In the court case of Tempel Anneke, many social and economic factor determined the outcome of her trial. Was it the misfortune of the people in her community that she was unable to help, or the fact that she was known to be a very powerful healer? Could it also have been that she was not part of the norm of society based on her characteristics of the general woman figure she portrayed in the 1600’s? Through the analysis of, The Trial of Tempel Anneke: Records of a Witchcraft Trial in Brunswick, Germany, 1663’s court transcriptions the details will show how these social and economic factors played such an important part in the trial that convicted her to death.
Tempel Anneke was very dependent on the community and her family for support, including her son. She had no means of
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She had been trained in her earlier years by her mother to be a healer, which included working with herbs and native plants of the area. It is through this practice, many people hired her to help cure them, other family members, animals, and also to drive of bad curses. She earned a reputation for helping others but was also seen as a danger to the community. She had the knowledge through her books and power of her healing skills which was not very typical of the average women of this time era. She also did not fit the typical sub-servant woman of her time. She also used her powers for both good and evil. As one witnesses stated in Folio 1, “Hans Harves: He explained: about five weeks ago Tempel Anneke had several Stübchen2 of beer fetched from him. In the evening of the same day she wanted another Stübchen of beer. But he gave her no more, but sent word that she had already drunk enough during the day. The following night he suddenly woke up because of a pain in his leg. When he