James Sprenger

Jakob Sprenger (* 1435 in Rheinfelden, † December 6, 1495 in Strasbourg ) is known as an alleged co-author of the medieval treatise Malleus and thus as witches theorists.

Life

Born in 1435 in Rheinfelden, he joined with seventeen years in the Basel Dominican Order. From 1472 to 1488 he was prior of the convent of Cologne, where he was appointed in 1480 as dean of the theological faculty.

He became sad and up to the present time lasting fame as an alleged co-author of the infamous " Malleus " (published in December 1486 under the Latin title Malleus Maleficarum ), which was written according to recent research by his friar Heinrich Kramer as the sole author. Obviously used Kramer impeccable reputation sprinkler to give his work more weight. The the book presented and also Sprenger attributed Apologia is based, according to his secretary Servatius Vanckel on a fake. After Sprenger had risen in the Dominican Order, he went several times before vs. Kramer.

Both, Sprenger and Kramer were appointed as inquisitors, but their activities had little more significance. Sprenger turned Although against magical practices, as witch hunters but he did not appear. Sprenger 1474 was also the founder of the first documented and witnessed in the aftermath largest German Rosary Confraternity in Cologne, even the Emperor Frederick III. and his son Maximilian I belonged. He died on December 6, 1495 in Strasbourg.