A Polish-German campaign has been launched to clear the name of Sidonia von Borck, executed for witchcraft in 1620.
The campaign can be found on social media and on the web under the title of Akta Sydonii / Die Akte Sidonia ("Sidonia files"). Researchers are reaching for archival documents to show the historical background of the time, and encourage discussion.
The campaign is connected to the 400th death anniversary of one of the most famous persons in the history of Western Pomerania.
Initiator of the project, Dorota Makrutzki from the Pommersches Landesmuseun in Greifswald says that the idea was to portray Sidonia's history, based on sources preserved in Poland and in Germany, and - with her as an ambassador - also promote the fascinating history of the region. The Archives in Greifswald preserve letters and minutes from the trial of Sidonia von Borck, accused among others for putting a curse on the princely Pomeranian Griffin family, which died out in 1637.
Dorota Makrutzki adds that "Sidonia's case was from the start very much in the public eye. Also in later years many writers and painters were inspired by her. Many legends and myths have developed about her riches, looks and secret powers". Sidonia, she says, is a representative of all the persons who were persecuted in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The campaign organizers add that Sidonia's story is an opportunity to look at the history of the region from a female perspective, and consider the chances even a noble-born woman had against the legal machine of the Pomeranian Dukedom of the time.
It is also an opportunity for trans-boundary cooperation, with all texts published in two languages, Polish and German.
Because of the pandemic, the campaign had to be reorganized, with the focus now on social media.
Sidonia von Borck was born around 1540 at the castle in Strzmiele/Stramehl, known as the Wolves' Lair, the daughter of one of the most powerful families in Western Pomerania. Supposedly she cursed the Griffin family over a broken engagement. She lived most of her life at a convent for unmarried noblewomen, where she was a herbalist and healer. However, sources also portray her as quarrelsome, engaging in lawsuits and filing complaints. In 1619 a dispute with one of the prioresses ended in Sidonia being arrested and eventually tried for witchcraft, even though her opponent withdrew accusations. She was tortured and finally condemned to death. She was 80 when she was beheaded and her body burned behind Mill Gate in Szczecin.
Source: PAP