Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Executioner
(1,192 words)

1. Medieval beginnings

The state of the trade of executioner at the dawn of the early modern period was the result of a process of transformation through the Middle Ages. From the late 12th century, civic sources (e.g. town charters, court regulations) begin to record an official whose tasks included execution (“hangman,” “executioner;” French bourreau, exécuteur des hautes œuvres; Dutch beul, scherprechter, German officiatus ad cippum, Tri…

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Wilbertz, Gisela, “Executioner”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_027005>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20180126



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