Apr 15, 2012 12:00:00

A number of medieval torture devices that discipline people in ways that are not possible now, such as 'Iron Maiden'

If you sin in modern Japan, you will be in jail, but in medieval Europe there were various tortures and punishments for your sins. It can be submerged in water, put in a cage and turned around, or covered with a strange mask to make it a spectacle. I went to the Medieval Crime Museum in Germany, where the instruments used for those tortures, which are now impossible, are still on display.

Hello everyone. This is Atsushi Matsuzaki from the

World Newspaper. Around the world, I flew from Buenos Aires to Germany the other day and came to Europe. I'm in the city of Rothenburg in southern Germany.

Rothenburg is around here. Located on the Romantic Road, it is a wonderful city that still retains the medieval cityscape.

View Rothenburg on a larger map

City entrance

A square located in the center of the city

It is crowded with tourists. There are many Japanese!

It feels like you've slipped back in time to the Middle Ages.

The city is surrounded by walls

The purpose of coming to this city is the Medieval Crime Museum. Many instruments used for torture in medieval Europe are on display.

Suddenly found an instrument in front of the entrance

Admission fee is about 440 yen

Follow the guidance to the basement

Oh

There is a Japanese explanation

The floors are on the 1st to 4th floors, and a huge number of torture equipment is exhibited.

The concept is 'to clarify the history of legislation and justice in the last 700 years (12th-19th centuries) in Germany'

Let's take a look now. First of all, from the standard.

・ Needle chair

It seems that it was used for the purpose of torture or threatening

・ Tied up

It is said that you pull your body on this Igaiga and use it

Next is the fastener zone

There are various types depending on the application

・ Finger clamp

This hurts ...

・ Tongue fastener

Now it's time to start. Shameful mask zone.

・ For women who are too talkative

・ For men who behave like pigs

The nose of this mask symbolizes something animal

・ For people who are shameless and have a bad mouth

It is said that they will be covered and will stand in a place with a lot of people such as a market. At that time, it seems that he sometimes offered a board with the sin written on it.

・ For vile men

'The thick nose symbolizes that I can't help but mess around, the horns have taken the wife of another person to sleep, and the snake and the little devil on the nose symbolize that a lot of evil has sprung up from my brain. '

I don't know who it is for, but it's certainly an embarrassing mask

・ Executioner's mask

'To prevent the poisonous and unpleasant gaze of the convict on death row (the common people believed deeply),' he said.

I found something interesting here.

This book says that there is a stipulation about the duel between men and women.

Here is the basic position. Men have clubs and holes, and women have cloth-covered stones and are free to move around.

If the woman wins, the man will be decapitated

If the man wins, the woman only has to cut her hand. It seems that women rarely won even if they had a handicap.

Then, I will go on and on.

・ Neck strangling tool (for two bad friends)

You can't get rid of it until you stop fighting

・ Chastity belt

Don't let your wife become unfaithful in the absence of her husband.

・ Stigma whistle

It seems to be for poor musicians

・ Barrel cloak (barrel of shame, what is said to be the prototype of 'Iron Maiden')

A person who goes to a tavern and drinks is trapped

・ Straw crown (for bride)

The bride, who had a relationship before marriage, had to wear it and head to the festival through the black entrance.

By the way, in the case of a terrible bride, he sometimes had a wedding ceremony in a tavern or a prison. In addition, couples who had children within seven months of the wedding were fined and sentenced to prison.

・ Rotary table

It seems that it was okay for the outfield to spin around

・ Iron Maiden (

Iron Maiden, so-called 'Iron Maiden')

An iron cloak to discipline an immoral woman

・ Rocking horse (for lazy students)

・ Waterboarding cage (for bakery)

It's for when you cheat your eyes and bake a small piece of bread ...

It seems that these tortures and punishments played an important role as legally recognized acts in the world at that time. However, as many innocent humans were tortured in the witch trial , where it was difficult to prove their crimes, social criticism increased, and in the 18th century the criminal procedure was reformed and torture disappeared. did.

(Text / Photo: World Newspaper / Atsushi Matsuzaki http://sekaishinbun.blog89.fc2.com/ )