to 30 minutes on d w the we say they're never giving up every weekend on d. w. the they fly through the air on broomsticks, they cast spells, conjuring both good and evil. they can be hideous and frightening or sassy, seductive, and downright sexy. which is the main stay in western pop culture, but jokes and entertainment aside being labeled, which can still get you killed, imagined you find out your ancestor with which at least they said she was

a witch. apparently she poisoned people. someone even said she. so she was tried and burned as a witch. that's what happened in my family history. so let me take you on a journey to learn all about which and don't think from one minute the i was a teenager when i found out about my ancestor, montgomery to club how over 300 years ago in 1642, she was accused tried, tortured and ultimately burned as a witch. for years i was haunted by her story and wanted to find out what really happened. so i traveled to vending in a small town in south western germany. it's wine country. so rounded diana dillard,

patchwork of sloping hills and vineyards. but one of those hills is a mass grave. in the 17th century, more than 20 people died here during the vending in which trials their names are interesting to germany's oldest monument to persecuted, which is actually the place where the witches were burn. this is the execution place for come over here. and up here several times with my family. we always came up to see our ancestor, montgomery to cuba. so what kind of a woman was she? and why was she choose to witchcraft? to find out i tracked down local historians, i to whom he knows the details of every which trial in this area including that of my ancestor. you've had this me, i need to send a file of i've seen indeed since she was an interesting woman. because a lot of clues indicate she was very clever that she had a deep sense of responsibility. oh indeed. stackhouse. but that this inner strength

and confidence probably menchie overstepped her boundaries a bit as much with regard to others in the community to media. tyson viewed, it sounds like she was a bit of a rebel, someone who didn't quite to the line of social norms and possibly a bit before her time. not going to need to came from a well to do family and married a judge. so she belonged to the town socially lead. she was the mother of 2 small boys in the accusations against her grew life. here in the church, she suffered a mortifying attack of dysentery. in front of the entire congregation. later her accusers said that satan had followed her into the sacred space. it was just one of many charges, including allegedly given various people's food or drink and the past, after which they become gravely ill. in the state archives in nearby copeland, the original records of the beginning in which trials are extraordinarily well

preserved. and with walter's help make a shocking discovery. it turns out magazine to his own mother was burned as a witch before her. in fact, the neighbor was the 1st person and then again to be executed for witchcraft, already in 1631. so poor monkey to already have the card stacked against her. but when did this, we turn craze. actually begin? and why? the demon ology is the science has existed since the beginning of few logical thinking . stomach, the christian n. c, a logical teaching, grappled with these questions from the start. and i'm booking on the already the old testament headed in for which is in the book of exodus, which states shall not suffer a witch to live. but it was thomas aquinas, a 13th century, dominican friar and theologians who had

a profound impact on the tour to the view of witchcraft. he argued, the world was full of evil demons, and that witches were practitioners of malevolence or 3. according to him, women were not only particularly susceptible to demonic possession, but we're lining up to make a pact even to have sex with the devil himself. he was backed up by pope john the 22nd in 1326 who declared any practice of magic to be an act of heresy. after that, the church went hole hob to warn people of this new threat. these ideas lead to the definition of a new criminal offense which cr, and laid the groundwork for the great european, which on the by the 15th century, this brand of fake news was spreading like wildfire in the form of them. a little smaller chicago, with a hammer of which is by dominican inquisitor hines,

which com. a 1st published in 1486. it was essentially the manual one, how to identify, try torture and kill, which is kind of described in obsessive detail how which is make their lustful packed with the devil, renounced the christian faith, the children. and generally recap icon the surroundings. a book full of toxic masculine obsessions coincided with the realize that the printing press meaning its message could travel far and fast. over the next 200 years, the millennial sold like hot cakes becoming 2nd only to the bible in terms of sales . images gave form to these ideas, a seminal works like these 15th century. wood cuts inspired many artists like german painter and print maker applies to the new student hands by don't clean whose interpretations of deviant devilish women were pretty salacious stuff and continued to inspire the public imagination through the ages. right on into the

