Gallows and Water Trial Site at Niederntor, Stadthagen

Today there is the cramming market, formerly the public execution: If you believe the city hunter traffic association, it was a true folk festival, when the city hunters gathered to untie death-condemned at the Niederntor. A short text panel now points to the former rectory near the beginning of Krummen Street.
In the records are the stories of torture, murder and hanged man, whose remains were left to deter the city gates to decay, not as a scary story, but as sober administrative acts.
Especially women suffered at the location of the gallows towards the end of the 16th and at the beginning of the 17th century. At this time, the witchcraft craze in Stadthagen reached its climax, whereupon the panel of the tourist office also points out. In the nearby ditch the water sample took place. Women who were thrown into the water and drowned were lucky - suspected magical powers had not saved them, so they could not be witches.
Bizarrely: According to the sources in the city archive, the water sample could have been a suicide method for depressed or otherwise mentally stressed women. For some volunteered to the authorities, saying they were not sure themselves, but it was possible that they were witches. Certainty could only create the deadly water sample.
Curious?
Adolf Tatje is on Tuesdays from 9 to 12.30 o'clock and from 13.30 to 17 o'clock in the city archives at the Landsberg'schen yard to be found.
Source (szlz.de/startseite_artikel,-ort-des-grauen-und-der-haeme-_arid,639701.html)

Florian Redeker is responsible for historical information signs of this type at the tourist office. He learned about the subject from the city archivist Adolf Tatje. A piece of city history that is horrifying from today's perspective has opened up there. Redeker found it particularly interesting how archivist Tatje is able to read between the lines.For example, the barrels of wine or beer that the executioner received in thalers in addition to his pay reveal that his job as an executioner fermented the desire to forget, Redeker knows. How many thalers the commissioner received for hanging depended, for example, on how often he had to torture a delinquent until he made a confession without recantation, explains archivist Tatje."If he was revoked, he had to set his limbs back in order to be able to continue torturing later," says Tatje - all work steps that the city had to pay for. There was no torture flat rate.Tatje was particularly touched by a story from the 17th century. At that time, a woman from Wiedensahl is said to have thrown her child into a well. The well was drained to access the newborn's body. The accused confessed after the first stage of torture - showing and explaining the instruments. She was hung up in front of the Niederntor.
Source: szlz.de/region/stadthagen_artikel,-ort-des-grauens-und-der-haeme-_arid,639701.html

A sign indicates the location of the former historical place of execution.