- Barbara Zdunk
Barbara Zdunk, (1769-1811), was an ethnically Polish alleged arsonist and
witch who lived in the city ofReszel , now inPoland but between 1772 and 1945 part ofPrussia . It is often claimed that she was the last woman to be executed for witchcraft in Europe. This is disputed because witchcraft was no criminal offence in Prussia during the time. She is more likely to have been convicted, formally at least and most probably wrongly, of arson.In 1806, a devastating fire ravaged the city of Reszel, which burnt almost entirely to the ground. Zdunk, who was a maid known for her fondness of magic, was blamed. With no evidence of any substance available, she was accused and found guilty of causing the fire. Zdunk was executed by burning on a funeral pyre on a hill outside Reszel in 1811, though she was apparently strangled to death by the executioner before the fire was set. It is believed today that a group of Polish soldiers were the actual arsonists. There is uncertainty as to the true reason for Zdunk's conviction, which was upheld by several appeal courts. Revenge on Poland on the part of the Prussian authorities or a concession to an outraged public may have played a role, or that she was a 38-year-old woman who had a teenage boyfriend.pl icon [http://www.polityka.pl/pozar-z-czaru/Lead30,1407,183523,18/ Pożar z czaru] , 19 Jume 2006, polityka.pl]
Similarly to the execution of
Anna Göldi in 1782, who is traditionally claimed to be the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Europe, it is dubious whether the trial of Barbara Zdunk can be officially counted as a witch trial in a legal sense.See also
*
Doruchowo witch trial References
* [http://reszel.pl/en/ Reszel - town on the Warmia]
* http://www.wladyslawowo.com.pl/e_chalupy.html
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