Ever wonder about this slightly elevated spot near Weimar? This is the Galgenberg. Its name speaks of a dark past. Galgenberg means gallows hill.
Once upon a time, justice was carried out here. Not just any justice, but the final kind. The Galgenberg was where the gallows stood. It was a place of execution.
Records show that in 1431, the area was called “obir dennigerichte”. By 1557, it was known as “aufn gallgenberg”. In 1792, it was described as being at “dem gerichte oder Justizstätte zu gelegen”.
Imagine the scene. It’s November 28, 1783. Johanna Catharina Höhn is brought before the Äußeren Erfurter Tor. This was near the present-day Torhaus on Erfurter Straße. She is beheaded on the Galgenberg. The executioner’s sword survives. You can see it in the Stadtmuseum Weimar. Its inventory number is 3n L FB 1203.
The last execution on the Galgenberg occurred on November 29, 1833. Johann Friedrich Adam Elschner was hanged for robbery and murder. After Elschner’s death, the gallows were dismantled. The site was no longer used for executions.
But the name Galgenberg remains. Today, a street bears the name Galgenberg. It runs between Erfurter Straße and Georg-Haar-Straße. It passes by the Kleingartenanlage, a little garden complex.
The Galgenberg wasn’t Weimar’s only execution site. Executions also took place on Schweinsmarkt now Goetheplatz. Another site was at Eisfeld. From 1878, executions occurred inside the Landgericht building. This building stood opposite the Donndorfbrunnen. It was destroyed in World War II. Before that, executions were public spectacles.
Let’s not forget the Scharfrichterhaus. This was the executioner’s house. It was located at Wagnergasse 36 in the Jakobsvorstadt.
Today, the Galgenberg is a far cry from its grim past. It is now a series of small garden plots. A place for the community. A place for recreation. The Kleingartenverein “Am Galgenberg” is located here.
The Galgenberg is a reminder of Weimar’s history. It is a place where justice was once served. It is now a place of peace and community. It is a place transformed.