Long ago—specifically, in 1562—there was a small principality called Reichenberg at the confluence of the Rhine River and a tributary of the Scheldt River. It was a true backwater. Apart from its administrator, Count Hans von Linnet, there was only a disorganized group of villagers. There had once been a monastery there, but it had been destroyed during the war of 1525, leaving not even a single priest.
The unexpected rainy season in the summer of 1562 made people worry about the harvest. Then came flooding and livestock deaths, convincing them that someone had caused it. The peasants searched everywhere for the culprit; only witchcraft could reasonably explain it all.
In the end, they chose Anna Steele, the seventy-year-old mother of an innkeeper, as their target. The records did not state why she had been selected. In any case, the count personally presided over the interrogation.
The count had not received training like the judges of the Spanish Inquisition, nor could he take a decisive step in such a dangerous matter.
The villagers gathered at the castle gates and demanded that he act, because the "witch" was being held in the castle dungeon. So-called action meant interrogation. The dungeon might not have been as comfortable as a bed at home, but it was at least safe. These peasants, who ordinarily seemed no different from the livestock they raised, suddenly became extremely dangerous. They no longer feared threats and were ready to act at any moment. The count therefore wrote to neighboring states, hoping they could offer advice—and bring troops if necessary.
After Luther was expelled and arrested by Charles V in 1521, local judges were permitted to pass judgment on criminals who violated religious law. Then, in 1531, Charles V promulgated the Carolina Criminal Code. It completely bypassed the crimes