Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim
His Excellency Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim | |
|---|---|
| Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg | |
Engraving of Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim by Johann Salver | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| See | Bamberg |
| Appointed | 13 February 1623 |
| Term ended | 29 March 1633 |
| Predecessor | Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen |
| Successor | Christoph Franz von Buseck |
| Orders | |
| Rank | Prince-Bishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 April 1586 |
| Died | 29 March 1633 (aged 46) |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Profession | Cleric, ecclesiastical prince |
| Education | University of Bologna |
Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim (23 April 1586 – 29 March 1633) was the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg from 1623 to 1633. He was known as the "Hexenbrenner" (witch burner) and the "Hexenbischof" (witch-bishop) for presiding over the most intensive period of witch trials in early modern Bamberg.
Biography
Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim was born in Wiesentheid on 23 April 1586; he became Prince-Bishop of Bamberg on 13 February 1623.[1]
Motivated by the Counter-Reformation, Fuchs von Dornheim presided over the Bamberg witch trials, which lasted from 1626 to 1631.[2] As part of the trials, he ordered the construction of a "witch-house", a prison which featured a torture chamber adorned with Bible verses.[3] These trials led to the execution of 300-600 individuals, the most notable of which was Bamberg burgomaster Johannes Junius.[4]
Amid the Thirty Years' War, troops under Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and John George I, Elector of Saxony occupied the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg on 11 February 1632, forcing Fuchs von Dornheim to flee the city. He died in exile in Spital am Pyhrn, Austria on 29 March 1633, aged 46.[1]
References
- ^ a b Profile from catholic-hierarchy.org
- ^ Walinski-Kiehl, Robert (January 2004). "Males, "Masculine Honor" and Witch Hunting in Seventeenth-Century Germany". Men and Masculinities. 6 (3): 256. doi:10.1177/1097184X03257436. S2CID 145284661.
- ^ Trevor-Roper, Hugh. "The Crisis of the Seventeenth Century". Online Library of Liberty. Liberty Fund. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ Munzinger, Johannes (1 May 2016). "Unschuldig muss ich sterben (German)". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. p. 4.