Today we look into the bizarre role of executioners in human history.
Although we have discussed crime and punishment before, we have not examined the individuals
responsible for inflicting pain and death upon the victims. Executioners, throughout
much of recorded history, have occupied a special status in societies. They were often
given special privileges by heads of state, while being simultaneously feared and reviled
by the general population.
These dealers of death demonstrate the power of the ruling class over the very lives of
citizens...
...while serving as a warning to deter unsanctioned behavior. The process of execution, particularly
in medieval Europe, also included religious rituals.
Details from ancient sources are very sparse. But, we do know that Rome had a public executioner
known as Ca′rnifex. This person could not put Roman citizens to death, but existed primarily
to perform the task for slaves and foreigners. He would also be responsible for administering
torture if the sentence required it. The job was considered very disgraceful, and those
performing it were not allowed to live within the city.
Perhaps uniquely among human societies, the Romans sometimes assigned the job of executioner
to animals. In 167 BC, Aemilius Paullus used elephants to kill non-Roman soldiers who had
decided to desert during the campaign against Perseus. The elephants trampled the soldiers
to death, which was intended to discourage other soldiers from fleeing. In 146 BC, Scipio
Africanus Minor also used elephants to crush foreign deserters. This punishment was rare,
however, and was not the standard procedure for handling executions in Rome.
In the Ottoman Empire, executioners were also restricted to a specific social class. Only
Romani could occupy this position within the Empire. They were seen as a cursed people, and
even their graveyards were separate from others used by the public. Their tombstones were
usually not allowed to have any markings nor could they be polished. The Romani are often
known as Gypsies today.
The most detailed records concerning executioners and their way of life comes from Europe. Britain,
France, and Germany in particular kept track of important details concerning executions
and those who performed them. In some cases, executioners themselves wrote books on the
subject.
Executioners in Europe were often well educated. They had to know the laws of the government
under which they served. And they had to know the necessary rituals and their roles within
them. Unsurprisingly, it was important for the executioner to understand human anatomy.
Quite often an executioner’s knowledge of anatomy was so detailed that he could function
as a physician if necessary. A 1908 entry in the British Medical Journal stated, “On
July 24, 1579 a license was issued by Frederick II to Anders Freimut, executioner of Copenhagen,
granting him the right to set bones and treat old wounds though he was expressly forbidden
to meddle with recent wounds…. ...in 1695, Andreas Liebknecht the Copenhagen
executioner, was in such repute for his treatment of the venereal disease that he wrote a book
on the subject.”
Prior to the execution, the master of deadly arts was typically provided with a warrant.
This warrant usually specified the sentence, and also protected the executioner from any
murder charges for carrying out his duties. Sometimes the warrant specified the method
of execution, while in other cases the executioner chose. Returning viewers will not be surprised
that torture commonly preceded death.
In Germany, being an executioner was not without risks. As Joel F. Harrington notes in his
book The Faithful Executioner, “an executioner was permitted three strikes before being grabbed
by the crowd and forced to die in place of the poor sinner”. (What a shame!)
One well known executioner from Germany in the 16th century, Frantz Schmidt, sought to
avoid this fate by making execution more efficient. He replaced the typical punishment for women
guilty of killing their babies from drowning to beheading, as decapitation was less likely
to fail. Like others in this craft of mortality, Schmidt often experimented to find more efficient
ways to deliver death on demand.
In addition to dispensing death, executioners filled other roles which made them unpopular
with the average citizen. For example….
They were often responsible for the maintenance of latrines and cesspools. Also for stray
dogs and discarded carcasses, which were often skinned for profit. They could enforce livestock
regulations, require payment from prostitutes and lepers, and could either run gambling
operations or profit from shutting them down.
The perception of the executioner being a societal outcast began to change after 1791
in France. After the Revolution, executioners were granted citizen status. Also, torture
as a punishment was removed and the method of execution was standardized. This change
in attitude eventually spread to most of Europe. However, life for an executioner is often
quite isolated even in modern times.
Frantz Schmidt kept journals with details of his executions. They provide the best resource
for understanding the process used to dispatch criminals in the 16th century.
