The Secrets of Witches Exhibition

Osaka Culturarium At Tempozan

This event has ended.

Belief in witches and witch persecution resulting from fear of their demonic work were specific phenomena of early-modern Europe. In those days people lived in a world filled with magic and spirits and their lives were at the mercy of the Christian god. Life was hard back then: wars raged over Europe, society was shattered by religious conflicts, and strong winters and rainy summers destroyed harvests. Many people suffered and died. For those who survived it was very clear that these things were the demonic deeds of the witches. But how to find them? Scholars and attorneys invented a ruthless system of interrogation and torture. For more than 200 years Europe, and particularly the Germanic empire, were hit by several waves of witch persecutions. How could this have happened? Why did people believe in witches and the devil? These are all questions to be answered in this unique exhibition.

[Related Events]
Lecture “Banquet of Devils and Witches— What is Walpurgis Night?” (in Japanese)
Date: Mar. 7 (Sat) 14:00–15:30
Speaker: Yuko Nishimura (curator of this exhibition, scholar of German literature)
Audience: 70
Admission: Free

Lecture “Did Witches Really Exist ?— Witch Hunts and the Dark Side of Early-Modern Europe” (in Japanese)
Date: Apr. 4 (Sat) 14:00–15:30
Speaker: Masatake Kurokawa (Taisei Gakuin University Professor)
Audience: 70
Admission: Free