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A Hangman's Diary: The Journal of Master Franz Schmidt, Public Executioner of Nuremberg, 1573-1617
Now an esoteric of legal and criminal history, A Hangman’s Diary gives a year-by-year breakdown on all of Master Franz Schmidt’s executions, which included hangings, beheadings, and other methods, as well as details of each capital crime and the reason for the punishment.
From 1573 to 1617, Master Franz Schmidt was the executioner for the towns of Bamberg and Nuremberg. During that span, he personally executed more than 350 people while keeping a journal throughout his career.
A Hangman’s Diary is not only a collection of detailed writings by Schmidt about his work, but also an account of criminal procedure in Germany during the Middle Ages. With analysis and explanation, editor Albrecht Keller and translators C. Calvert and A. W. Gruner have put together a masterful tome that sets the scene of execution day and puts you in Master Franz Schmidt’s shoes as he does his duty for his country.
An unusual and fascinating classic of crime and punishment, A Hangman’s Diary is more than a history lesson; it shows the true anarchy that inhabited our world only a few hundred years ago.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
From 1573 to 1617, Master Franz Schmidt was the executioner for the towns of Bamberg and Nuremberg. During that span, he personally executed more than 350 people while keeping a journal throughout his career.
A Hangman’s Diary is not only a collection of detailed writings by Schmidt about his work, but also an account of criminal procedure in Germany during the Middle Ages. With analysis and explanation, editor Albrecht Keller and translators C. Calvert and A. W. Gruner have put together a masterful tome that sets the scene of execution day and puts you in Master Franz Schmidt’s shoes as he does his duty for his country.
An unusual and fascinating classic of crime and punishment, A Hangman’s Diary is more than a history lesson; it shows the true anarchy that inhabited our world only a few hundred years ago.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1928
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 14, 2025
I got to hear of this book because it was mentioned in the bibliography of another book I recently read (“At Day’s Close: A History of Nighttime.”) I imagined it would be obscure, but to my surprise a copy was available on Audible Audio, for which I have a subscription. I listened to an English translation. It’s a short audiobook, a little under 5 hours.
Unfortunately the audio version was poor quality, with some sort of electronic interference happening periodically. These only lasted for a second at a time but were quite frequent, so were annoying. Other disadvantages with the audio were that the text version apparently includes illustrations, which the listener misses out on, and that, with many of the criminals mentioned, their baptismal name is given along with a nickname or alias, but these are untranslated, and probably untranslatable. A German speaker would have made much more of these than I could, although I might have done a bit better had I seen them written down.
The book is in three parts. The first provides general background on the justice system in Nuremberg in the 16th and early 17th centuries. It’s a rather depressing read to be honest. An accused was held in dreadful conditions in a set of dungeons below the Nũrnberger Rathaus, and at this period in history the justice system was based on obtaining confessions, without which a conviction could not be secured. Anyone who did not confess freely was put to torture, which very few people were able to resist. For serious offences, people were sentenced to death, either by hanging or by beheading. The latter was done with a sword rather than with an axe. There were however some crimes, considered particularly heinous, where people were executed by being broken at the wheel or being burnt alive. At the other end of scale were lesser offences for which people were variously flogged, pilloried, branded on the face, or banished from the town. The executioner was also responsible for administering these punishments. There was little appetite, at the time, for criminals to be held in jails at the public expense.
Part II of the book is Franz Schmidt’s record of the executions he carried out. There are around 300 of these, with varying degrees of detail provided. In some cases he merely says things like “A Thief, Hanged”. At other times he relates the full story of the crime. Many of these are descriptions of the most appalling murders, somewhat lessening the sympathy of the reader for the person being executed. On other occasions, people are executed for crimes we would consider minor today, or even not crimes at all. Little concession was made to youth. One thief is recorded as being 17 years of age “and had been a thief since the age of 8”. On another occasion, a group of 5 young women were executed for housebreaking and theft. Most were in their late teens or early 20s, but the youngest was thirteen.
Part III is a short section with a selected list of the “minor bodily punishments”. All executions and punishments were in public, and Schmidt records one occasion when the crowd of onlookers was so large that several people were trampled to death in a stampede. On another occasion, a man sentenced to be “whipped out of the town”, was stoned to death by the crowd outside the city gates, after the completion of his official punishment.
Schmidt rarely gives an opinion on the executions. Like most people of his time, he would simply have regarded them as normal. On one occasion, he expresses disapproval of a sentence of beheading for someone who committed many crimes, including particularly horrible murders, noting that he “deserved a worse punishment.” On another occasion, and to his credit, he persuaded the town council to cease the practice of execution by drowning, previously the standard punishment for women. Schmidt argued that this was a prolonged and agonising death, and that beheading was more humane.
The audio maybe works well for Parts II and III, which might be a bit repetitive to read as text.
The list of offences described provides a fascinating insight into life and death in early modern Europe. Crime seems to have been commonplace and often carried out with savagery. The justice system operated in the same way, but it is clear there was little public sympathy for those executed.
Unfortunately the audio version was poor quality, with some sort of electronic interference happening periodically. These only lasted for a second at a time but were quite frequent, so were annoying. Other disadvantages with the audio were that the text version apparently includes illustrations, which the listener misses out on, and that, with many of the criminals mentioned, their baptismal name is given along with a nickname or alias, but these are untranslated, and probably untranslatable. A German speaker would have made much more of these than I could, although I might have done a bit better had I seen them written down.
