The Witch’s Tower of Gelnhausen

This page describes horrific events from the period of the witch craze. Teachers and parents are asked to decide whether, and from what age, these depictions are appropriate for their children.

"Hansel and Gretel" is one of the best-known fairy tales written down for us by the Brothers Grimm. In the story, two children are abandoned by their parents, get lost in the forest and come across a house made of all kinds of treats. A witch lives there. At first she is friendly, but then she makes Gretel work for her and locks Hansel up to fatten him up and eventually eat him. With luck and cleverness, the children manage to escape. The wicked witch burns miserably in a large oven.

It is all rather cruel, but some may even be pleased with how this fairy tale ends. After all, we know that witches and wizards have existed in fairy tales, but never in real life—and never will.

But there were times when many people did believe it. In the town of Gelnhausen, about 50 kilometres northeast of Frankfurt, there is a tower known as the Witches’ Tower. The tower was built between 1447 and 1478. It was part of the town wall, stands 24 metres high, has a diameter of 9 metres, and its walls are up to 2.80 metres thick. It was originally called “Fratzenstein.”

This tower was used not only to defend the town against enemy armies. In 1599, for example, Elisabeth Strupp was imprisoned there. She was the widow of a Protestant pastor and was about 65 years old at the time. Another woman, who had been accused of being a witch, claimed that Elisabeth had been her teacher. Barbara Strupp was arrested and tortured. Under torture, she confessed that she had taken part in witches’ gatherings, was in league with the devil, had blown out a woman’s eye and had stolen part of the church treasure. Elisabeth Strupp was beheaded on August 3, 1599.

She was not the only victim of the witch craze. More than 50 people were accused of being witches and wizards, tortured and killed in Gelnhausen between 1574 and 1645. During this period, numerous alleged witches were persecuted in many other places in Germany and throughout Europe. It is estimated that around 40,000 to 60,000 people were executed. Confessions were usually extracted through torture. People used the alleged misdeeds of these individuals to explain things they otherwise could not explain: the causes of devastating fires, crop failures, deadly illnesses and epidemics. Most victims of the witch hunts were women. They were usually burned alive; some were beheaded with a sword.

That was a long time ago, and no one here is accused of being a witch anymore. Torture is strictly forbidden. Nevertheless, it is important not to forget that time. In Gelnhausen, for example, there are several sculptures commemorating the women who were persecuted.

The town on the River Kinzig has just over 23,000 inhabitants. It is proud of the remains of Emperor Barbarossa’s old castle, its churches and the wines produced in the surrounding area. Berlin’s Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was designed based on the Marienkirche in Gelnhausen. One of the town’s most famous sons is Philipp Reis. He was born here in 1834 and is considered the inventor of the telephone.