Heinrich Kramer German monk of the Dominican order, author of the "Hammer of the Witches" Country: Germany

1. Heinrich Kramer: Early Life and Education
2. Career as an Inquisitor
3. The "Malleus Maleficarum"
4. Later Years

Heinrich Kramer: Early Life and Education

Heinrich Kramer was a German Dominican monk born into a poor family. In 1445, he joined the Dominican Order in his hometown. Kramer studied philosophy and theology at a Latin school until 1474.

Career as an Inquisitor

In 1479, Kramer was appointed as an inquisitor for the Dominican Province of Alemannia. He launched his first investigation in the Italian town of Trent, where he oversaw the execution of nine Jews accused of ritual murder.

After his involvement in the Trent trial, Kramer became known for his relentless pursuit of witches and heretics. In 1482, he became the prior of the Dominican monastery in his hometown and issued a pamphlet against the Slovenian archbishop, Andras Zamometić.

The "Malleus Maleficarum"

In 1486, Kramer wrote the infamous work, "Malleus Maleficarum" (The Hammer of Witches). The book, which was published in Speyer in 1487, became a notorious guide for witch hunters. Kramer claimed to have sent 200 witches to the stake and denounced those who questioned their existence.

Later Years

Kramer continued his activities as a "censor of faith" in Moravia. He taught Scripture in Salzburg and published several works before his death in 1501. The exact place and date of his death remain unknown.