The book is in three parts. The first provides general background on the justice system in Nuremberg in the 16th and early 17th centuries. It’s a rather depressing read to be honest. An accused was held in dreadful conditions in a set of dungeons below the Nũrnberger Rathaus, and at this period in history the justice system was based on obtaining confessions, without which a conviction could not be secured. Anyone who did not confess freely was put to torture, which very few people were able to resist. For serious offences, people were sentenced to death, either by hanging or by beheading. The latter was done with a sword rather than with an axe. There were however some crimes, considered particularly heinous, where people were executed by being broken at the wheel or being burnt alive. At the other end of scale were lesser offences for which people were variously flogged, pilloried, branded on the face, or banished from the town. The executioner was also responsible for administering these punishments. There was little appetite, at the time, for criminals to be held in jails at the public expense.
Part II of the book is Franz Schmidt’s record of the executions he carried out. There are around 300 of these, with varying degrees of detail provided. In some cases he merely says things like “A Thief, Hanged”. At other times he relates the full story of the crime. Many of these are descriptions of the most appalling murders, somewhat lessening the sympathy of the reader for the person being executed. On other occasions, people are executed for crimes we would consider minor today, or even not crimes at all. Little concession was made to youth. One thief is recorded as being 17 years of age “and had been a thief since the age of 8”. On another occasion, a group of 5 young women were executed for housebreaking and theft. Most were in their late teens or early 20s, but the youngest was thirteen.
Part III is a short section with a selected list of the “minor bodily punishments”. All executions and punishments were in public, and Schmidt records one occasion when the crowd of onlookers was so large that several people were trampled to death in a stampede. On another occasion, a man sentenced to be “whipped out of the town”, was stoned to death by the crowd outside the city gates, after the completion of his official punishment.
Schmidt rarely gives an opinion on the executions. Like most people of his time, he would simply have regarded them as normal. On one occasion, he expresses disapproval of a sentence of beheading for someone who committed many crimes, including particularly horrible murders, noting that he “deserved a worse punishment.” On another occasion, and to his credit, he persuaded the town council to cease the practice of execution by drowning, previously the standard punishment for women. Schmidt argued that this was a prolonged and agonising death, and that beheading was more humane.
The audio maybe works well for Parts II and III, which might be a bit repetitive to read as text.
The list of offences described provides a fascinating insight into life and death in early modern Europe. Crime seems to have been commonplace and often carried out with savagery. The justice system operated in the same way, but it is clear there was little public sympathy for those executed.
February 20, 2015
I don't know how to rate this.
August 10th
George Schorpff of Ermb, near the hohenstein, a lecher, guilty of beastliness with four cows, two calves and a sheep. Beheaded for unnatural vice at Velln, and afterwards burnt with a cow.
This book is a perfect example of what Medievalists call "The Alterity of the past', a confrontation with an irredeemable otherness. The people in the diary lived in a world that was, in some significant ways, utterly different to ours. The diary itself is factual. Hangings, drownings, beheadings, burnings and breaking on the wheel are carefully recorded without much comment.usually the crime is noted and as such it's a fascintating insight into life and death. The diary itself is presented in two sections: Executions and Minor Bodily punishments.
The harrowing part of the book is not the diary, it's too factual, but the essay which proceeds it, Calvert's "A brief account of criminal proceedure in Germany in the Middle Ages' is enough to put any potential time traveler off.
A fascinating book.
August 10th
George Schorpff of Ermb, near the hohenstein, a lecher, guilty of beastliness with four cows, two calves and a sheep. Beheaded for unnatural vice at Velln, and afterwards burnt with a cow.
This book is a perfect example of what Medievalists call "The Alterity of the past', a confrontation with an irredeemable otherness. The people in the diary lived in a world that was, in some significant ways, utterly different to ours. The diary itself is factual. Hangings, drownings, beheadings, burnings and breaking on the wheel are carefully recorded without much comment.usually the crime is noted and as such it's a fascintating insight into life and death. The diary itself is presented in two sections: Executions and Minor Bodily punishments.
The harrowing part of the book is not the diary, it's too factual, but the essay which proceeds it, Calvert's "A brief account of criminal proceedure in Germany in the Middle Ages' is enough to put any potential time traveler off.
A fascinating book.
June 7, 2019
The diary itself is really a detailed list of the executions and punishments Master Franz dealt with during his service. It's interesting when preceeded by the first half of the book which is the introduction to criminal procedure in medieval Germany. The analysis and explanation given in the first chapters make it a fascinating read, without them it would be a little gruesome and could not be appreciated.