One documented case was that of Hans Vogel. Schmidt wrote in 1577 that Vogel, “burned
to death an enemy in a stable [and] was my first execution with the sword in Nuremberg”.
Vogel, like most prisoners, was almost certainly allowed to receive visitors while awaiting
execution. If he was literate, he would have been allowed to read as well as write farewell
letters. However these last hours were spent, the executioner and his assistants were expected
to calm the condemned and smooth the process.
Vogel would have been allowed a last meal as well. One Chaplain who viewed several last
meals was astounded at the bad behavior he encountered. He said of one convicted thief
that he “thought more of the food for his belly than his soul … devouring in one hour
a large loaf, and in addition two smaller ones, besides other food,” in the end consuming
so much that his body allegedly “burst asunder in the middle,” as it swung from the gallows.
As part of his last meal, Vogel was also allowed to have copious amounts of wine. Apparently
inebriated victims were preferred to frightened sober ones. Once the assistants were satisfied
that the ritual could proceed, they would have Vogel change into a white linen execution
gown. Then Schmidt would be summoned to oversee the remainder of the process.
After asking the prisoner for forgiveness, Schmidt would then sip the traditional Saint
John’s drink of peace with Vogel, and engage in a brief conversation to determine whether
he was ready to proceed to his execution.
In some cases, at this point in the process the condemned would be happy and excited about
their impending doom. It’s not clear whether it was due to religious beliefs, intoxication,
or frustration. If Schmidt thought it was necessary, he would ask his assistant to administer
more alcohol with the addition of a sedative. Schmidt did not like doing this unless necessary
because it could sometimes make men more aggressive. In one case a woman vomited and lost consciousness
on her way to the gallows. (Poor thing!) Thus, using drugs was often a last resort.
Once the prisoner was under control and relatively calm, the assistants would tie the prisoner’s
hands with rope. Then the victim either walked to the gallows, or rode in a cart. Execution
happened shortly thereafter, unless torture was required prior to death.
Even a skilled executioner was not always able to kill the victim without incident.
Schmidt did record the execution of one woman that... did not go very well
Elisabeth Mechtlin, on the day of her execution, seemed to be accepting of her fate. She was
constantly crying and finally informed Magister Hagendorn “that she was glad to leave this
vile and wicked world, and would go to her death not otherwise than as to a dance [but]…
the nearer she approached to death, the more sorrowful and faint-hearted she became.”
By the time of her execution procession, she was screaming and yelling uncontrollably all
the way to the gallows. She kept flailing while in the judgment chair which disturbed
a by then very experienced Frantz Schmidt. Because she would not stop moving in an effort
to escape her fate, it took Schmidt three strokes to kill the condemned.
Vogel’s execution was uneventful as far as we know. (Good for him!)
Given how unpleasant the job of executioner was, it is not difficult to understand why
the position was hereditary in many societies. Very few people would ever volunteer for the
position, as it resulted in being removed from normal society. Anyone who wasn’t dedicated
to the craft would not be able to execute criminals competently. Perhaps surprisingly,
it was usually in the interest of both rulers and citizens to ensure well trained executioners
were available.
Some executioners throughout history have certainly had very prolific careers. Let us
examine three individuals with the highest recorded number of victims.
Charles Henri-Sanson was the royal executioner of France during the reign of Louis XVI, and
was also High Executioner of the First French Republic. He executed people in Paris for
over 40 years, and performed a total 2,918 executions. (Very productive!)
Sanson was born in 1739 and died in 1806. He was the fourth in a six generation family
dynasty of executioners. Sanson also had the privilege of being the first executioner to
use a guillotine on April 25, 1792. He was instructed on that day to execute Nicolas
Jacques Pelletier for robbery and assault at the Place de Grève.
Sanson eventually executed King Louis XVI himself, and many other members of the nobility during
his long tenure.
The next executioner we will discuss is Johann Reichhart from Germany. He was born in 1893
and died in 1972. He was the appointed executioner for Bavaria, Germany from 1924
to 1946. During the Nazi era, he executed people who were found guilty of resisting
National Socialism. He assumed the position of executioner when his uncle retired at the
age of 70.
