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The Political Aspects of the German Witch Hunts
- Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft
- University of Pennsylvania Press
- Volume 4, Number 1, Summer 2009
- pp. 62-81
- 10.1353/mrw.0.0121
- Article
- Additional Information
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This essay examines how the complex political structure of the early modern German empire influenced witch hunting. Various legal jurisdictions and juridical structures could either promote or prevent rampant witch hunts from developing. Above all, the fractured political state of the empire allowed for opportunities for witch hunting to arise.