March 8, 2021
Provides fascinating insights into life in the Renaissance era and with challenging ideas of justice and morality
May 6, 2022
A bit disappointed as I had expected a diary where Master Franz Schmidt detailed not only the morbid deeds of his job as an executioner, but - more interesting - any moral conflict he felt at doing what he had to do (after all, some of the crimes for which an execution were handed out were beyond paltry by today's standards - small-time theft, infidelity). Instead it's more of an inventory of the many executions he carried out, with crime & punishment details related without even a hint of passion. It wasn't even that grisly in the detail - apart from the notable exception of the gentleman who's head turned and his tongue moved "as if trying to speak" for some time after it had been separated from the body. Also interesting is the number of times a poor unfortunate was beheaded "as a favour". I might make someone a cup of tea, or pop down the shop for a pint of milk as a favour. Maybe in medieval times favours were a bit more substantial? Or maybe being beheaded was preferable to being hanged, so it was a favour to the victim? In summary, Adrian Mole it ain't, but still fascinating.
December 16, 2023
Interesting but depressing book. The list of executions goes on and on with some horrific crimes elaborated. Numerous instances said a person was beheaded "as a favor", instead of hanging. Nice introduction gives some context on the legal system at the time.
August 10, 2021
Incredibly fascinating and kind of depressing also. The reasons some of these people were beheaded or hanged were paltry. History is very disturbing sometimes...
February 8, 2023
Really fascinating audiobook (it’s also free on audible which is nice). The first half is a historical background on execution and torture in medieval Nuremberg and it dispels myths and legends about the era. The journal itself is pretty simple and includes information about people who were executed and their crimes. Highly recommend it for anyone interested in medieval history/medieval Germany.
December 5, 2023
Läste bara en tredjedel men kändes att det räckte. Den var ganska upprepande! Otroligt spännande att få ta del av den mörka medeltidens fängelsedrama.
June 29, 2020
A fascinating insight into medieval society. The 100 page contextual introduction richly describes the prison systems and, in the actual diary that follows, creates a grim picture of criminal life and death
November 12, 2025
I struggled a little with reading it due to the nature of the content. It was, regardless, an interesting read to know a little about the structures in place but the specifics of crimes warranting some of the executions. This is a great read if you're fascinated by the history of the time and insights into the diary of an executioner to glimpse into the time and history back then.
April 13, 2019
Fascinating.
January 26, 2021
Edited and with an Introduction by Albrecht Keller and an essay “A Brief Account of Criminal Procedure in Germany in the Middle Ages”, by C. V. Calvert
This is a diary of the executioner of the city of Nuremberg in Germany. It begins with an essay by C. V. Calvert followed by a brief introduction to the diary itself. If you’re interested in medieval justice, the essay is invaluable, explaining the various people who worked at the prison, what a cell looked like, the various punishments meted out and for what crimes. The language used is occasionally archaic, for example the translator uses ‘incendiary’ where we would be more familiar with the term ‘arsonist’. The introduction goes over some information about the city of Nuremberg and the text itself.
The journal is edited, with occasional notes in brackets explaining that information has been cut (generally items in lists, for example with thieves, where 2 or 3 thefts are given details and others left out for space). There are also some notes referring the reader to other passages (when someone is let off and is later executed or if two people are accused and executed on different days).
The diary entries alternate between terse single lines, “A thief hanged” and long passages giving tantalizing details of the crimes for which people were punished. The diary is a bit frustrating in that you’re never given motivations for the crimes, and in some places I dearly wanted to know more of what went on.
On the whole it was a quick, interesting read.
This is a diary of the executioner of the city of Nuremberg in Germany. It begins with an essay by C. V. Calvert followed by a brief introduction to the diary itself. If you’re interested in medieval justice, the essay is invaluable, explaining the various people who worked at the prison, what a cell looked like, the various punishments meted out and for what crimes. The language used is occasionally archaic, for example the translator uses ‘incendiary’ where we would be more familiar with the term ‘arsonist’. The introduction goes over some information about the city of Nuremberg and the text itself.
The journal is edited, with occasional notes in brackets explaining that information has been cut (generally items in lists, for example with thieves, where 2 or 3 thefts are given details and others left out for space). There are also some notes referring the reader to other passages (when someone is let off and is later executed or if two people are accused and executed on different days).
The diary entries alternate between terse single lines, “A thief hanged” and long passages giving tantalizing details of the crimes for which people were punished. The diary is a bit frustrating in that you’re never given motivations for the crimes, and in some places I dearly wanted to know more of what went on.
On the whole it was a quick, interesting read.
February 1, 2020
This book is best described as an oddity. The enjoyment a reader can get from it depends largely on how they approach it. If you're expecting a diary of a traditional sort, where hopes and dreams are discussed, look elsewhere. If, however, you are after a rare piece of source material from the sixteenth century, then this is excellent. Schmidt's diary of executions opens a window into a different world, where the reader can both be awed by the brutality of his working life, and if they are prepared to read between the lines, gain insight into a fascinating cultural shift.
March 31, 2024
Rating: 3.5 stars
Franz Schmidt was the official executioner of Neuremburg at the turn of the 17th Century. Taking great pride in his grizzly work, despite the infamy that came with it, he kept a diary detailing every execution that he undertook, as well as the various 'minor bodily punishments' he inflicted.
I have read books about Schmidt before and was fascinated by his life and work, despite the fact I have to hide my eyes if an execution is included in a TV show I'm watching! So to find that this edition of his diary was available as part of my Audible subscription was brilliant. I really wanted to hear the words of the man himself, just to get a better sense of this person that might have otherwise been lost to history.
