Anton Praetorius

by Hartmut Hegeler

www.anton-praetorius.de Anton Praetorius was born in 1560 in Lippstadt / Westphalia in Germany. He studied theology and became principal of the humanistic Latin school in Kamen/ Westphalia. Here Praetorius got married, but he lost his wife by the pestilence. In 1597 he was appointed as protestant pastor of the earl of Buedingen/ Ysenburg (near Frankfurt/Main). Here he witnessed the torture of 4 women accused of being a witch. He got so upset by the torture that he protested violently it says in the court documents. He succeeded in stopping the trial against the last still living woman. As a consequence he got fired by the earl. Then Praetorius wrote the "Gruendlicher Bericht ueber Zauberey und Zauberer" to protest against the trials against witches and against torture. At first he published the book in 1598 by an assumed name ("Johannes Scultetus"). In 1602 he dared to publish it by his own name. The book was widely spread and published again in 1613 and posthum in 1629. Praetorius die