The Executioner's Journal

Meister Frantz Schmidt of the Imperial City of Nuremberg

Frantz Schmidt, Joel F. Harrington

• Publisher: University of Virginia Press
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9780813938714
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Early Modern History
• Index: History

During a career lasting nearly half a century, Meister Frantz Schmidt (1554-1634) personally put to death 392 individuals and tortured, flogged, or disfigured hundreds more. The remarkable number of victims, as well as the officially sanctioned context in which they suffered at Schmidt's hands, was the story of Joel Harrington's much-discussed book The Faithful Executioner. The foundation of that celebrated work was Schmidt's own journal--notable not only for the shocking story it told but, in an age when people rarely kept diaries, for its mere existence.

Available now in Harrington's new translation, this fascinating document provides the modern reader with a rare firsthand perspective on the thoughts and experiences of an executioner who routinely carried out acts of state brutality yet remained a revered member of the local community, widely respected for his piety, steadfastness, and popular healing. Based on a long-lost manuscript thought to be the most faithful to the original journal, this modern English translation is fully annotated and includes an introduction providing historical context as well as a biographical portrait of Schmidt himself. The executioner appears to us not as the frightening brute we might expect but as a surprisingly thoughtful, complex person with a unique voice, and in these pages his world emerges as vivid and unforgettable.

Studies in Early Modern German History

FRANTZ SCHMIDT’S JOURNAL, 1573–1618

ANNO CHRISTI 1573RD YEAR

Here follows which persons I executed for my father, Heinrich Schmidt, in Bamberg:

June 5. Lienhardt Russ of Zeyern, a thief. Executed with the rope at Stadtsteinach. Was my first execution.

Wolf Weber of Gunzendorf and Barthel Dachendte of Weissenfels. Executed at the city of Kronach: Wolfie, who was a thief, with the rope; Barthel, who had committed three murders with his companions, with the wheel.

Gronla Weyla of Kleukheim, a murderer. Had committed five murders with his companions. Executed with the wheel at Hollfeld.

Barthel Mussel from Mohrendorf, a murderer who single-handedly committed two murders. The first at Bamberg, when he stabbed the miller with a knife [and] took his money. The other at Welkendorf in the mountains, when he used a carving knife to cut the throat of a man who was asleep next to him on the straw in a stable [and] took his money. Executed with the sword at Hollfeld and exposed on the wheel. Was my first execution with the sword.

I no longer know which persons I [corporally] punished in Bamberg [from 1573 to 1578].

ANNO CHRISTI 1574TH YEAR

Heinz Schneider from Körbelsdorf, a.k.a. Rough, a thief. Executed with the rope at Stadtsteinach.

Hans Mülner from Karlstadt, a.k.a. the Weygelsdörfer, a thief. Executed with the rope at Bamberg.

Claus Renckhart from Veilsdorf, a murderer. Committed three murders with his companions. First he shot dead his own companion. Second, a miller’s man who helped him to attack mills and murder by night. The third [instance] was at the Fox Mill, on the mountains, which he attacked at night with a companion, shot the miller dead, forced the miller’s wife and maid to his will,^* [then] made them fry an egg in fat that he laid on the dead miller’s body, [and] forced the miller’s wife to join him in eating. Also kicked the dead miller with his feet and said to him, “Miller, how do you like that [morsel]?”^† [Also] robbed the mill. On this account executed with the wheel at Marktgraitz, in the archbishopric of Bamberg.

ANNO CHRISTI 1575TH YEAR

Andreas Hedler from Neuses am Main an old thief, who had also been an innkeeper. Executed with the rope at Lichtenfels, in the archbishopric of Bamberg.

Wastla Pennes from Lichtenberg, a butcher and thief, who had stolen much. Also had several fine, plump dogs, which he slaughtered and sold as veal. When he was challenged by the noblewoman, he brought and gave to her a quarter so that she could cook the quarter and see if it was dog or calf meat. Also swore an oath to that effect. Executed with the rope at Rothkirch, which belongs to [the archbishopric of] Würzburg.

Hensa Hegner from Siegritz, in the mountains, a thief. Executed with the rope at Hollfeld.

ANNO CHRISTI 1576TH YEAR

Laurenz Nass from Burgkunstadt, a tailor and thief. Executed with the rope at Marktgraitz.

Jacob Nuss from Hallstadt bei Bamberg. Set fire to his own house [and,] when his neighbor witnessed this and attempted to tell others, stabbed him for it. He also wanted to slay his [own] child in the cradle, which the [neighbor’s] girl had removed. Executed with the sword in the middle of the marketplace near the church. The vice-mayor at Bamberg broke two staffs.^‡

Claus Hassen from Hallstadt on the mountain, a thief. My father had earlier cut off his ears in Bamberg, also flogged with rods. Executed with the rope at Forchheim.

Hans Peyhel from Forchheim, a murderer. Committed three murders with his companions. Executed with the sword at Forchheim and exposed on the wheel. Two years earlier at Herzogenaurach I had cut off his ears and flogged him with rods.

