Jindřich František Boblig z Edelstadtu (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

: Heinrich Franz Boblig von Edelstadt) (1612 in Zlaté Hory; german: Edelstadt – 27 January 1698) was a lawyer and imperial lay inquisitor who led the witch trials in Northern Moravia in the late 17th century. He was active in the Šumperk region, particularly in the town of Velké Losiny. Boblig was responsible for

burning Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combusti ...

of approximately 100 people accused of

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

. The list of executed included two priests who attempted to stop the trials, and Kryštof Lautner, Dean of Šumperk.

Biography

Little is known about his early life. His father,

Burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief m ...

in Zlaté Hory, was ennobled and received the mark of nobility "z Edelstadtu" (''von Edelstadt'', ''of Edelstadt'') in 1591. Jindřich Boblig studied law, probably in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, but he did not complete his studies and later was titled only as ''juris candidatus''. Until his participation in the witch trials of the Šumperk region, he probably led a law practice in Olomouc.

Witch trials

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boblig Z Edelstadtu, Jindrich Frantisek 1612 births 1698 deaths 17th-century Austrian lawyers Inquisitors Moravian nobility People from Zlaté Hory Silesian nobility Witch hunters Moravian-German people