Hexenprozesse, die Kirchen und die Schuld

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Persecution of the Witches and the Responsibility of the Churches by Hartmut Hegeler, Sedanstr. 37, D-59427 Unna, Germany www.anton-praetorius.de Contents Introduction Reflections on “Responsibility/ Guilt” A. Witchcraft trials and the churches 1. The official position and attitude of social and administrative institutions and of the churches at the time of the witchcraft trials „Malleus Maleficarum“ / the church reformers/ sermons calling for the persecution of witches/ agreement between the social institutions of society on the persecution and treatment of the devil worshippers/ Loeher´s contemporary observations 2. Assignment of blame to the churches only? 3. Opposition of contemporary Christians to the trials of witches (Praetorius, Spee, Stappert, Meyfart) B. How assignment of blame to the churches developed 1. Period of Enlightenment Responsibility of the churches for the persecution of witches The treatment of the prosecution of witches by historians How much blame can be assigned to the churches? 2. The prevailing attitude in the period of Romanticism towards witchcraft (Germanic roots of witchcraft) 3. The impact of Soldan-Heppe´s publication “History of Witchcraft Trials” (1843) Origin of the cover picture of this book 4. Discussion on witchcraft during the period of National Socialism in Germany a. Nazi demagogue Rosenberg against the catholic church b. Documentation of Himmler´s SS about witchcraft trials to discredit the churches C. The witchcraft trials as a topic of church history D. The position of the churches Christians demand of the churches a clarification of their position Statement of some churches (Lutheran Church in Bavaria/ Church of Westphalia/ Zurich) Mea Culpa of the Pope (2000) Churches as social institutions with special moral obligations E. Ecumenical Decade to Overcome Violence It calls us to repent for our complicity in violence Lack of basic knowledge about the role of the churches in the persecution of witches Vision of a future church instead of coming to terms with the past? F. Exonoration of the victims Remembrance Re-evaluation of guilt: witches as sinners or saints? G. Should Churches give a clarification of their position? Appendix I. Statement of the Protestant Lutheran Church in Bavaria about the church responsibility for witch-hunt (1997) II. Petition to the Church of Westphalia for a statement about the church responsibility for witch-hunt (2001) III. Statement of the President of the Church of Zurich / Switzerland about the church responsibility for witch-hunt (2001) IV. Luther on the persecution of witches V. The Bible and the persecution of witches VI. Calvin and the persecution of witches VII. Condemnation of witches in canon law in German history VIII. Counter-Reformation and persecution of witches in catholic dioceses IX. The bishop of Bamberg asking for forgiveness in regard to the persecution of witches 2007 X: The Dominican Order and Inquisition XI. Rehabilitation of Helen Duncan XII. Rehabilitation of Anna Göldi Persecution of the Witches and the Responsibility of the Churches Summary 1. Much has been written about the origins of witchcraft and about the impact of the book malleus maleficarum (1487) on the persecution of witches. It is not widely known, though, that persecution of witches took place in protestant as well as in catholic areas in Middle Europe. The reformers of the Church Luther and Calvin propagated this persecution according to the words of the bible Exodus 22.18: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live". Sermons were held calling for the hunting down of witches. But it was not only the Church which demanded trials against witches. At that time there was a widely accepted accordance (??) agreement between all legal and social institutions and the common people about the necessity of persecuting and torturing devil worshippers as observed in the contemporary witness of Loeher (in Rheinbach near Bonn 1640). 2. Individual Christians at that time protested against the persecution (Weyer, Praetorius, Spee, Meyfart). Over the centuries the protests of the Protestants have been forgotten, while the testimony of the catholic Spee has been kept alive. 3. During the period of the Enlightenment it was one of the main aims of historians to make a contribution to putting an end to the controversy regarding the trials.??? Blame for the persecution of witches was put on the Churches. 4. The period of Romanticism put the emphasis on the Germanic roots of witchcraft. Witches were seen as being "wise women" with a knowledge of herbs for medical purposes. 5. Soldan-Heppe´s publication "History of Witchcraft Trials" (1843) made a big impact on the awareness of academics about the dimensions of the persecutions and put the blame on the Churches for a long time to come. 6. During the period of National Socialism a fierce controversy on witchcraft raged in Germany. Nazi demagogue Rosenberg accused the Catholic Church of importing the belief in witchcraft from oriental / Jewish sources. The Catholic Church tried to give evidence that witchcraft was genuinely Germanic. Himmler´s SS prepared an elaborate documentation on the witchcraft trials in order to discredit the Churches. 7. The witchcraft trials as a topic of Church history After the sharp controversy during the Nazi period it is not surprising that Church historians in Germany rather tend to avoid this topic. The Church history of Heussi (1907) for example, which was widely used by students of theology, mentioned the persecution of witches in three sentences only. It said: The prevalence of superstition (delusion of witchcraft) was very destructive for church life. The German Lutherans with their ´reckless faith in God` played an important part in the recovery of the social conditions. 8. The position of the Churches There are Christian groups in Germany like the ecumenical initiative Jeanne d´Arc in Berlin which demand that the Churches clarify their position. Since 1792, when the last execution of a witch took place in Switzerland, no Church in Europe has issued an official statement on the witch-hunts. Only in 1997 the synod of the Lutheran Church in Bavaria passed an elaborate declaration (120 pages) of repentance for the responsibility of protestant influence on the witch-hunt in Bavaria. In 2001 the synod of the Protestant Church of Westphalia declared its intention to work out a similar statement. The words of the Pope´s Mea Culpa ("my guilt") in the holy year 2000 are rather vague: In the necessary striving for the protection of the truth there have been individual men of the Church who have sometimes made use of methods which were not in accordance with the gospel. The Pope mentioned neither the words "heretics" and "witches" nor the victims of the persecutions. Therefore the Mea Culpa has rather been a disappointment for many who had hoped for a clear word of apology for the involvement of the Church in the persecution of minorities and of witches. A whole hearted statement is expected from the Churches as social institutions with special moral obligations. 9. The Ecumenical Decade to Overcome Violence of the World Council of Churches (2001 - 2010) is calling for the churches to "repent for our complicity in violence". This is a particular challenge for the Churches especially in Germany to come to terms with the past. It is just not enough to concentrate on developing visions of a future Church. A large majority of the people are convinced that it was the Church itself which conducted the persecution of witches. This is not correct, though, as the trials of the witches were conducted by the government. This shows the necessity to deal with this topic so correct historic information is available. 10. Exonoration of the victims A re-evaluation of the history books is overdue. Many of the accused in the witchcraft trials denied their guilt in spite of heavy torture but confessed their faith in God until their death. Their martyrdom should finally be acknowledged by the Churches. They should no longer be regarded as "sinners" but as "saints". Places of remembrance should give witness to their fate. The last victims of the witchcraft trials of Salem/ USA were exonerated in 2001. In Norway neither the government nor the Supreme Court have ever rehabilitated the victims of the witch hunts. But the victims of the Norwegian witch-hunts from 1578 to 1695 have now received a national memorial monument from a private sponsoring group in Nordnes in Bergen. The victims of the witchcraft trials should be given back their dignity as human beings and as Christians. Their plight is a warning example of the persecution of innocent people.

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