Finding history in places often feels like a reminder of darkness. At times, even walking past old buildings could have me shiver with the horror of existence, but that is a whole other issue, and as you by now may know: Witches have enough of those to offer.
Very close to where I live, I found a monument built for the last two people ever burned as witches in this part of Germany. It is actually interesting to find places that hold history and even witching history all around and after 18 months alone at home allowing myself to go there.
So, I visited the „Hexenstein“ of Gerresheim in Düsseldorf Germany.
I can‘t really say why I did this.
Out of admiration for whoever died here all those years ago? Because I in general am fascinated with things that horrify me?
To feel closer to my witch, whose story I try to tell?
Maybe. But before I say anything else, let‘s take a look at what happened here almost 300 years ago!
Our last witching trial
In the year 1738, two women were burned, after almost two years of gathering evidence and keeping the whole town in gloomy expectations. One of them was 47 years old and mother of three children while the other one was only 16. The older one, Agnes Olmanns, had been blamed by Helene E. Curtens, the younger one, to have seduced her to bond with the devil.
Helene E. Curtens was reported to have been often ill and had suffered from raging attacks at least while imprisoned. It even was her who started the rumors about herself having been cured by the devil himself, and having been able to be in several places at the same time through his powers, and even to have been having sex with him.
I have thought about this for a while. Especially since she started all of these rumors on her own and got herself arrested. I think an explanation might have been her today difficult to identify health issues that might have had an impact on her mentally as well, and which she had desperately wanted to disappear. I see her as someone wanting to get better and to get lost in fantasies as well as horrors about how and when to get there, finally.
While she never denied any of these things and admitted everything until the very end, Agnes Olmanns denied it all for a very long time, until she is reported to have confessed under torture, so that sounds like an honest statement. Very interesting about her case also is that her husband suddenly grew suspicious of her because of the unexplained death of her latest daughter. I love it that when reading about any witching trial that there always is someone like a father, or a friend, or a brother etc. who suddenly comes around with a statement such as „Yes, all those years ago that was quite weird!“
So, to sum it all up: These two women were burned because they were believed to have been bonding with the devil to cure Helene E. Curtens poor health, had had sex with him and were granted by his powers to be at several places at the same time.
Also interesting is that both were not tested in the water, since that was not allowed in Germany anymore. In case you tested an innocent woman, you could easily end up murdering her, therefore both their bodies were searched for a pain and blood free part of skin with a needle … (Just think of the reasons mentally and physically for someone to not be in pain and pierced with a needle anymore!)
I was standing at the place and walking the streets were that happened.
It certainly made me feel close to my witch.
It can happen so easily for the world to suddenly turn into something that does not have a place for you anymore. Looking at these chapters of history can create the feeling of understanding this problem and overcoming it, and this is a hopeful perspective. Looking at that sculpture, I have to say that I find it beautiful and sensual.
The engraving is actually interesting.
First of all, this monument is dedicated to both, Helene E. Curtens and Agnes Olmanns, but it also states to be made for anyone ever having been excluded and cites the first Article of our „Grundgesetz“, our constitution, which states that the „dignity“, meaning the basic human rights, are unimpeachable. This puts this monument in so many different interesting contexts. Besides its direct historical relevance, it also refers to the issue of building an inclusive society in general, and cites a constitution that has been carefully written in the late 1940s in response to people here having … how do I put this … fucked up the most? Yes, that‘s it for now.
Writing about witches is just another way to look at how a world deals with those that have an inner ocean to drown in, that appear as if not made for this world, or carry any other kind of stigma and are looking for a place in this world.
… but this was all very serious, and don’t worry: I will keep the wine nights, the cat ears, and the inappropriate jokes alive. While looking at the sculpture, I had to think of writing someone with the words: “This reminds me of you, because she’s tied up.” Because, somehow we sometimes have to live from seriously fucked up moment to moment.
Our witches knew an awful lot about that.
All my sources are in german, but you can look at them, if you like.
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