Eva Brhelová, Veronika Praženková, Anna Bílková, Anna and David Zbíral have compiled the most comprehensive digital dataset of witchcraft trials in the Czech lands since the earliest case in 1491 until as late as 1785, which covers 257 cases.
It records the year, the suspects' names, their sex, places of residence (including geographic coordinates), charges, results of the trial, places of interrogation (including geographic coordinates), and the material substances they were charged of using to perform magic. The dataset allows researchers to perform systematic and quantitative research into early modern withcraft trials, crime and punishment, as well as the imagery of magic and evil-doing. It also allows to include the Czech lands in broader quantitative studies of European witchcraft trials on a large temporal and geographic scale. Five B.A. theses have been written at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic on the basis of this dataset.
The dataset does not cover all known trials. Based on data availability, the authors did their best to cover what was published and reasonably accessible, but did not perform original archival research. They estimate that up to 100 further specific witchcraft trials in the Czech lands could be identified based in published material, and archival work could reveal further ca. 250-800 cases.
The dataset is available at Zenodo
It is a familiar image: a woman in distress, surrounded by men examining her soul in a dimly lit inquisitorial chamber. In fear of physical torture, she confesses to crimes she never committed. We bring you an online version of our article originally published in History Today.
DISSINET has developed an interactive map of the occupations, dissident religious affiliations, and locations of residence of nearly 900 persons suspected of heresy in the inquisition register of Bologna, 1291–1310.
