Thank you for the lists, Wendelin! Do you know how this "witchcraft" problem started? Here in the Colonies, it was because they ate moldy rye and other cereals and grasses, hence ergot, and were actually poisoned. It made them have convulsions, and it can cause gangrene. At least, this is my understanding. Do you know why they took it to be an omen of sorts? What made them look at the effect instead of look for the cause? Just wondering, Jeanne

I recommend: Hans Christian Erik Midelfort, Witch Hunting in Southwestern Germany 1562-1684 - The Social and Intellectual Foundations, Stanford 1972. Some examples for accusations in Appenweier, Urloffen, Zimmern: Hans Marggraf accused Catharina (wife of Erhardt Wolf) she is responsible for his impotence. She was also responsible for bad weather. Dietrich Kayser and Christmann Geltreich accused Appolonia Miller she is responsible for the death of cattle. Jacob Sauer accused his stepmother Susanne Hain she is responsible for his (and others did the same: Hans Hölzle, Philipp Remp) impotence. Priest Stahel told she was also responsible for the death of her stepson Mathern Sauer. Priest Synoth (Symoth) accused Barthel Pfeiffer and his wife Brigitha (she was midwife), Brigitha is responsible of stillborn children. Priest Melchior accused Margarete Sauer (wife of Hans Sauer) she is responsible for the death of his cook and the cook's stillborn child. She was accused by others she is responsible for fog. Jail of "Landvogtei Ortenau" was castle Ortenberg. Place of execution was near Ortenberg or in the hometown. Public prosecutor were the secretary of the Landvogtei, the administrator ("Schaffner"), the overseer of the Gericht Zunsweier and others. The members of the court came from different towns of the Landvogtei. There was also a intercessor. There are 2 theories why the witch hunting ended in Offenburg (and therefore maybe also in the Landvogtei) in 1630: - The Swedes didn't allow witch hunting. - One woman was able to endure a special torture (an iron seat) without confession. The Landvogtei was only a small part of the nowadays Ortenau. The other dominations had own courts, jails, place of executions. Wendelin