Heinrich Kramer
Heinrich Institoris OP, actually Heinrich Kramer or Kramer or Henryk Instytor, lat ( frater ) Henricus Institoris (* 1430 in Schlettstadt, Alsace, † 1505 in Brno or Olomouc) was the author of the Malleus Inquisitor and as one of the pioneers of witch hunts of the early modern period. He became known as the Witch theorists.
The usual Latin form of the name, as in many libraries directories is Institoris. This corresponded to a time established practice to latinize the genitive of the father 's name. In contemporary sources, this name is used as a nominative Henricus Institoris. The shortening Institor first appears in German sources.
Life
Heinrich Kramer, who Latinized his name later, came from a poor family. He joined in 1445 in his birthplace in the order of the Dominicans. He attended the town's Latin school and completed a basic study of philosophy, which he completed in 1474. 1479 he was appointed to be its own initiative for the Inquisitor Province of the Order Alemannia. However, this title had at that time little more practical significance. In the same year he received his doctorate in theology. After a trial against Jews in Trent, which he attended, he began his career as a persecutor of alleged witches sects. In 1482 he was prior of the Dominican convent in Schlettstadt. In a first witch trial in Ravensburg, to which he was requested by the local city council, he brought two women to the stake. He drafted the text of the Bull Summis desiderantes affectibus (so-called witches bull ), Pope Innocent VIII issued at the instigation.
With the bull he led numerous witch trials, among others one in Innsbruck. There, however, protested representatives of all social classes against him, whereupon Bishop George ( II ) Gols a commission began that examined Kramer's work. When the came to a devastating result, the bishop ordered to stop the persecution, dismissed the accused women and annulled the judgments of the Inquisition. Kramer was asked to leave the country. In response, almost as a justification for his actions, Kramer wrote in December 1486 against the notorious Malleus Maleficarum, which wide by the emerging art of printing spread found.
It is remarkable not only the content of this work, but also the fact that Kramer had the papal bull Summis desiderantes affectibus and the approbation of several fake Cologne theological professors attached to his remarks. Thus, the work which reached the incredible high circulation of 30,000 copies, the appearance of a recommendation for secular judge was given (which were authorized and instructed by the inquisitor, to enforce the verdict ). In this way, the Malleus took as casuistic comment to the rank of ecclesiastical Witches ' Code ' for criminal judges.
Kramer boasted of having brought 200 witches to the track, and also accused as heretics those who doubted the existence of witches.
Procedure
Kramer's approach to its systematic Inquisition was always the same. Even by his appearance he sowed among people mistrust and fear. In the so-called witches sermon, he warned of the threat of the devil, people intimidated and urged denunciations even the slightest observations and abnormalities, such as alleged evil eyes or unusual diseases. He offered himself as the focal point and cautioned against any concealment. Accusations could be so practically always find. This he then bundled arbitrary and inflated them systematically. He referred to it on a conspiracy theory, according to which the devil derive the witch cults and am on the verge of bringing about the end of the world. With the power of the witches bull in the back, with the use of torture during the embarrassing questioning, he sought in the following process to only the guilty verdict.
Editions of the " Malleus "
- Malleus maleficarum, [ Speyer ]: [ Peter Drach ], [ 1492 ] ( digitized )
- Malleus maleficarum, [ Speyer ]: [ Peter Drach inst ], [ to 1489/94 ] ( digitized )
- Malleus maleficarum, Nuremberg: Anton Koberger, 1496 ( digitized )
- The Hammer of Witches. Malleus maleficarum. Commenting new translation, edited and translated by Günter Jerouschek and Wolfgang Behringer, Munich, dtv 2000, ISBN 3-423-30780-3