Christina Rauscher
German official who stopped a witch hunt after surviving arrest and torture.
Christina Rauscher, who lived from around 1570 to 1618, was a German official who spoke out against witch hunts. She was born to Martin Gerber, a wealthy textile merchant and brewer from Horb, and Anna Kurner, and was also the daughter of the rich innkeeper Horber Johann Rauscher of Innsbruck. In 1604, she was arrested on witchcraft charges after political feuds broke out among the city’s leading families. While in custody, she was tortured and suffered a miscarriage.
She endured about a year of imprisonment without confessing, despite the torture. Her husband and family protested her detention and eventually secured her freedom. After her release, she sued the city government over her arrest. Archduke Maximilian Ernest of Austria backed her cause and in 1609 appointed her as a special independent government commissioner, or Regierungskommissarin.
This gave her the power to step into any legal case involving witchcraft persecutions. Although no law barred a woman from holding such a post, it was highly unusual for a woman at that time. Rauscher used her authority to halt the ongoing witch hunt in the County of Hohenberg. Today, a street in Horb, the Christina-Rauscher-Strasse, bears her name.
Quick Facts
- Born
- c. 1570
- Died
- 1618
- Nationality
- German
- Occupation
- Official, government commissionaire
- Patron
- Archduke Maximilian Ernest of Austria
Facts from the source article.
Background
Christina Rauscher's life took a dramatic turn in 1604 when she was arrested and accused of witchcraft. The arrest came after political conflicts between the political elite families of the city of Horb. During her imprisonment, she was subjected to torture that caused her to have a miscarriage. Despite this, she resisted torture and did not confess to anything.
She was held for about a year. Her spouse and family protested against her arrest and eventually managed to secure her release. After her release, she sued the city government for her arrest. Her case gained the support of Archduke Maximilian Ernest of Austria, who in 1609 appointed her special independent government commissionaire ('Regierungskommissarin').
This gave her the authority to intervene in any legal crime made during the witchcraft persecutions. While there was no formal law against the appointment of a woman to an official post as commissionaire, it was a unique position for a woman during the witch hunt. She used her authority to intervene in the ongoing witch hunt of the County of Hohenberg, which she managed to stop.
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