Under the title “Witches, Torture, Stake,” Historix-Tours has been offering this exciting tour about witch hunts in Freiburg im Breisgau since 1998.

Immerse yourself in the life story of Catharina Stadellmenin (“The Witch of Freiburg”). In 1599, she lived peacefully in the city—until one day she was accused of witchcraft! She was immediately thrown into a dark, damp hole, tortured, and interrogated. Was she a witch? Had she slept with the devil? Who did she celebrate with at the witches' sabbath? But what happened then? Did she confess when the torturer mistreated her again and again? Witchcraft was punishable by death – but did it actually come to that? And was Catharina Stadellmenin the only one who suffered this fate?

This exciting tour takes you to the homes of the “witches,” to their dungeons and torture chambers, and finally to the place of execution outside the gates of what was then the city of Freiburg. A highly interesting and thought-provoking tour for people who want to delve deeper into the phenomenon of the persecution of women in the early modern period. Yes, early modern times, because witch hunts were not a phenomenon of the Middle Ages, but took place from the 16th century until 1751 here in Breisgau. So it's not as long ago as you might think.