Johannes Junius

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Johannes Junius (1573- August 6, 1628) was the Burgomeister of Bamberg, famous today for his letter written to his daughter from jail while he awaited execution for witchcraft.

Junius became Burgomeister in 1608 and remained in that position until his arrest, which came shortly after his wife had been executed on similar charges. He was implicated in witchcraft by other victims of the witch craze (which was particularly pronounced in Bamberg, where five burgomeisters were burned at the stake), who had been pressured under torture to reveal the names of their accomplices. Court documents describe how Junius at first denied all charges and demanded to confront his witnesses, and continued to deny his involvement in witchcraft after almost a week of torture, which included the application of thumbscrews, leg vises (Beinschrauben), and strappado. He finally confessed on July 5, 1628, and was publicly burned to death one month later.

In his confession, Junius relates that in 1624, while in a difficult financial state, he was seduced by a woman who later proved to be a succubus and threatened to kill him unless he renounced God. At first Junius refused, but soon more demons materialised and attacked him further, finally convincing him to accept the Devil as his God. He took the witch-name of Krix and was provided with a familiar named Füchsin ("Vixen"), at which point several local townsfolk revealed themselves as similarly allied with Satan and congratulated him. Thereafter he regularly attended witch's sabbats, to which he rode on the back of a monstrous, flying black dog. At once such sabbat he attended a Black Mass at which Beelzebub made an appearance. Although his fellow witches and familiar demons had commanded him to kill his children in their name, he had been unable to perform this sacrifice, for which he was beaten. However, he did admit to having sacrificed his horse and burying a sacred wafer.

On July 24, shortly before his execution, Junius managed to write a letter to his daughter, Veronica, which was smuggled out of jail by his guard and successfully delivered. In the letter he defends his innocence, claims that those who testified against him have secretly begged his forgiveness, and recounts the abject horror of his torture (inflicted upon him by his brother-in-law and three others), from which his hands still shake at the time of writing the letter. He also says that at first he attempted to create a confession in which he could not identify the other witches, but was forced to name names under threat of further torture. The letter begins: "Many hundred thousand good-nights, dearly beloved daughter Veronica," and ends "Good night, for your father Johannes Junius will see you no more."

(External link: Trial transcript and text of letter)