Inquisitor

An Inquisitor ( Latin for " coroner " ) was director and chairman of an ecclesiastical procedure in the context of the Inquisition of the principal objectives of the persecution of heresies.

Tasks

Inquisitors initiated since the 13th century to the early modern Inquisition commissions that have been used on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church especially in southern and central European areas to address there -process core of the Inquisition proceedings against so-called heretics, they, within the meaning " purity of Faith" to move to repentance or to punish, if necessary. Inquisitors could summon suspects, interrogate, excommunicate, grant them absolution, arrange custody or torture and judgments. They also had the right to determine helpers and deputy. Since the 1240er years became common for Inquisitors the designation " Inquisitores heretice pravitatis " ( followers of heretical depravity ). The activity of an inquisitor was limited in the Middle Ages in general, ie they could end as soon as a inquisitorial investigation for an area is considered complete. It is also known by many clergy that, although the title of Inquisitor led, however, in the fight against heretics were not active ( Titularinquisitoren ). With the Veramtlichung the Inquisition in Early Modern Europe in some southern European countries permanent General or Großinquisitorenämter have been created ( see also: Grand Inquisitor ) in both parent Inquisition Officer.

Group of people

An Inquisitor could only be a priest according to canon law, who was at least 40 years old, also legally qualified and experienced live. Furthermore, he had to " befleißigen a pattern stick life. " Were equipped with inquisitorial powers primarily bishops or religious clergy from the Dominican or Franciscan Order. In modern Spanish Inquisition and secular lawyers for the Inquisitorenamt could be ordered.

Legal framework

Catholic bishops could, especially in the 13th century, to act as inquisitors of their own accord. Legal basis for this was the 1184 under Pope Lucius III. (1181-1185) adopted bull Ad Abolendam, which provided even an inquisition mandatory for bishops, but this was equaled only deficient. Parallel to this, on the model of 1206 by Pope Innocent III. decretal adopted qualiter et quando increasingly own inquisitors appointed since the 1230s years by the Holy See as papal legate, especially from the ranks of the above Order. Because of these different ordering practices can also be distinguished in episcopal and papal inquisitors. Although inquisitors had also previously sat on heretics to court, but the full jurisdiction was officially bestowed them only with the 1252 under Pope Innocent IV issued the decretal Ad Extirpanda. The same document allowed the inquisitors and the arrangement of the use of torture in interrogations truth. 1254 them the guidance of the supervisor in torture sessions was approved under Pope Alexander IV. Inquisitors were allowed in this context, to grant each other for their actions absolution. Due to jurisdictional disputes between papal inquisitors and bishops used put 1311 firmly the Council of Vienne, that the Presidency is to lead carries out an inquisition equally by the diocesan Bishop as ordered by the Inquisitor.

List of known inquisitors

Many held inquisitions the names of the senior inquisitors are not known. The following table provides an ordered according to today's territories (incomplete ) overview of known acting there inquisitors. After the names are not known to each inquisitorial investigation areas and the corresponding periods mentioned.

Belgium

  • Nicolas Jacquier in Tournai ( 1465 )

Germany

  • Conrad of Marburg in the Rhineland and in Thuringia (1231-1233)
  • Johann harmful Country Inquisitor for Germany (1348-1364)
  • Walter Kerlinger in Eisenach, Erfurt, Mühlhausen ( from 1364 )
  • Peter Zwicker in Erfurt and Stettin (1392-1394)
  • Jakob von Soest in Cologne ecclesiastical province (from 1409 )
  • Heinrich Kramer in Ravensburg ( 1480 )
  • Jacob van Hoogstraten in Cologne, Mainz and Trier ( 1508 )

France

  • Robert le Bougre et al in the Franche -Comté and in La Charité -sur -Loire (1232-1244)
  • Peter Seila in the area of Quercy (1241-1242)
  • Bernard de Caux in the area between Toulouse and Carcassonne (1245-1246)
  • Jean de Saint -Paul in the area between Toulouse and Carcassonne (1245-1246)
  • Bernard Gui et al in Toulouse and Carcassonne (1307-1323)
  • Jacques Fournier in the southern French county of Foix (1318-1326)
  • Pierre Cauchon in Rouen: Jeanne d' Arc Process ( 1431)

Italy

  • John of Vicenza, Verona ( 1233 )
  • Ruggiero Calcagni in Florence ( 1240er )
  • Peter of Verona, Florence ( 1240er )
  • Rainer Sacconi ( 1240er )
  • Peter of Verona in the area around Como and Milan (1251-1252)
  • Salomone da Lucca in Florence ( 1280 )
  • Giulio Antonio Santorio Grand Inquisitor for Italy ( 1590 )

Netherlands

  • Peter Mans title in Flanders (1548-1566)

Austria

  • Otto von Lonsdorf in the Austrian Danube Region ( 1260 )
  • Henry of Olomouc in the area around Steyr (ca. 1370 )
  • Peter Zwicker in the area around Steyr, Enns, Hartberg (1391-1398)
  • Heinrich Kramer in Innsbruck ( 1480 )

Poland

  • John Capistrano in Wroclaw ( 1453)

Spain

  • Tomás de Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor in Spain ( from 1484 )
  • Gonzalo Jiménez de Cisneros Grand Inquisitor in Spain ( from 1507 )
  • Hadrian VI. Grand Inquisitor in Spain ( 1516 )

Czechia

  • Hartmann of Pilsen and Inquisitor Colda in Prague and Olomouc ( from 1318 )
  • Gallus of Hradec in South Bohemia (1335-1355)
  • Nicolas Jacquier in Bohemia (1466-1468)

Hungary

  • Peter Zwicker in Sopron ( 1401 )
Dominican Order Konrad von Marburg Petrus Zwicker
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