During his time as an executioner, he tried to make the execution process as fast
as possible so that it was less stressful for the condemned. He normally used a guillotine
to behead the victims. Starting in 1939, he had the tipping board of the guillotine replaced
with a fixed bench. He also had an assistant hold hands over the prisoner’s eyes instead
of using a blindfold. The condemned’s arms and legs were held by assistants without using
restraints, and they maintained their grip until the blade dropped. After implementing
all of these improvements, he reduced the time for a single execution down to 3
or 4 seconds. (Excellent work! ...sort of)
Once World War II ended, he was arrested by the United States army and spent one week
in prison for denazification. He was not tried for performing his duty as executioner, Reichhart
but was, in fact, hired by the United States Office of Military Government until the end of 1946
to help execute 156 Nazi war criminals. (Talk about irony!) In this case, he had to help design a gallows
so the victims could be hanged.
At the end of May 1946, he learned that he had executed two innocent people due
to mistaken identity. He was very disturbed by this, and retired from his executioner
role. He led a lonely existence afterward. His marriage failed. His son, Hans, disturbed
by his father's occupationl, committed suicide in 1950.
He died in a hospital in 1972. He was credited with performing more than 3000 executions.
Vasili Blokhin was a Soviet Major General who served as chief executioner. He was born
in 1895 and died in 1955. Records supposedly show that he executed tens of thousands of
prisoners by his own hand.
This included killing 7,000 Polish prisoners of war during the Katyn massacre in Spring
of 1940. This act alone ensures that he holds the title of most prolific official
executioner. Unfortunately, it also means he holds a title for the worst mass murderer
in recorded human history.
His preferred method of execution was to use a gun. Usually he would take a
pistol and shoot the victim at the base of the skull. He preferred to use a German Walthall
model as he didn’t trust the reliability of Soviet made weapons,
In order to accomplish killing the Polish prisoners, he had to use an ambitious
quota of 300 executions per night. This was accomplished with an efficient system he
designed, in which each prisoner would be taken individually to a small room that was painted red and was
known as the “Leninst room”. An attempt was made to positively identify the condemned,
after which he (or she) was led to the execution room next door.
The execution room had padded walls for soundproofing. The
floor was sloped with drains and had hoses as well. The prisoners were stood against
a log wall. Blokhin was waiting in the room dressed in a leather butcher’s apron, a
leather hat, and shoulder length leather gloves. Without any formalities, Blokhin would approach
each prisoner, place a pistol to the base of the skull, and administer a fatal shot.
He and his team would work 10 hours per night. They averaged an execution every 3
minutes.
Vasili Blokhin died in 1955, reportedly from suicide. (Do you think he used a pistol?)
Executioners in ancient and medieval societies seemed to have served a necessary role. In
many cases, the application of torture or deatth was part of a religous and social ritual.
It functioned as a final performance for the condemned, in which the citizens participated
as an audience. A swift and efficient death fulfilled the executioner’s role, and also
served to demonstrate the power of the state. For societies that did not have a dedicated
police force or modern prisons, the executioner may have been a necessary component to maintain
order.
When considering the most prolific executioners from the 20th century, there seemed to be
little integration with society where the process was concerned. Executions were usually
performed behind closed doors, and often without knowledge of the public. Death could also
be implemented on an industrial scale when competent executioners were motivated to innovate.
The role of executioner still exists today, although it is much less prevalent than it
used to be. In many Western countries that still issue death penalties, there is usually
no single professional dedicated to the practice. Prison employees may be used instead to complete
the death sentence.
Some Middle Eastern and African countries, by contrast, often still have dedicated executioners.
They do not commonly apply death penalties for incredibly large numbers of people as
far as we know.
There is no clear answer concerning the true nature of executioners in human societies.
One question that may be asked is whether the role of executioner was required for ancient
and medieval societies to function? From a more critical perspective, one might ask if
executioners were really nothing more than legally sanctioned mass murders?
Please let us know what you think in the comments.
Thank you for watching bad things in history.