Gelnhausen - Germany’s dark secret

This charming little village nurses a dark secret upon its quaint half-timber breast. The historic and picturesque old town’s cobble stone streets seem to echo with the clop of long gone horse shoes, or it could be the sighs of women being escorted off the mortal coil.

While some towns strive to hide their dirty laundry, Gelnhausen will not let itself forget. The Hexenturm, a tower used to imprison suspected witches during a 16th century, still stands dark and foreboding–and full of the implements of inspired confession. Many adjectives can be used to describe the collection but I will use just one: impressive. Impressive in scope and magnitude, impressive how inventive people have been in creating instruments intended to separate their fellows from their inhibitions or very sanity. Just as impressive are the results of the torture. Dozens of suspected witches were mutilated, burned and drowned in the slow and lazy Kinzig River.

If you don’t mind having the tour in German, you can get a tour on Sunday afternoons from May to October. You can also arrange a tour in English for 60 Euros if you have a group of 30 or more. Sweet dreams.