Digital witch management in Fulda: Discover the dark past!

Digital witch management in Fulda: Discover the dark past!

On April 10, 2025, a new digital city tour of the witch hunt in Fulda was presented in the Marble Hall of the Fulda city palace. With the "Doyo" app, users can experience the dark history of witch persecution and the fate of Merga Bien, one of the most prominent victims. This innovative app offers an interactive tour that is suitable for both history -interested and young people aged 12 and over.

According to the Fuldaer Zeitung, more than 270 women and men in Fulda were executed between 1600 and 1607 for supposed witchcraft. This number is part of a terrifying larger context: An estimated 60,000 people suffered the death sentence throughout Europe due to prosecution. Most of the executed were women, including the housewife Merga Bien, whose life story was researched and documented by the local researcher Ingrid Möller-Münch.

The historical dimension of witch tracking

Witch persecution was a widespread phenomenon in Europe, which reached its climax between 1450 and 1750. During this time, an estimated 100,000 to 110,000 witch trials took place, of which between 40,000 and 60,000 ended with executions. These events are often characterized by superstition and fear of magic, which increased particularly in times of misfires and accidents. In the Holy Roman Empire, to which Fulda also belonged, the persecution were particularly brutal.

Merga Biens process files, which are among the few documents of this time received, give an insight into the mechanisms that led to fatal judgments. Möller-Münch has found that many fates of women are not documented, which increases the importance of the new digital memorial. This initiative is intended to not only appreciate biographies such as Merga Bien, but also to make the fate of all victims of the witch persecution visible.

interactive elements and commitment of the community

BEATE, Chair of the Frauenzentrum Förderverein, emphasized the continuous work of the association for the topic of witches in Fulda, which now has almost 30 years. Sebastian Brähler, managing director of Kaleidos :: code, explained how the app uses interactive elements and AI-supported characters to alive the story. The tour is recommended for people from the age of twelve because it deals with sensitive topics. Kaharina Roßbach, women's representative of the city of Fulda, also thanked the committed women and institutions who contributed to the clarification of history.

The digital tour comprises a total of nine locations associated with Merga Bien's life. This includes your home and the location of the witch burns. The tour is enriched with fictional dialogues that are historically correct and reflect the emotions of that time. This makes the app not only a learning instrument, but also a contribution to the historical culture of remembrance.

In addition to the witch management, five more tours are offered in the Doyo app: "The Fulda Baroque district", "100 years of Jewish life in Fulda", the children's and family tour "Through the Star City", "Murderous Home" and "Bonifatiusgege". This diversified range of offers shows the efforts to present the historical and cultural diversity of Fulda and reach a wider public.

Overall, this digital city tour takes an important step in order not to be forgotten the history of witch hunt in Fulda, but to actively raise awareness of the population. The processing of this dark time in history remains a relevant topic, not only for the city, but for all society.

Further information can be found in the articles of Fuldaer Zeitung , Osthessen-news and Polithema .