The last note closed with a note of envy toward those who were making the trip to Germany; however, let us hope that a word of warning can be sent through to them to be on the alert for the dangers they may encounter.
Example One . In Siegen, Prince William Hyazinth, in 1707, seized Friedrich Flender and convicted him, without a trial, of leading the miners in Weidenau in a rebellion. The penalty was a beheading and displaying his head on a pole in the courtyard of the Upper Castle so that the residents of Weidenau could see what happened to people who dared to upset the Prince's realm. Certainly any visitors to the castle will want to be extra cautious, and, especially, they will want to avoid the pool of blood which may still be on the ground.
Example Two . In Schwaigern, in 1716, a witch was burned at the stake close to the market plaza. ( I believe the place is marked and is being reserved for any future needs.) The witch's daughters were forced to watch, and then they met the same fate. So watch out for anyone lighting a match, or gathering wood, or erecting a pole. Don't do anything in the way of witching; it could be dangerous to your health.
If we were looking for a reason to immigrate or leave town, with conditions such as these, it would not take much too much more in addition to these hazards.
Things were more civilized in "America". Up in the Colony of Massachusetts, in the year 1692, nineteen witches were executed and another 150 were jailed as possible witches. Apparently that was the last year, so the practice ended then, and by 1693 there were no witches left in America.
In Siegen, trouble started under the rule of Prince Hyazinth, who was in charge of the Catholic areas to the east of Siegen. He waged a war against the Protestants to the west of Siegen. The war was economic in nature and he attempted to force the Protestant realm into submission by withholding iron and charcoal from them. The result was a disastrous situation for everyone. While Hyazinth was out of town once, Flender attempted to rally the miners. When Hyazinth returned and heard about Flender's acts, he executed him. In 1712, the armies of the two princes clashed in Siegen with cannons being shot (look out for loose cannonballs). This was a contributing factor in the decision for forty-odd Germans to leave for some place that was safer with a better prospect of finding work.
Travel is broadening but it may be dangerous.
(11 Jun 03)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.