Wastla Weiss, distiller from Krum, a young thief. Executed with the rope at Bad Staffelstein.

Michel Hangelmann, a thief. Executed with the rope at Forchheim.

Hans Schneider from Unterleiterbach, a farmer. Stabbed a forester. Executed with the sword at Weismain.

Nickel Schwager from Leupoldsgrün, a mason. With his mason’s hammer assisted his companions in committing five murders. Executed with the wheel at Presseck of the Wildensteiner [castle].

Hans Hassen of Ebing, a grocer and murderer. With his brother Claus^* committed five murders. Executed with the wheel at Forchheim.

In this year the four tax collecters were flogged out of town here in Nuremberg [and] the fingers cut off. I flogged two of them out of town.

Later a roofer called Shabby Wolfie flogged out of town here with rods.

ANNO CHRISTI 1577TH YEAR

Hans Weber from Nuremberg, a thief. Stole much. Executed there with the rope for my brother-in-law.^† Was my first execution at Nuremberg.

Hensa Lünesdörfer from Velden, a.k.a. Lenny; also Lienhardt Stifft from Hersbruck, a.k.a. Dormouse; two thieves who stole much. Executed with the rope at Velden for my brother-in-law.

Niklaus Stüller from Eisfeld, a.k.a. Black Banger, a murderer. With his companions, the brothers Phila and Görgla von Sonneberg ([later] drawn and quartered in Coburg), committed eight murders. First shot a cavalry soldier. Second, cut open a live pregnant woman, in whom was a dead child. Third, again cut open a pregnant woman who had a girl in her. Fourth, once more cut open a pregnant woman in whom were two live boys. Görgla von Sonneberg said they had committed a great sin [and] he wanted to take [the infants] to a priest to be baptized. But his brother Phila said he would himself be priest and baptize them, took them by the legs and slammed them to the ground. On this account [Stüller] was drawn out on a sled at Bamberg, his body torn thrice with red-hot tongs, then executed with the wheel.

[August] 13. Hans Vogel from Kasendorf. Burned to death an enemy in a stable there. Executed with the sword at Nuremberg for my brother-in-law. Was my first execution with the sword here [in Nuremberg].

Georg Rambrath from Einingen, near Ochsenfurt, a thief. Out of mercy executed with the sword at Bamberg.

ANNO CHRISTI 1578TH YEAR

March 6. Apollonia Vöglin from Lehrberg, a child murderess. Gave birth secretly to an infant at her farmhouse and killed it. Executed with water^* at Lichtenau for my brother-in-law.

April 10. Georg Reichel from Brieg [Switzerland], a furrier and [master] of the long sword. Stabbed a son of the Teutonic Knights. Executed with the sword here at Nuremberg for my brother-in-law.

April 15. Claus Hassen from Ebing, a grocer and a murderer. With his brother Hans, executed at Forchheim,^† committed five murders. Executed here at Nuremberg with the wheel. The third brother was hanged at Baiersdorf.^‡ My father had flogged his father and mother out of Heyl with rods.

Here follow the persons [punished] after I was officially appointed and taken on here in Nuremberg on St. Walburga’s day [May 1] in this year of 1578.

June 26. Lienhardt Dinckelmayr from Leinburg; Laurenz and Cunz Bernecker, brothers from Schönfeld; three strong thieves. Executed with the rope here at Nuremberg.

July 3. Hans Mülner, a.k.a. the Sackman, coppersmith. Raped a girl of thirteen years of age, filling her mouth with sand so that she couldn’t cry out. [Also] Hans Kellner from the Reuth near Forchheim, a thief. [Both] executed with the sword at Nuremberg.

July 21 [17]. Heinz Grossen, a.k.a. Lazy Hank, a robber. Executed with the sword at Nuremberg. I cut him up.^§

July 26. Michel Krauss from Pyrbaum, a.k.a. Shaky; a thief. Executed with the rope at Hersbruck.

August 12. Steffan Hötzelein, a.k.a. the Lauf Woodsman, a wire drawer at Lauf who accused Georg Schwindel, a councilor there, saying he had seen him commit lewdness multiple times with four women. His father bore witness in the matter,^* which testimony did not correspond to the son’s account. It was revealed that he had made the claim only because of the son’s jealousy. The father testified he saw it happen under an oak tree. The son said he had seen it take place under a fir tree. On that account executed with the sword here at Nuremberg.

August 13. Hans Hötzelein from Lauf, a.k.a. the Lauf Woodsman, a carpenter who bore false witness against Georg Schwindl, a councilor at Lauf, in his son’s lawsuit.^† The fingers chopped off here.^‡

October 7. Hans Banckmann from Burgkunstadt, a.k.a. Chicken Leg; Georg Kumpff of Nuremberg, a.k.a. Whitey; both thieves. Executed with the rope here at Nuremberg.

October 9. Barbara Wünderlin, on account of procuring....