"With the Sword or Firm Faith"

Luther and the Witches

Comfortably from home

Developed by experts

Over 500,000 enthusiastic visitors

24h - Repeatable

Over 150 exhibits

Witches: Do you know what's true?

Do you want to virtually dive into one of the darkest chapters of our history without blurring fact and fiction? Would you like to make the witch craze and religious zeal understandable with the aid of historical exhibits? 

Simply use our accessible and multilingual online tour of our most popular special exhibition, which has already attracted more than 500,000 fascinated visitors.

The multimedia special exhibition

Martin Luther, the renowned reformer, lived in a time in which there was a growing fear of witches. As one of the most prominent figures of his time, he of course also commented on witches.

Should Satan’s playmates be confronted with sword and fire, or rather with firm faith and conversion?

With more than 150 valuable exhibits, this unique online tour tells the story of the belief in witches from its early beginnings to the end of the widespread witch hunts, with a special focus on Luther’s wavering stance on witches. Gripping informational texts, fascinating videos and entertaining audio recordings round out the visitor’s virtual experience.

Malleus Maleficarum

"The most sinister book in
literary history"

"The most sinister book in
literary history"

Emergence of the crime of witchcraft

Harmful magic
Pact with the devil
Fornication with the devil
Flying witches
Witches' Sabbath
Heretics and inquisition
The crime of witchcraft

Luther and the witches
 

Martin's childhood & years as a student
Young Luther and the Witches
Criminal law in Luther's time
Legal texts of the Early Modern Period
Magic/superstition
Luther's later years and old age
The Reformation in Rothenburg o.d.T.

Witch hunts during the Early Modern Period

Overview
Witch trial
Witchcraft & witch hunts in literature
Interpretation of Luther’s stance on witchcraft
Regional excursus: witch craze in Franconia
End of the witch hunts
Summary

for pupils

for students

for people interested in history

from home

repeatable

inexpensive