Katharina Kepler

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Katharina Kepler (Year of birth unknown-d. 1621), was an alleged German witch and the mother of the famous astronomer Johannes Kepler.

[edit] Biography

Katharina Kepler was married to Heinrich Kepler and became the mother of Johannes, Heinrich, Christoph and Grete.

In Leonberg, a witch trial was arranged by Lutherus Einhorn, who accused 15 women for witchcraft. One of the accused was Katharina Kepler. She was put on trial in 1615.

Her son Johannes, who was at Tübingen university, and one of his student friends, Besold, assisted her juridically.

Her son took her away to Linz in december 1616. When she returned to Leonberg in the summer of 1620, she was arrested and imprisoned for fourteen months. In October 1620, shortly before the Battle of White Mountain, Kepler was able to effect her release. Katharina Kepler died the following year.

[edit] See also

• Walpurga Hausmannin
• Merga Bien
• Katharina Henot
• Pappenheimer Family

[edit] References

• Artikel „Württemberg, Herzogtum - Hexenverfolgungen”
• Diskussionsbeitrag aus der Mailingliste Hexenforschung mit weiteren Links
• Abbildung des Aktenauszugs aus dem Prozess
• Kurt Baschwitz: Hexen und Hexenprozesse, Bertelsmann Verlag, München, 1990, S. 252 - 260
• Berthold Sutter: Der Hexenprozeß gegen Katharina Kepler, Weil der Stadt, Kepler-Ges., 1979