Jacob Distelzweig

Jacob Distelzweig, a resident of Alicante, Spain, was executed on April 20, 1690, during the Spanish Inquisition.Gari Lacruz, Ángel. Aragonese Institute of Anthropology, ed. The covens in Aragon according to documents and oral tradition. ISSN 0212-5552. Retrieved August 23, 2022. He died as part of the religious fervor created by the Spanish Inquisition.Ankarloo, Bengt, Witchcraft and Magic in Europe; Vol. 4: The period of the witch trials. London: Athlone Press, 2002 He was executed for the dual accusation of homosexuality and witchcraft. He was born the son of a German immigrant in the region of Alicante, Spain in the 1660s, where he worked as a sheep farmer. It was during this time that he met James (last name unknown), and the two of them became friends. James was the son of a minor noble and his relationship with Jacob was not approved of by his father. Over time, their relationship grew more intimate and they are believed to have become lovers. When he learned of this, James's father was confronted him. James then claimed that he had been bewitched by Jacob and made to commit impure acts with him.
== The trial ==
After the initial accusation had been made by James, several other younger men also accused Jacob of bewitching them and causing them to commit sodomy with him. Initally, Jacob claimed to be innocent, but he later confessed to the crimes of sodomy and witchcraft.Burns, William E., Witch hunts in Europe and America: an encyclopedia, Greenwood, Westport, Conn., 2003 He is believed to have confessed in order to save the lives of his sexual partners who may have been executed with him for the crime of sodomy. On April 20, 1690 Jacob was killed by being impaled on a stake and thrown into a lake to drown.
== Significance ==
The trial of Jacob Distelzweig is significant as it is one of the few surviving records of males being executed for witchcraft during the time period. His death is an example of the persecution of homosexual men during the Spanish Inquisition. During the period of the Spanish Inquisition, there was a push for conformity across the country. This led to outsiders of any kind being subject to suspicion. Sodomites were also believed to bring God's wrath and cause natural disasters. Because of this, the Reyes Catolicos issued an edict exacting the death penalty for men who even attempted to commit sodomy.Crompton, Louis, Homosexuality and Civilization. Harvard University Press, 2003 Jacob Distelzweig's death is an important case of the persecution of homosexuals during the Spanish Inquisition.
The crimes that Jacob Distelzweig was tried for were also of note. He is the only documented person to have been tried for both sodomy and witchcraft. The method of his execution, being impaled and drowned, was unique as well in a time when the usual punishment for sodomy was burning. Additionally, this case was one of the few times when someone accused of witchcraft was able to save others from execution by confessing that they had compelled them to commit the crimes they had. Jacob Distelzweig was also the last man executed for the crime of witchcraft during the Spanish Inquisition.
Category:1690 deaths
Category:17th-century executions of Spanish people
Category:17th-century executions by Spain
Category:People of the Spanish Inquisition