European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Exhibition a Witch mask made in Brsus Lingen for German Fasching is one of the displays. Ou6te, double toil and trouble fire 6um cauldron Bubble Witch Hunts persecution examined in grisly show wet co Dot rom Saffet Fecit by Susanne Kupke Deutsche Presse Agenter old poor and hunched Over or Young Rich and seductive what is it that turns a woman into a Witch and How did the madness known As the Witch Hunt Ever come about the state museum of Baden Wurttemberge is currently exploring these questions in an exhibition about witches with some 500 articles from Germany Austria Switzerland and France. For the exhibition titled witches and Witch Hunts in Germany s Southwest in the Karlsruhe Castle 20 studies were carried out on the subject for the first time exploring historical records to provide a comprehensive look at the dark chapter in history. Between the 15th and 18th centuries around 40,000 people mainly women in Germany fell victim to this exhibit ends dec. 11. A modern artwork uses a stake for burning witches. A m Fca s Broom stands in front of a doorway. 16 stripes Magazine november 17, 1994 itch Hunts. In Southwest Germany alone the number of people executed As witches numbered Between 4/000 and 5,000. It was t mainly during the Middle Ages that people were suspected then accused persecuted and murdered As witches but rather during the periods when humanism and the enlightenment were taking Root the causes were various in one Case maybe revenge taken against a neighbor in another a marital dispute in yet another out of simple envy. In any Case a reason for a denunciation was quickly found. The victims weren t just society s outsiders strangers in Laws or a widow who was a bit too self sufficient overnight the Witch could turn out to be the wife of a respected citizen or of a tradesman. For example the Mother of astronomer Johannes Kepler spent 405 Days in jail As a suspected Witch before she was released in 1621, Only to die soon afterwards. In Reutlinger in 1565, a woman named Anna Schenkel was accused by her husband and executed. In another Case tavern keeper Katharina Haug became suspected As a Witch based on the uttering of other women made while they were being tortured about her. Haug s desperation is documented in a letter she wrote while in prison to her husband who set every wheel in motion to try to Rescue her. Tortured and then condemned to Burn to death at the stake she managed in 1626 to escape to Strasbourg by bribing a jail guard. Her Fate is not known. As a Rule those who stood trial for witchcraft did t have much of a Chance. Torture which was supposed to be stopped after the first application could be repeated As often As the persecutors wanted in the event that a accused person withdrew his or her confession. The torture began with the benevolent  the judge asked the accused to confess with a warning and prayer session led by a Clergyman to help the process along. If no confession was forthcoming the judge then resorted to Territo Verbalis verbal terror by showing the accused person his various torture instruments. The accused then was stripped the hair was shaved and a witches gown was put on. The torturers spent their time looking for the Witch Mark some spot on the body which no matter How much torture was applied was insensitive and thereby proved the person was in Alliance with the Devil. After such instruments As the Thumbscrew or leg Clamp were applied the tougher questions began to be asked with the help of the body rack in which the person was slowly stretched out if still no confession had been made then whatever a