The Court of High Justice

The Court of High Justice

Erlangen probably had a court of high justice only from the 16th century onwards. The earliest evidence is contained in a 1563 Nuremberg map of forestry and judicial powers, in which the Halsgericht ('neck justice', meaning capital punishment) is symbolised, as it usually was, by a gallows and wheel. The judicial power of high justice granted by the emperor included the right to judge cases of capital crimes such as murder, arson, serious theft, and rape.

The place of execution was located south of the Old Town near present-day Hugenottenplatz until 1686, and was relocated to the area near the Röthelheimgraben ditch after the founding of the New Town. Apart from the ‘honourable’ death by the sword and the ‘dishonourable’ death by hanging, executions were also carried out by breaking on the wheel and by drowning.

Twelve executions altogether are documented to have taken place in Erlangen between 1699 and 1835, all of them carried out by external executioners.

Johann Michael Gassenmeyer, from whose family possessions the executioner's sword displayed here originates, from 1776 onwards only ever carried out the profession of Wasenmeister (knacker) in Erlangen, even though he had obtained his executioner's warrant at Wilhermsdorf in 1773.