Witchcraft Persecutions in Bavaria: Popular Magic, Religious Zealotry and Reason of State in Early Modern Europe (Past and Present Publications) [Paperback]

Wolfgang Behringer (Author), J. C. Grayson (Translator), David Lederer (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521525101 | ISBN-13: 978-0521525107 | Publication Date: November 13, 2003

This is a major, groundbreaking study by a leading scholar of continental witchcraft studies, now made available to an English-speaking audience for the first time. The author has compiled a thorough overview of all known prosecutions for witchcraft in the period 1300-1800, and shows conclusively that witch hunting was not a constant or uniform phenomenon: three-quarters of all known executions for witchcraft were concentrated in the years 1586-1630. The book also investigates the social and political implications of witchcraft, and the complex religious debates between believers and skeptics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...essential reading for all serious students of the subject." Bob Scribner in English Historical Review

"It is gratifying to have Behringer's immensely valuable work now available in a very able translation. The work presents a rich treatment of the historiographical background and includes a detailed and sophisticated scholarly apparatus. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above." Choice

"this is the definitive study of witchcraft in southeastern Germany...Owing to its clear thesis and solid archival foundation, this book will be the benchmark by which all future research on the subject will be assessed." Religious Studies Review

"This groundbreaking book by Wolfgang Behringer...essential reading.... ...excellent...." John E. Weakland, History

"All in all, this fine translation of Behringer's important monograph is a welcome addition to the English literature on the subject of the witch-hunts." Gary K. White, Canadian Journal of History

"This is the definitive study of withcraft in southern Germany,...Behringer places Bavarian withcraft in its social, religious, and political contexts. This book belongs in every university library." Religious Studies Review

"Widely and justly hailed in the years following its publication in German in 1987, Wolfgang Behringer's book has become the standard work on witchcraft in Bavaria and has, more broadly, redirected scholarly understandings of trials for the crime. The author succeeded in a remarkable feat. He wrote a painstakingly researched book on the political debates surrounding witchcraft and its prosecution in the Bavarian state...scholars of witchcraft cannot afford to ignore Witchcraft Persecutions in Bavaria". The Journal of Religion

"...a classic of recent scholarship on witchcraft." -Journal of American Folklore

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521525101
• ISBN-13: 978-0521525107
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,718,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Witch-trials in early modern Germany, May 16, 2000

By 

Rune Hagen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witchcraft Persecutions in Bavaria: Popular Magic, Religious Zealotry and Reason of State in Early Modern Europe (Past and Present Publications) (Hardcover)

This book is an English translation of Behringer's most important study "Hexenverfolgung in Bayern. Volksmagie, Glaubenseifer und Staatsräson in der Frühen Neuzeit", published in Germany 1987 (3. verbesserter Auflage 1997). In this southern part of Germany 900 witches were executed, and many more tried for witchcraft, between 1560 and 1730. Behringer finds that most trials occurred during years of particular dearth and famine. One of his conclusions is that every major persecution in this part of Germany was rooted in agrarian crisis. His book should be read by anybody who only knows about witch-trials from English-speaking countries. There are almost 500 fascinating pages in his book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough Study of Bavarian Witch Mania, November 11, 2007

By 

Ladine B. Housholder "Alma Ross" (Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Witchcraft Persecutions in Bavaria: Popular Magic, Religious Zealotry and Reason of State in Early Modern Europe (Past and Present Publications) (Paperback)

Written originally as his doctoral dissertation, Behringer has done a remarkable job of compiling thousands of court, archive and church papers, documenting the hideous massacre of thousands of women accused of witchcraft during between 1300 to 1800, though the majority of the executions (usually by burning at the stake) took place between 1586 and 1630, years of great hardship, weather abnormalties and famine.

Since I live in Garmisch Partenkirchen in southern Bavaria, this topic is very interesting to me. I recently completed the translation into English of a small book on the same topic: "Witch Trials in Werdenfels" and noted that this author, Herr Behringer, had used this book as a source.

To quote Behringer's Preface: "Witchcraft beliefs evoked bitter debates, since three essential, early modern 'world views' collided on that very point: a traditional folk culture of magical beliefs, a new, fanatical, religious zealotry stemming from the Reformation/Counter Reformation, and an equally new secular rationalism, an early modern reason of state."

The old vs the new has always created problems but rarely with such devastating results to so many women and the families they left behind. When strange weather patterns resulted in crop failures and famine, when Inquisition techniques traveled across the mountains from Spain and Italy and when the local Church authorities began losing power, who better to blame than women... who might have been engaged in the healing (though suspect) arts, or who had a "witch's mark", or God forbid, who had red hair?

And once imprisoned and tortured (often repeatedly with terrible devices), the victims accused others: sisters, cousins, friends, mothers. I suppose one would ... just to get the pain to stop.

Though scholarly in approach, Behringer has created a very readable book in spite of the difficult subject matter. Many maps, charts and drawings illustrate the grim realities. Anyone interested in European history will want to read this book. Anyone interested in women's issues should read this book.