Most of the women killed in Europe during the medieval "witch hunt" today are perceived as faceless victims of religious obscurantism. The names of almost all these unfortunates, sacrificed to human stupidity, are hidden from us in the depths of past centuries; only a few of the most famous "accomplices of the devil" have been honored to go down in history. One of them is Anna Goldi, who has two titles at once - the last witch of Switzerland, as well as the last woman in Europe to be executed on charges of witchcraft and conspiracy with Satan.
Anna was born in the small town of Sennwald in October 1734. Her life path, until a certain period, was no different from the fate of most other girls of that era, who came from the poor. Almost nothing is known about her parents; Throughout her adult life, Anna worked as a maid or servant in the homes of wealthy people. Despite the fact that Geldi gave birth to two children, apparently, she was never married. Anna's firstborn died in infancy, in connection with which she was suspected of infanticide for some time. The second child was born in Strasbourg and, apparently, was the result of Anna's connection with her then employer. Information about the further fate of this child has not been preserved.
The turning point in the woman's life can be considered her move to the east of Switzerland, to the town of Glarus and her admission in 1780 to the service of the local doctor and judge Johann Jacob Tschudi. A year later, the second daughter of the owner of the house fell seriously ill with an incomprehensible disease - she was tormented by constant convulsions, nausea and vomiting, in which Johann found needles. Without hesitation, he accused Anna Geldi of mixing needles in the drink intended for the doctor's daughter over the past months, and also stuffing them into bread and other products. Such actions, in those days, were considered irrefutable evidence of practicing black magic. Of course, those around them took on faith the statement of such a weighty personality in the local community, and Anna was immediately charged with witchcraft.
For a time she managed to hide from persecution, but soon the authorities of Glarus announced a reward for her capture; Anna Geldi was captured and taken into custody. One of the close relatives of the Tshudi family, Ruedi Steinmuller, was also arrested as the alleged accomplice of the witch. He was suspected of trying to get rid of alleged competitors in the struggle for the inheritance of Johannes Tshudi, for which he entered into an agreement with the witch Anna Geldi. To what extent these charges were plausible is anyone's guess, since shortly after his arrest, Rudy hanged himself in his cell without giving any evidence. This suicide was considered indisputable proof of guilt and further exacerbated the already dire situation of his alleged accomplice.
Anna Geldi, under torture, confessed to conspiracy to the devil and was beheaded on June 13, 1782. It is worth noting that during the trial the prosecutors focused on the attempted murder of Johannes Tshudi's daughter (by the way, she eventually recovered), and not on witchcraft, which Geldi allegedly resorted to. Modern researchers put forward an alternative, much more plausible version of the tragedy that happened to this woman. Most likely, Anna was pregnant by her employer, whose reputation could be seriously damaged if this connection became apparent. Thus, Johann Tshudi got rid of not only his unwanted mistress, but also one of the contenders for his fortune. The execution of Anna Geldi was the last in history to fall under the definition of a witch hunt.
Two hundred twenty-six years later, in 2008, the sentence against Anna Geldi was declared a miscarriage of justice, and her name was fully rehabilitated.