Barbara Schatzmann, a midwife from St. Gallen, was suspected of being a witch in 1570 in Lucerne. She was arrested and confessed in Willisau that she had killed a boy by blowing on him. She also admitted in prison that her lover, the "Federmisch" (a name for the Devil), had taught her how to kill newborns by stabbing them in the head with a needle. According to different sources, she claimed to have done this to either 11 or 27 babies.
Even in prison, Barbara Schatzmann was tormented by the Devil, so guards had to watch her day and night. When they least expected it, the Devil struck. He came in the form of a black bird, grabbed her, tore off her skin, and carried her body and soul through the air. All that remained was her skin, blown up like a balloon.
At least, that is how the story is recorded in the Wickiana, a 16th-century collection of news reports. However, historical records from the Lucerne State Archive confirm that Barbara Schatzmann actually died in prison.
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| Wickiana (Zentralbibliothek Zürich, F 19, fol. 121v) |
The Illustration in the Wickiana
The picture from the Wickiana (Zentralbibliothek Zürich, F 19, fol. 121v) shows the inside of the prison. On the left, we see her empty, blown-up skin with marks from the Devil’s attack, while two shocked guards look on.
In the top left corner, there is a winch, a tool used for stretching torture. Below it, we see heavy stones that were tied to prisoners' feet.
Through the tower window, the Devil can be seen flying away with his victim. Onlookers in the street point at him in shock.
Sources (All in German)
- Senn Matthias, Die Wickiana, Johann Jakob Wicks Nachrichtensammlung aus dem 16. Jahrhundert. Seiten 180, 258.
- Schacher Joseph, Das Hexenwesen im Kanton Luzern (1947), Seite 27.
- e-periodica, Das Hexenwesen im 16. Jahrhundert.
- Staatsarchiv des Kantons Luzern: https://staatsarchiv.lu.ch/schaufenster/quellen/Hexen