20th century. like here in the 1922 called horror film exxon. the oldest had a nervous, early modern europe was fraught with problems. invasion flores, of religion, new illnesses like civilized, even a climate crisis. from the early 14th to mid 19th century, much of northern europe was in the grip of the big chill, known as the little ice age. that many years of crop failure, extreme whether an economic hardship on to the phil wouldn't moving on to hit people got the idea that which is we're responsible for all of this. but that's all that out of greed, envy and resentment. they were in league with the devil and using malevolent magic to create this, whether chaos is this list. and as i talk to it, it was quite literally a perfect storm which is offered europe's beleaguered populations. a simple

explanation for widespread fenn and sickness and suffering. and that's when which hunts really took off the contemporary historians estimate that between 50 and 60000 people died as a result of the european witch trials. and about 80 percent of the victims were women. about half of those victims or $25000.00 people were killed within the boundaries of present day germany, which brings us back to august a to whose ordeal was pretty typical. for the time she was denounced and arrested for body searched for an incriminating devil's mark. they shaved off all her hair, but she refused to confess. so the witch commission resorted to torture a legal policy at the time. you know that i'm not good for anyone who was accused was assumed to be guilty and the person have to prove their own. and as soon as i get off the phone, the idea was that the confession was inherently there just under the surface and

had to be drawn out. torture was seen as a necessary means of killing off the body to free the soul to allowed to reveal remorse sent to confess. to casteel. now go he to was strapped into the iron boot, an instrument designed to slowly crush the lower leg. when she still maintained her innocence, they hosted her up by her hands with a root out of her mind with pain. she was forced to denounce another woman, a common practice that led to move which trials and kept the brutal cycle going. after 2 days, she could stand no more and confess to being a witch, sealing her own death sentence. the trial revealed much more about my family and that even more relatives were victims of that, which on here in the nearby town of coast alone. in this freezing dungeon, one of them was imprisoned for weeks. his family fought in vain to save him. wait

a minute, him you her right. and in fact, nearly one and 4 victims of the european witch hunts was a man. a detail that's often ignored. but wasn't it cunning women midwife and he lose who were most likely to be accused of witchcraft. * the hip new to us, this midwife smith has incredible longevity that church and state colluded to go after cunning women healers and midwives, and destroyed their knowledge of birth control into motions. that's not true at all . so initially as estimate of god kind, 5 reason and her colleagues agree that some of the most common mistakes about which ones had been perpetuated by feminist interpretations where they fit perfectly into a political agenda. for decades, women's movements eager to rebel against patriarchal structures embrace to which as a potent symbol of power, which he remains to this day in most of the western world. she is this

symbol of power that is subversive. she is a symbol of women, be free and independent, getting justice. and so she is ultimately this really inspiring figure because nobody can keep her down. oh, back in 1642, a woman like that was certainly a provocation. but neither midwives, nor red haired women were more likely to be accused of witchcraft. in the end. it could happen to anyone, but back to vending in such a seemingly peaceful little place. why we're 20 which is executed in this town alone. one explanation could be that as a one growing region, it was hit hard by the little ice age. the people here just need someone to blame for the hailstones that ruined their harvest. or were their religious radicals at work. who was actually on the local, which commission the historians,

i to whom it says it was a group of local citizens, eager to better their status. a secular court that sees the opportunity to up in social power structures to its own advantage, and the victims, fortunes along with it. it was all about power, money, envy, and resentment as a well off family high up in the pecking order. it's no wonder my guys, each it was a target whereby we can clear up yet another misconception that the catholic church was the driving force behind the european witch trials, does i smoke? the notion of the catholics hunted witches and protestants were restrained? doesn't hold any water. indeed, after the reformation vending and was predominantly protestant. and it turns out products to communities were often farm or zealous in their persecution, of which has been catholic ones. i know cough shop the in an area that converted to protestantism in 1557, surrounded by the so called the wrong catholic religion. they were under enormous

pressure to prove that protestantism was the better religion as state board at the right religion. and you've reached the end that had quite an effect on the accusations hot except high on cloud and get picked. in fact, protestant countries like scotland and sweden so much higher incidence of which trials and catholic dominated ireland or portugal, italy in spain. both predominantly catholic were comparatively safe for anyone associated with witchcraft of your machine creates on the roman inquisition, persecuted people for sorcery, magic and superstition for what they rarely put anyone to death to the spanish inquisition, never executed, which is because very early on they concluded that which is don't even exist on the 6th about another place where which trail devastated a protestant population was in norway. the tiny town of bar do saw one of the