Clearly, the author could not have done the narration himself(!), but I wasn't fully prepared for the voice that came over the speakers. John McLain is a name that definitely suits this guy - he sounds like he should be doing the voiceovers for Hollywood blockbuster action movie trailers. As a result, it did take me a while to 'settle in' to the work. I personally think they could have done with a separate narrator for the introductions - when he was reading the diary itself, the voice suited the direct, short phrasing and to the point storytelling. But I found him a little too intense for the more nuanced discussions of the introductions, and likewise his tone did not change when switching from a straight reading of of the diary to indicate an editor's note or some other insert.
I found the considerations of the scholars who wrote the introductions very insightful, breaking down the various stages of the criminal justice system in Germany at the time, the various torture/execution methods and so on. These were peppered with examples from Schmidt's own life, which made understanding the diary far easier. However, although the introductions cover two 'separate' topics, frustratingly there were many repeated examples and phrases; for example, the fact that Schmidt had a hand in changing the punishment for infanticide from drowning to beheading is mentioned numerous times. I appreciate this happens quite a lot when there are multiple contributions to a book, but I've always wondered why the authors don't read each other's submissions and then come together to edit their work to prevent this sort of thing.
Another thing to be aware of is that, while the entries for the 'Executions' section of the diary is reproduced in its entirety, the 'Minor Bodily Punishments' section is essentially summarised, with the editors having picked out a selection of entries where more detail than just the name of the criminal and the punishment meted out is given. I was expecting abridgement as they warn you about this within the introduction, but it really is only a few entries, which is slightly disappointing when a lot of the entries in part 1 are just 'a thief, hanged'. In my opinion, either both parts should have been abridged, or the work should have been included in its entirety.
The diary is essentially a bullet pointed list for each year, and so if you're not overly interested in the subject matter it would definitely come across as very, very dry. However, I think it does give some clues to Schmidt's character - if nothing else, as it is a personal document rather than a mandated court record, it surely demonstrates that Schmidt had the ability to 'not take work home with him' in spades! It's a completely dispassionate record, starkly recalling facts of various cases in an objective manner and stating in straightforward terms the method in which they were dispatched. There are only a couple of occasions where his own thoughts sneak in, commenting in one case that he believed someone deserved a far harsher punishment for example.
When you think of this period of history in Europe, you generally think of Elizabeth I, the Gunpowder Plot, witch trials etc etc etc. And with that comes an expectation of executions, torture and brutality. But this diary serves a stark reminder that these events were not necessarily as prevalent as you'd believe - the maximum number of people Schmidt executes in any one year is only 20! Objectively speaking, the level of punishment for certain crimes is deplorable, but again when you consider the numbers it makes you wonder if the 'deterrent' factor of the public execution perhaps did work better at that time than we might give credit for, or that the crime rate was so much lower than we would anticipate, the crimes that were committed would be viewed as 'worse', thus deserving harsher reprisals?
Definitely gives you food for thought, and is a book I would recommend if you're studying / have an interest in history, law and or sociology.
Franz Schmidt was the official executioner of Neuremburg at the turn of the 17th Century. Taking great pride in his grizzly work, despite the infamy that came with it, he kept a diary detailing every execution that he undertook, as well as the various 'minor bodily punishments' he inflicted.
I have read books about Schmidt before and was fascinated by his life and work, despite the fact I have to hide my eyes if an execution is included in a TV show I'm watching! So to find that this edition of his diary was available as part of my Audible subscription was brilliant. I really wanted to hear the words of the man himself, just to get a better sense of this person that might have otherwise been lost to history.
Clearly, the author could not have done the narration himself(!), but I wasn't fully prepared for the voice that came over the speakers. John McLain is a name that definitely suits this guy - he sounds like he should be doing the voiceovers for Hollywood blockbuster action movie trailers. As a result, it did take me a while to 'settle in' to the work. I personally think they could have done with a separate narrator for the introductions - when he was reading the diary itself, the voice suited the direct, short phrasing and to the point storytelling. But I found him a little too intense for the more nuanced discussions of the introductions, and likewise his tone did not change when switching from a straight reading of of the diary to indicate an editor's note or some other insert.
I found the considerations of the scholars who wrote the introductions very insightful, breaking down the various stages of the criminal justice system in Germany at the time, the various torture/execution methods and so on. These were peppered with examples from Schmidt's own life, which made understanding the diary far easier. However, although the introductions cover two 'separate' topics, frustratingly there were many repeated examples and phrases; for example, the fact that Schmidt had a hand in changing the punishment for infanticide from drowning to beheading is mentioned numerous times. I appreciate this happens quite a lot when there are multiple contributions to a book, but I've always wondered why the authors don't read each other's submissions and then come together to edit their work to prevent this sort of thing.
Another thing to be aware of is that, while the entries for the 'Executions' section of the diary is reproduced in its entirety, the 'Minor Bodily Punishments' section is essentially summarised, with the editors having picked out a selection of entries where more detail than just the name of the criminal and the punishment meted out is given. I was expecting abridgement as they warn you about this within the introduction, but it really is only a few entries, which is slightly disappointing when a lot of the entries in part 1 are just 'a thief, hanged'. In my opinion, either both parts should have been abridged, or the work should have been included in its entirety.
