hangman’s house

Franz Schmidt’s chilling legacy hangs heavy over the Hangman’s House in Nuremberg. This unassuming building, nestled on the Pegnitz River, was home to Nuremberg’s executioners until 1806. The Hangman’s House offers a glimpse into a dark chapter of medieval and Renaissance Europe. From 1577 to 1617, Meister Franz Schmidt, Nuremberg’s municipal executioner, carried out 361 executions. His methods included beheading, hanging, burning, and drowning. Schmidt also meted out corporal punishment, including branding and mutilation, 345 times. His meticulous records, preserved in “A Hangman’s Diary,” offer a disturbing insight into crime and punishment during that era. The Hangman’s House, built in 1320, served as the executioner’s residence for centuries. The museum within its walls draws heavily from Schmidt’s journal and official documents. While the exhibits lack physical tools of the trade, the information presented is powerful. The executioner’s role evolved with the consolidation of power by the ruling class. Ancient Roman law influenced the separation of sentencing from punishment. Records suggest Nuremberg may have had an executioner as early as 1378. Confessions, often extracted through torture in chambers beneath City Hall, were necessary for convictions. Imprisonment was rare. Punishments ranged from public shaming to death. Capital offenses included murder, rape, robbery, theft, and even blasphemy. Decapitation was seen as merciful, while the breaking wheel and burning at the stake were horrific. Hanging was common, and women were typically drowned until beheading became the preferred method. A particularly intriguing detail is the executioner’s toilet, a bay window overhanging the Pegnitz River. In Schmidt’s time, it was open at the bottom, allowing waste to fall directly into the water. Where Schmidt slept and cooked remains a mystery, left to our imagination. Damaged during World War II, the Hangman’s House was restored in 1954 and opened as a museum in 2007. The Hangman’s House stands as a sobering reminder of a brutal past, offering a unique perspective on Nuremberg’s history.