Forget the image of the hooded executioner swinging an ax; much of what we think we know about these medieval figures isn't true. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...

Meister Franz Schmidt beheaded, hanged, burned or drowned 361 people deemed criminals while he held the role of municipal executioner in Nuremberg between 1577 and 1617. Schmidt used torture to ...

The daily life of a medieval executioner was not easy. They did more than simply chop off heads and break prisoners on the wheel. Trying to uphold justice and set an example for their community was ...