biggest witch trials in scandinavia. unimpressive monument commemorates the execution of 91 people for witchcraft back in 1621. nearly a 3rd of the village at the time the manchester story came to its tragic in the november 1642 because he to cuba was forced to address the towns. people who had gathered to witness her execution. as god is my witness, i beg anyone whom i may have wronged my life for forgiveness. may i be an example to all and die and treat all of you to keep god before dying eyes and shield yourselves from the evil enemy. she was granted a merciful death and would be headed before her body was burned. perhaps the most shocking of all was the feeding frenzy that ensued, according to records. 250 leaders of wine were hold up to the execution side. a

treacherous ploy to ensure the whole town was completed. now does he does? husband was handed the bill in short, which trials were lucrative, business commissioners, scribes vintners, executioners all made a handsome living, perpetuating the system by the mid 16 hundreds, europe's witchcraft mania had made its way to the new world. the most famous witch trials began in salem, massachusetts, in 1692 of nearly 200 people accused of witchcraft 19 were executed, one crushed to death, and at least 5 died in jail. so when did all these madness stopped? as they counted their dead in salem witch hunting hysteria and europe began to die down as people doubted so many could be guilty of witchcraft. the age of enlightenment gave more credence to science and reason men to superstitious belief . food was more plentiful and the advent of insurance,

when people were less prone to disaster. to the last the legend which in europe was beheaded in switzerland in $1782.00, marking the end of a dark chapter. well, thank god, that's over. what is it the it's got. so there's never been so many which on this one as we see in today's world. the words of which fund expert advice con bandanna, whose research is a shocker. he says more people were killed for witchcraft in the 20th century. then in the entire 300 years of european, which once, in fact, a recent global study shows that the lease in witchcraft is to widespread today. and thousands of countries are effected in the pacific on the nation of popular new guinea, the public torture and murder of a legend, which is so common that sorcery accusation related violence or s a r v has its own

acronym. most often the victims are women and according to experts, their number is on the rise. especially in village in tribal communities. you an estimate some $200.00 people are killed each year until it gets super low. there's a very high number of murders of a legend, which is the go unreported and pop when you're getting to come in either real quick and get you can read every week in the times of india in which a village which is have just been killed. pick some, sometimes men, mostly women, and who have been ostracized outcast. these are 10 murdered by the village community, so to speak. to them. it happens every week and that's complete eatable in south asia, women are still blamed for crop failure, disease, or natural disasters, or frequently branded is which is for a trifle like this woman from con to offered medicine to

a neighbor in galvin with the next it, the village elder took me captive, he made me, i see the thing beats me for so long. they thought i was dead, but i was able to escape. and when single down victims are often helpless in the face of mob dynamics, single women and widows are particularly at risk as they are in africa, where the problem is ramp and then the ones the term and can if we look at recent times, then we see that in a country like tanzania alone since its independence and the early sixty's between 30 and 40000 people. mostly women have been killed for a legit crimes of witchcraft mention residence hall. i'm the most likely found guilty by some kind of village tribunal and then killed by young people to take that one. and it's not just tens in the many countries, including nigeria or the democratic republic of congo are also dealing with the

problem in northern gonna hundreds of older women had been banished to segregated villages or which kept. one of them is gone by the these women have been denounced for causing fires, drought and disease. many were accused by their own families. country land long had to flee her village after a neighbor accused her of witchcraft. she's been in gum bog or for 10 years. mom was badly abused. my landlord asked me to vacate the property because of the witchcraft accusation. i also fled to stop the brutalities. just looked at my arm. this is what they did to me. it's broken up into the frontier nigeria and human rights activist lou has visited gunboat for his research. for years he's been fighting the persecution of which is through i would have for eco and urgent governments to protect the victims. his goal that by 2030, which once in africa, will be a thing of the past, the victims,

amending women. and let me tell you what we mean by a weaker social course or opposition. the african countries often comes, the size of the eyes are on that we may not treated as a single classroom. and as you might be, is that you'll kind of get the results in 2022. over a few women were living in dunbar and squalid conditions with no health care. they live from donations, selling firewood, or doing occasional work on surrounding funds, illness, famine, floods, or drove brought on by climate change. despite the cultural divide, there are striking parallels between the witch hunts in africa and those in early modern europe. asia, your lot even young, he describes ordeal about the script. mean they took it one step to shave me everywhere. as part of the rituals my private parts and my armpits. mm hm.