The diary is essentially a bullet pointed list for each year, and so if you're not overly interested in the subject matter it would definitely come across as very, very dry. However, I think it does give some clues to Schmidt's character - if nothing else, as it is a personal document rather than a mandated court record, it surely demonstrates that Schmidt had the ability to 'not take work home with him' in spades! It's a completely dispassionate record, starkly recalling facts of various cases in an objective manner and stating in straightforward terms the method in which they were dispatched. There are only a couple of occasions where his own thoughts sneak in, commenting in one case that he believed someone deserved a far harsher punishment for example.
When you think of this period of history in Europe, you generally think of Elizabeth I, the Gunpowder Plot, witch trials etc etc etc. And with that comes an expectation of executions, torture and brutality. But this diary serves a stark reminder that these events were not necessarily as prevalent as you'd believe - the maximum number of people Schmidt executes in any one year is only 20! Objectively speaking, the level of punishment for certain crimes is deplorable, but again when you consider the numbers it makes you wonder if the 'deterrent' factor of the public execution perhaps did work better at that time than we might give credit for, or that the crime rate was so much lower than we would anticipate, the crimes that were committed would be viewed as 'worse', thus deserving harsher reprisals?
Definitely gives you food for thought, and is a book I would recommend if you're studying / have an interest in history, law and or sociology.
April 3, 2023
Morbid but disgustingly interesting.
The explanation of the criminal justice process in Middle Ages Germany by Calvert was detailed and interesting. Only downside is the absence of sources because I want to do extra reading and some pointers would be good.
Keller's part about Schmidt was a good introduction to the actual diary and gave me some perspective on certain entries or absence thereof (*cough cough* the brother-in-law).
The actual diary was fascinating. Keller was right in saying that "his style is short and sharp like his swordmanship" (100). To clarify, this is less a "diary" in the sense of "a text recording personal thoughts and feelings" but more in the direction of recording what happened. Each entry in Part 1 concerns one of the 300 executions carried out by Schmidt - they include the date (sometimes) of the execution, the name and alias of the victim, the crime, and the method, and other information if relevant. For example, the first entry is:
Some entries go straight to the point (one of the most common entries being "a thief hanged") and others much longer like entry 237 concerning a privy councillor named Nicholas von Gilgen. Some include extra remarks from Schmidt some personal like "This was my first execution with the sword" (110) while others of a more generic nature like "No one had been executed in the town for 106 years" (186). Some of these remarks are about the criminal's conduct before execution - "Behaved very wantonly at the end" (175), "He was a godless man" (187) and "He sang all the way when he went to his death" (210). Some are just things of interest like "I dissected and cut up his body" (114), "Had only one leg, and had to be carried out to execution" (164) and others. Part 2 includes some "minor bodily punishments" administered by Schmidt, like flogging, branding, and cropping, like:
Basically, if what you're looking for is an insight into Schmidt himself, his life outside his work, or maybe some internal conflicts he had because of his trade, you won't find that here. In Keller's words, Schmidt only records "cases where life and limb actually suffered" making this "Diary a veritable book of blood" (93).
TL;DR: I recommend if you're interested in the Middle Ages/executions/ye olde justice system, otherwise might not be your cup of tea.
The explanation of the criminal justice process in Middle Ages Germany by Calvert was detailed and interesting. Only downside is the absence of sources because I want to do extra reading and some pointers would be good.
Keller's part about Schmidt was a good introduction to the actual diary and gave me some perspective on certain entries or absence thereof (*cough cough* the brother-in-law).
The actual diary was fascinating. Keller was right in saying that "his style is short and sharp like his swordmanship" (100). To clarify, this is less a "diary" in the sense of "a text recording personal thoughts and feelings" but more in the direction of recording what happened. Each entry in Part 1 concerns one of the 300 executions carried out by Schmidt - they include the date (sometimes) of the execution, the name and alias of the victim, the crime, and the method, and other information if relevant. For example, the first entry is:
1. June 5th. Leonhardt Russ, of Ceyern, a thief, hanged at Statt Steinach. Was my first execution. (109)
Some entries go straight to the point (one of the most common entries being "a thief hanged") and others much longer like entry 237 concerning a privy councillor named Nicholas von Gilgen. Some include extra remarks from Schmidt some personal like "This was my first execution with the sword" (110) while others of a more generic nature like "No one had been executed in the town for 106 years" (186). Some of these remarks are about the criminal's conduct before execution - "Behaved very wantonly at the end" (175), "He was a godless man" (187) and "He sang all the way when he went to his death" (210). Some are just things of interest like "I dissected and cut up his body" (114), "Had only one leg, and had to be carried out to execution" (164) and others. Part 2 includes some "minor bodily punishments" administered by Schmidt, like flogging, branding, and cropping, like:
188. On the 23rd of August [of 1593] Margaret Stainla of Offenhausen, otherwise known as the Spilkundl, who had broken the Ban eight times, had her fingers cut off. On October 30th, 1590 she had been flogged out of the town. (228)
Basically, if what you're looking for is an insight into Schmidt himself, his life outside his work, or maybe some internal conflicts he had because of his trade, you won't find that here. In Keller's words, Schmidt only records "cases where life and limb actually suffered" making this "Diary a veritable book of blood" (93).
