Die gesellschaftliche Oberschicht im Fokus der Hexenverfolgungen im Hochstift Bamberg

Several waves of witch hunts occurred in German-speaking countries at the beginning of the 17th century. The Bamberg diocese was particularly affected. Notably, members of the upper classes, including the chancellor and several mayors such as Georg Neudecker, were accused alongside the general population. The author uses preserved interrogation records to analyse the trials of Neudecker and his family. The case is examined to reveal how people from the upper classes were targeted, and the circumstances that led to the extermination of entire families.
Michaela Hinterkörner specialises in the social history of the early modern period, focusing particularly on power, exclusion and persecution.