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Tombstone of Mechelen’s first witch hunter

Tombstone of Mechelen’s first witch hunter

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Tombstone of Mechelen’s first witch hunter

Name: Tombstone of Mechelen’s first witch hunter
Rating: 2

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Location: Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Tombstone of Mechelen’s first witch hunter

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1. Walk along the water – Hoogbrug loop from Mechelen

6.38km

01:37

20m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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4.6

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2. Hoogbrug – View of the Dijle and Fish Market loop from Nekkerspoel

12.2km

03:06

30m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.6

(23)

183

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3. Nekkerspoel Pond – Grote & Kleine Vijver loop from Mechelen

11.6km

02:57

30m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

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🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

March 20, 2024

In the courtyard of Mechelen's town hall (Cloth Hall), an old tombstone stands against the wall not far from the entrance. This tombstone is a silent reminder of that fateful February 1601. It is the tombstone of Jan van Lathem, the sheriff of Mechelen who burned Maria Everaerts at the stake in 1601.

Carved into the tombstone are the images of Jan van Lathem and his wife, who died in 1618 and 1624, respectively. This tombstone was formerly located in the church of the Poor Clares Monastery and was moved to its current location in the 19th century. They are dressed in 17th-century fashion. For example, he wears a millstone collar around his neck, and at his feet lies a helmet and iron gloves. The tombstone also states that he was a knight.

So Jan van Lathem was a sheriff of Mechelen. A sheriff was a local representative of the lord of the manor. He was also a public prosecutor, and it was in this capacity that he brought Maria Everaerts before the tribunal.

And he was the first sheriff of Mechelen to sentence a so-called "witch" to "death on a stake to be consumed by fire." This was how death by fire at the stake was described at the time. Incidentally, the current popular term "witch" wasn't used at the time. Back then, people simply referred to "sorceresses."

Maria Everaerts had already been suspected of being a real witch for some time when, in the early 1600s, she was arrested and imprisoned in the Oude Brusselpoort (Old Brussels Gate), which was the place where witches were imprisoned at the time. This gate stood at the end of Oude Brusselsestraat.

Unfortunately, little is known about Maria Everaerts' life. She may even have been a nun. However, she was suspected of having renounced the Christian faith, made a pact with the devil, had sexual relations with the devil, and tormented and bewitched others. She was also said to have given several consecrated hosts to the devil himself. To this end, the sorceresses would take communion multiple times and hide the hosts under their clothes to later give them to the devil. The devil could then desecrate them during a witches' sabbath. This was considered a major crime.

Read the full story at nl.linkedin.com/pulse/een-heks-op-de-brandstapel-te-mechelen-erwin-horckmans

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 40 m

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Thursday 13 November

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Max wind speed: 16.0 km/h

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Location: Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

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Tombstone of Mechelen’s first witch hunter

1. Walk along the water – Hoogbrug loop from Mechelen

2. Hoogbrug – View of the Dijle and Fish Market loop from Nekkerspoel

3. Nekkerspoel Pond – Grote & Kleine Vijver loop from Mechelen

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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