TL;DR: I recommend if you're interested in the Middle Ages/executions/ye olde justice system, otherwise might not be your cup of tea.
April 24, 2025
The Head Jailer is a genial host, but his guests must pay with their life for such hospitality.
This is the journal of Franz Schmidt, who served as public executioner of Nuremberg in the 16th century. It serves as an interesting dive into the early German criminal justice system. The actual journal is sparse on Schmidt's details but serves as a recount of personages, their crimes, and the executions which he performed. This is a book where the introduction accounts for half of its length, but that portion also includes the life of Schmidt. His father was an executioner before him, and Schmidt assisted him for five years before taking the post at Nuremberg. Schmidt at one point also had to break his own brother-in-law on the wheel (but he omitted this from his journal).
295. March 22nd. Leonard Deüerlein, a cooper’s man of Kaltreüth, an audacious knave, executed because he threatened and warned people he would burn their houses down. When his sentence was read to him he said he was willing to die, but asked as a favour that he should be allowed to fence and fight with four of the guards; his request was refused.
Most of the executions were thieves, who were hanged. Schmidt also beheaded many people as a favor, but the most grave offenders were broken on the wheel. Men who committed adultery were whipped out of town (unless they reached Casanova levels of debauchery), but their female partners were routinely executed for impropriety. Before Schmidt, women judged guilty of infanticide were drowned, but he brought a sense of reform and mercy by pushing to change the sentence to beheading.
If you were gay, you were burned.
August 13th. Christopher Mayer, a weaver of fustian, and Hans Weber, a fruiterer, both citizens of this town, who for three years had practised sodomy together and were informed against by a hook-maker’s apprentice, who caught them in the act behind a hedge. The fruiterer had practised this for twenty years, that is with the cook Endressen, with Alexander, and others. The weaver was first beheaded, then his body was burnt with the fruiterer, who was burnt alive.
4/5: A brutal account of crime and punishment with historical importance.
April 5, 2022
A very in-depth and though-provoking look into one of history's most taboo professions.
The Meister Schmidt was an interesting person, and the fact that as an executioner, kept a diary of all of the various tortures, executions, crimes, and other various tidbits of life at this time is fascinating!
It will help to be in a certain mood to read this book, as it is non-fiction, and does go on at length about crimes and their respective execution. "Thief beheaded as a favor" is a line that comes up a lot in this book, as the thieves were normally hung and being hung was shameful in itself.
Women being tied up in sacks and thrown in rivers, and many other archaic practices were commonplace. The eeriest thing to think about is that all of these people were very real, and suffered these fates and caused tragedies that seem to be no different than today.
It caused me to wonder if human nature is present in this text as it is today, and maybe it's just the crimes and executions that have changed some. I highly recommend fans of history and morbid curiosity. (Literally morbid curiosity is what drew me to this book).
Sometimes difficult to get through because of repetitiveness, and some sections seem to drag on, due to perhaps Meister Schmidt's particular feelings on a specific execution or torture. He will add plenty of detail into the locations of the crime, the persons associated, as well as the final outcome.
In summary, a great introduction to the journal at the beginning with a fascinating, albeit sometimes drawn out, chronicling of medieval daily life and the various gritty details of being an executioner. A job that was not glamourous, but nevertheless very necessary, and came with benefits and risk as well. If screwed up during an execution, you could be the next head on the chopping block; as exacting swift and precise justice was just as important and carrying out the deed at all.
The Meister Schmidt was an interesting person, and the fact that as an executioner, kept a diary of all of the various tortures, executions, crimes, and other various tidbits of life at this time is fascinating!
It will help to be in a certain mood to read this book, as it is non-fiction, and does go on at length about crimes and their respective execution. "Thief beheaded as a favor" is a line that comes up a lot in this book, as the thieves were normally hung and being hung was shameful in itself.
Women being tied up in sacks and thrown in rivers, and many other archaic practices were commonplace. The eeriest thing to think about is that all of these people were very real, and suffered these fates and caused tragedies that seem to be no different than today.
It caused me to wonder if human nature is present in this text as it is today, and maybe it's just the crimes and executions that have changed some. I highly recommend fans of history and morbid curiosity. (Literally morbid curiosity is what drew me to this book).
Sometimes difficult to get through because of repetitiveness, and some sections seem to drag on, due to perhaps Meister Schmidt's particular feelings on a specific execution or torture. He will add plenty of detail into the locations of the crime, the persons associated, as well as the final outcome.
In summary, a great introduction to the journal at the beginning with a fascinating, albeit sometimes drawn out, chronicling of medieval daily life and the various gritty details of being an executioner. A job that was not glamourous, but nevertheless very necessary, and came with benefits and risk as well. If screwed up during an execution, you could be the next head on the chopping block; as exacting swift and precise justice was just as important and carrying out the deed at all.
June 10, 2023
Ultimately i liked the book but it wasn't quite what i was thinking it would be. I was expecting more of a personal diary of the executioner and his thoughts about his job and the accused that he was tasked with punishing or executing. Instead we got more of a log book of each prisoner he had to execute, the manner in how he did it, and sometimes the list of their crimes. That being said though it was still fascinating to see what mattered to them and how they viewed execution, exile, and punishment.
