Germany

In the year 1515, or according to others 1514, on September 13, the Wednesday following Saint Aegidius' Day, at the Jewish cemetery near Moritz Castle, Johann Pfefferkorn, a baptized Jew from Halle, after having been tortured with red-hot pincers, was bound to a column with a chain fastened around his body in such a manner that he could walk around the column. Burning coals were place around him, then raked ever closer to him, until he was roasted and then burned to death. He had confessed that:

For about twenty years he had served as a priest, although he had never been ordained or consecrated.

He had stolen three consecrated hosts. He had kept one of them, martyring and piercing it. The other two he had sold to the Jews.

Having received one hundred guilder from the Jews, he had sworn an oath to them that he would poison Archbishop Albrecht of Magdeburg and Elector Joachim of Brandenburg, together with all of their court officials. This very nearly happened, for he was in possession of poison at the time of his arrest.

Likewise, to give poison to all the subjects of the Archbishoprics of Magdeburg and Halberstadt and to persecute them with arson.

He had stolen two children, one of whom he sold to the Jews. He himself helped them to martyr and pierce the one child, so they could collect its blood to mix with their excrement. Because it had red hair, he gave the other one away without harming it.

He had presented himself as a physician. However, instead of helping his patients, he gave them poison, thus killing fifteen people.

He had stolen a bound devil from a priest in Franconia, using it to practice sorcery. He later sold in for five guilders.

He had poisoned wells.