justifications, and the individual cases in the region in great detail. He meticulously describes the events in Ahrweiler, Maria Lach, Trier, the Maifeld, the counties of Gerolstein and Blankenheim, Bürresheim and Neuerburg, Waxweiler, Euskirchen, Kronenburg, Münstereifel, and other locations. He also recounts the actions of courageous individuals who resisted the persecutions.

• Page 320
• Hardcover
• Format 16.5 x 19.8 cm