gun is government is well aware of the witchcraft superstition, and it's often federal consequences has announced its intention to close all which villages which come in his life addresses since all these students are being targeted to begin the w 60 minus the alpha to pull back to communities, so the government of gamma is approaching the problem wrongly. and that is why i think we have not seen any significance sheets in terms of resolving the problem which basically shutting down. this is a bottle that we have to, we have to, we did for africa. we have to wait for your mind that you know, it takes inspiration from to women who did when their bass will be active as further which is of scotland for 2 years. clare mitchell, and so we've ended taught to campaigned for legal, pardon, and apology for the 2500 people. mostly women convicted an executed for witchcraft

in scotland. although their persecution dates back several centuries. they saw their demand as a signal for the presence that are still people across the worlds generally vulnerable. often women are old people, they're being accused of witchcraft and in some cases, being killed by more justice. and is that that are some countries that are trying to put it into their legal system where people can still be accused of witchcraft. so we don't think that it's an issue this past is still sadly very, very valid. on march 8th, 2022. there plea was heard. scotlands been 1st minister nicholas sturgeon, acknowledge the historic injustice before parliament. on behalf of the scottish government, i'm choosing to acknowledge that agreed his historic injustice, and extend a formal post to miss apology to all those accused convicted, vilified, or executed under the witchcraft act of 15. 63. a signal to the rest of the

world. where at least in the west, which is in witchcraft or having something of a renaissance, new york based pam grossman is a self proclaimed which author and host of the successful which weighs podcast. while exact numbers are elusive, she, it serves the growing interest in witchcraft and paganism in recent years and puts it down to a need for alternatives. in on certain times, we see what is happening with capitalism being so ravenous and so bottomless, that it is destroying the very planet that we live on. and so which craft is a beautiful alternative to all of that? because which craft says that we all are define no matter what our gender or background is. we all have access to in our power

from spiritual connection to political and environmental activism. the shape shifting, which has more than proliferated in popular culture and online. so which is of instagram and videos with the hearse tag, which talk a math and millions of use of people find strength, balance, and community in modern interpretations of the craft. at the same time, the word which continues to be used to the same strong women, the smear campaigns against hillary clinton prior to the 2016 us election are just one example the. and then of course, there's this guy for years, former us president donald trump has complained about a never ending. we charge against him. he continues to misuse the term and is always the victim spending millions and millions of dollars. others continue, which are an appalling distortion of history. the trivializes, the plight of so many women, still suffering today spinning and prefers

a more sober approach to it's not past one that owners the victims of which ones and brings them back into the conversation. all these delving into the history of our family, which has been enlightening and emotionally exhausting surreal to retrace her footsteps and unbearably sad to think so many suffered her fate. even more upsetting is the fact that women are still going through it to which ones are only a phenomenon of centuries ago. but rather an urgent problem that effects thousands of phone number women every day in africa, asia, and elsewhere. the deadly chain of events instigated by envious neighbors and monkey to clear this case is a pattern that keeps getting repeated in life and on line the victims, their pain, they're suffering deserve our awareness and respect. uh,

certainly a strange feeling to be here. it's a good thing that they've been vindicated, or at least recognized historically and by the community. the, the, the

guardians of truce. this time excelled. gentlest chimed in. dark, meets the voices of a free turkey author as the other one had to flee into exile. i knew the police would search my house. courageous people are trying to stem the turkish government and sort of guardians of truth

coming up on d. w. are you ready to be really ready to face? welcome to a castle, frankenstein. right. in the heart of germany. close to one of the highest halloween parties in the country. almost anything goes as long as it's or mac. in 90 minutes, on dw, the de sac rubble out from g. if you can see in the middle of the dash deacon, sasha organizing reconstruction to the new houses and

renewed us, it's getting cold. the rates of holding sign and the volunteers will winter freeze the nation kids particular scene rebuild jobs, move indices d, w actually we don't have a choice. so we have little time list to save the planet. so we have to do what we can as fast as possible. we only have one generation left just 25 years to increment the greatest resolution. since the doing of the industrial and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy around the world without exception is

a global energy transformation really possible or is it or any of these? researches are working on amazing our document. the renewables revolution starts november 25th. i'm dw, the, the, the, this is due to the news and these are our top stories. israel's military says it expanded its ground operations in gaza overnight and is still in the field. it also launched a massive aerial bombardment of the territory and its war again. some of these really army says it had a 150 underground targets. communications and gaza have been knocked out

the humanitarian situation for more than 2000000 people trapped in gauze.