The book is divided into two sections. The first sets the scene explaining what legal life was like in late medieval/early renaissance Germany and why the legal system worked how it did. The second is the executioners log book on how and why each person was executed and finally the last chapter is of people he was tasked to punish and exile.
This makes me glad for the legal system i currently live under and was interesting at what was deemed serious enough for corporal punishment in his age. Theft and murder being the most common but i was surprised at the amount of infanticide, child-murder, and even one account of bestiality in the book. The methods and reasons for torture and execution were also an interesting insight into the medieval mindset. Beheading was seen as more honorable than hanging and the author had a large role in outlawing drownings (especially for women) as a form of execution.
The book is divided into two sections. The first sets the scene explaining what legal life was like in late medieval/early renaissance Germany and why the legal system worked how it did. The second is the executioners log book on how and why each person was executed and finally the last chapter is of people he was tasked to punish and exile.
This makes me glad for the legal system i currently live under and was interesting at what was deemed serious enough for corporal punishment in his age. Theft and murder being the most common but i was surprised at the amount of infanticide, child-murder, and even one account of bestiality in the book. The methods and reasons for torture and execution were also an interesting insight into the medieval mindset. Beheading was seen as more honorable than hanging and the author had a large role in outlawing drownings (especially for women) as a form of execution.
January 24, 2022
Excellent book depicting the development of justice. Serving on a jury is one thing, judging is another, and enforcing the sentence is another. As a society becoming or disintegrating is what our civilization is working on, respecting human beings and the rights to be proven guilty, not arbitrarily imprisoned or put to death. The Magna Carta helped protect the nobles from the king taking their lands, imprisoning them in order to better the coffers of his treasury, or in revenge from wrongdoing, politics, unjust acts. This book reminds me how a mob can dictate the degree of punishment to obtain justice. I think the mercy and compassion of the executioner was surprising. I loved reading it and having the main character help me take on a perspective that doing his this job didn't mean that he believed everything he was told, and that it meant a lot to him to make a living, although it was a low life status. He did the job well with commitment and trustworthiness. He did find at times something to help make justice happen. Very interesting.
August 14, 2023
“A Hangman’s Diary” is a book that I started reading upon the recommendation of another booktuber. I had recently finished reading “The Faithful Executioner” about Meister Franz Schmidt and was intrigued to find that his diary was available for general consumption as well. I borrowed it from Hoopla, looking forward to hearing the experiences of Franz Schmidt in his own words.
And it was… okay. Franz Schmidt was definitely not an author writing to entertain or even to inform a future audience. This was definitely a diary that he used to keep track of those that he executed and how they were executed. Some entries were quite brief: “two thieves, hanged”. Others were more interesting, going into great depth about the criminals, their nicknames, the crimes they committed, and how they went to their deaths. I was glad that I had read “The Faithful Executioner” prior to this; it provided some of the extra background information that Franz Schmidt himself did not feel necessary to record.
I am glad that I read this book, but, unlike “The Faithful Executioner”, I don’t see myself revisiting it in the future. “The Hangman’s Diary” is a 3 out of 5 stars for me.
And it was… okay. Franz Schmidt was definitely not an author writing to entertain or even to inform a future audience. This was definitely a diary that he used to keep track of those that he executed and how they were executed. Some entries were quite brief: “two thieves, hanged”. Others were more interesting, going into great depth about the criminals, their nicknames, the crimes they committed, and how they went to their deaths. I was glad that I had read “The Faithful Executioner” prior to this; it provided some of the extra background information that Franz Schmidt himself did not feel necessary to record.
I am glad that I read this book, but, unlike “The Faithful Executioner”, I don’t see myself revisiting it in the future. “The Hangman’s Diary” is a 3 out of 5 stars for me.
December 27, 2024
An interesting read over the life of a mid-millennium executioner. The book reads as a facts based diary, with no emotion elicited from the author, Schmidt. I found myself enjoying the authenticity of this writing style, as it something which comes off as a piece which was written for personal use, not something for display.
As for the content within the book, I found myself intrigued by the descriptions of the depravity of the time. Everything from beastaility, infidelity, to the theft of cheese is covered, resulting in an eerily similar variation of punishments.
I would recommend this book for those who wish to understand a unique perspective of European punishment and law in the Middle Ages. It's explanation for the regular use of capital punishment, in the form of spectacle was especially interesting. This book raises some interesting questions about the on-going relationship between punishment, the state, citizens, and obedience. Furthermore, it also raises questions about the actions humans will commit when said actions are made regular by those around them.
As for the content within the book, I found myself intrigued by the descriptions of the depravity of the time. Everything from beastaility, infidelity, to the theft of cheese is covered, resulting in an eerily similar variation of punishments.
I would recommend this book for those who wish to understand a unique perspective of European punishment and law in the Middle Ages. It's explanation for the regular use of capital punishment, in the form of spectacle was especially interesting. This book raises some interesting questions about the on-going relationship between punishment, the state, citizens, and obedience. Furthermore, it also raises questions about the actions humans will commit when said actions are made regular by those around them.
March 21, 2025
Very interesting and a short, worthwhile read.
The 4 stars is for the introductory material that is dated and written in an intellectually sloppy manner that leaves several questions unanswered.
