A Hangmans Diary, Franz Schmidt
A Hangmans Diary, Franz Schmidt
List: $12.99 | Sale: $9.10
Club: $6.49

A Hangman's Diary
The Journal of Master Franz Schmidt, Public Executioner of Nuremberg, 1573-1617

Author: Franz Schmidt, C. Calvert, B.A., A. W. Gruner, M.A.

Narrator: John McLain

Unabridged: 4 hr 51 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/17/2021


Synopsis

Now an esoteric of legal and criminal history, A Hangman's Diary gives a year-by-year breakdown on all of Master Franz Schmidt's executions, which included hangings, beheadings, and other methods, as well as details of each capital crime and the reason for the punishment.

From 1573 to 1617, Master Franz Schmidt was the executioner for the towns of Bamberg and Nuremberg. During that span, he personally executed more than 350 people while keeping a journal throughout his career.

A Hangman's Diary is not only a collection of detailed writings by Schmidt about his work, but also an account of criminal procedure in Germany during the Middle Ages. With analysis and explanation, editor Albrecht Keller and translators C. Calvert and A. W. Gruner have put together a masterful tome that sets the scene of execution day and puts you in Master Franz Schmidt's shoes as he does his duty for his country.

An unusual and fascinating classic of crime and punishment, A Hangman's Diary is more than a history lesson; it shows the true anarchy that inhabited our world only a few hundred years ago.

About Franz Schmidt

Master Franz Schmidt (1555-1634) was an executioner in Nuremberg. Starting the profession at age eighteen (under the supervision of his father), he performed more than 350 executions during his forty-five years of service.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Liam on February 20, 2015

I don't know how to rate this. August 10th George Schorpff of Ermb, near the hohenstein, a lecher, guilty of beastliness with four cows, two calves and a sheep. Beheaded for unnatural vice at Velln, and afterwards burnt with a cow. This book is a perfect example of what Medievalists call "The Alterity......more

Goodreads review by Armanda on June 07, 2019

The diary itself is really a detailed list of the executions and punishments Master Franz dealt with during his service. It's interesting when preceeded by the first half of the book which is the introduction to criminal procedure in medieval Germany. The analysis and explanation given in the first......more

Goodreads review by Andy on May 06, 2022

A bit disappointed as I had expected a diary where Master Franz Schmidt detailed not only the morbid deeds of his job as an executioner, but - more interesting - any moral conflict he felt at doing what he had to do (after all, some of the crimes for which an execution were handed out were beyond pa......more

Goodreads review by Amber on August 10, 2021

Incredibly fascinating and kind of depressing also. The reasons some of these people were beheaded or hanged were paltry. History is very disturbing sometimes.........more

Goodreads review by Miranda on December 05, 2023

Läste bara en tredjedel men kändes att det räckte. Den var ganska upprepande! Otroligt spännande att få ta del av den mörka medeltidens fängelsedrama.......more