Witch Trials Memorial in Buxtehude

Between 1540 and 1644, 21 women in Buxtehude were accused of being witches and sorcerers. A remarkable number for a small town in Lower Saxony. If you want to know more about this witch hunt, you can book a tour. The tourist information center is in the town hall and will certainly be happy to help.

Since 2017, a memorial attached to the historic town hall has commemorated the victims of the Buxtehude witch trials. The written evidence of these trials has been restored and is now accessible in the city archives. The restorer Gudrun Kühl has edited the approximately 3,200 pages of witch trial files in order to preserve them and make them accessible for research. Interested parties can view selected witch trial files in the city archives after registering in advance by email. An important step in preserving and understanding the history of these tragic events.

In the community southwest of Hamburg, 21 women were documented as having been accused of witchcraft and sorcery between 1540 and 1644, 15 of whom were killed after brutal torture. Thirteen of the victims were cremated. The Buxtehude Council unanimously decided to erect a memorial for them. It consists of three bronze memorial plaques at the town hall.