The two biggest examples that stood out to me: 1) among the listed types of offenders deemed worthy of capital punishment are "incendiaries." It is never clarified if this refers to arsonists or to rabble-rousers. The context is of no help as either seems as likely as the other. 2) Among the types of bodily disfigurement punishments is "branding the letter 'N' on both cheeks--the meaning of which is obvious." Uh, no, it is not obvious. It may have been in 1928 when the introductory material was written, but it is not "obvious" any longer.
Aside from those nit-picks, the book is a curious look into the some of the darker aspects of medieval history.
The 4 stars is for the introductory material that is dated and written in an intellectually sloppy manner that leaves several questions unanswered.
The two biggest examples that stood out to me: 1) among the listed types of offenders deemed worthy of capital punishment are "incendiaries." It is never clarified if this refers to arsonists or to rabble-rousers. The context is of no help as either seems as likely as the other. 2) Among the types of bodily disfigurement punishments is "branding the letter 'N' on both cheeks--the meaning of which is obvious." Uh, no, it is not obvious. It may have been in 1928 when the introductory material was written, but it is not "obvious" any longer.
Aside from those nit-picks, the book is a curious look into the some of the darker aspects of medieval history.
January 2, 2021
I started off last year with another book about Franz Schmidt, The Faithful Executioner, which I enjoyed to no end. So I have started off 2021 with this book, A Hangman's Diary. An interesting read, albeit less in-depth then I would have liked compared to the Faithful Executioner. The beginning while albeit informative is quite dry. The actual diary itself has various things omitted as well, strangely various entries, at least in my copy just have the word, " do" put in without anything else. Likewise, certain cases they omit various details I would have liked to read, lists of stolen items, lists of murders committed by someone, etc. But I still can't deny I very much enjoyed reading this book, and all the gruesome crimes committed inside it that felt straight from a fantasy story.
January 17, 2022
This has nothing to do with what I usually read, but someone mentioned it on a post and I got curious. I mean, it's the diary of a hangman. Someone who's killed more people we can imagine in the name of justice, who even made suggestions to change the system to make it less cruel to certain crimes.
Well, I read it super fast because the diary is pretty simple. It's just him counting how much people he kills by year, the crime they've commited and the punishment.
It's interesting to know how things like this were dealt with in the past and in other countries, and how much we've changed and improved.
Well, I read it super fast because the diary is pretty simple. It's just him counting how much people he kills by year, the crime they've commited and the punishment.
It's interesting to know how things like this were dealt with in the past and in other countries, and how much we've changed and improved.
October 13, 2024
Makes you think of how unbelievably harsh was the idea of justice back then. Petty crimes punished by horrible deaths so it became an “example” to others. The strange concept of only by confession could someone be guilty (and thus, tortured until it happened).
I don’t think it worked that much as Master Franz was executing 10 people a year on average just in Nuremberg and nearby locations; murder, burglary, adultery, violence, heresy, etc. repeated all over again every year.
PS: I’ve coined a new phrase: “Beheaded as a favor”
I don’t think it worked that much as Master Franz was executing 10 people a year on average just in Nuremberg and nearby locations; murder, burglary, adultery, violence, heresy, etc. repeated all over again every year.
PS: I’ve coined a new phrase: “Beheaded as a favor”
October 11, 2021
Interesting but repetitive
Half this book is an introduction. The actual diary is horrific but doesn't really change from year to year. Lots of people have their heads cut off "as a favour" to avoid the worse fates of hanging out the wheel, which are reserved for the worst offenders. Some of the offences are horrific and the offenders must have known the consequences of they were caught.
Half this book is an introduction. The actual diary is horrific but doesn't really change from year to year. Lots of people have their heads cut off "as a favour" to avoid the worse fates of hanging out the wheel, which are reserved for the worst offenders. Some of the offences are horrific and the offenders must have known the consequences of they were caught.
September 1, 2023
👾👾👾👾👾
What an interesting book!! I forgot how I came upon this quick read-maybe it was a recommendation from someone on here or watching some book vloggers, however I am glad I spent the day listening to this audiobook. The medieval times were wild and viewing it through the eyes of a professional executioner while listening to the “crimes” of each that lead to their demise at his hands is such a fascinating viewpoint and the content is an actual record gather from Franz Schmidt’s diary.
What an interesting book!! I forgot how I came upon this quick read-maybe it was a recommendation from someone on here or watching some book vloggers, however I am glad I spent the day listening to this audiobook. The medieval times were wild and viewing it through the eyes of a professional executioner while listening to the “crimes” of each that lead to their demise at his hands is such a fascinating viewpoint and the content is an actual record gather from Franz Schmidt’s diary.
November 13, 2025
Very interesting book and one I recommend, but the compiler purposefully left out lots of Master Schmidt's writings, most obviously the minor punishments. They seem to have also left out wherever the emotional detailing might be, in the introduction they reference what he wrote on his final day, but in the actual portions given there's nothing of that quoted text. This leaves me wanting the complete writings, which should have been included in the book.
August 3, 2017
I think that this books was very well written and I enjoyed it. I thought it was going to be slightly different and offer a look into the executioner and not just a chronological listing of the people he killed. I thought there might be some writing about how he felt or his opinions on the people. Either way it was a good read.
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