Persecution of witches in Croatia

Tema ovog rada je srednjovjekovni i novovjekovni progon vještica koje je provodila crkvena inkvizicija kao i brojni svjetovni sudovi. Progoni vještica obilježili su europsku, ali i hrvatsku povijest, te se ovo razdoblje opravdano smatra jednim od najtmurnijih razdoblja ljudske povijesti. U srednjem je vijeku bio raširen strah od vještica i čarobnjaka, odnosno njihovih nedjela, pa su se počeli progoniti i podvrgavati kaznenim postupcima. S obzirom koliko su progoni vještica bili dugotrajni, a to je razdoblje od više stotina godina, te koliko su straha i užasa donijeli nije čudno da još i danas kod nekih osoba priče o vješticama uzrokuju nelagodu i strah od nepoznatog. Praksa inkvizicijskih sudova, kao izvanrednih papinskih sudova, i srednjovjekovna literatura koja je nastala na temelju te prakse, izvršila je velik utjecaj na razvoj kaznenog procesa i kaznenog procesnog prava te na formiranje općeg europskog inkvizicijskog procesa svjetovnih sudova. Prestanku progona sredinom 18. stoljeća doprinio je napredak znanosti, ali i promjena načina života ljudi. Gradovi su postali središte društvenog života, a ovisnost čovjeka o teološkim uvjerenjima je postupno oslabila.The subject of this paper is the medieval and novel persecution of the witches conducted by church inquisition as well as many secular courts. Persecution of witches in Croatia has marked European, as well as Croatian history, and this period is considered justifiably to be one of the darkest periods of human history. In the Middle Ages there was a widespread fear of witches and wizards and of their misdeeds, so they began to persecute and subject to criminal proceedings. Considering how the persecution of witches was long-lasting, and how much fear and horror it has brought, it is not surprising that even today some people have stories and certain beliefs about witches that cause discomfort and fear of the unknown. The practice of the Inquisition Courts, as extraordinary papal tribunals, and mediaeval literature derived from that practice, had a great impact on the development of the criminal process and criminal procedural law and on the formation of the general European inquisition process of secular courts. The end of persecution in the middle of the 18th century contributed to the advancement of science, but also to the changing lifestyles of people. Cities have become the center of social life, and the dependence of man on theological beliefs has gradually diminished