different realities and reactions od of execution until the guillotine in an intramural setting was introduced.500 While these crimes were common in Hamburg no traces seem to exist in the neighbouring Hanse-cities Bremen and Lübeck. A possible explanation could be the great difference concerning the number of actual executions, as against the crimes that could warrant executions. In Bremen the executions were particularly rare. Wilhelm Dreyer was imprisoned for a theft when he killed a guard during an escape attempt. He was executed March 11th 1757. The next execution in Bremen, of Nicolaus Junge who was sentenced for robbery with murder, took place September 28th 1787.501 Then the interlude was even longer to the next execution April 21st 1831 of Gesche Gottfried sentenced for fifteen murders and poisoning a few others too.502 It was hard to obtain an execution in Bremen. The most important factor was probably the wish not to show any lack of independence, because executions were conducted by the ”Stadtvogt” of Hanover representing the power of the elector and later king in Hanover.503 Such adependency was not uncommon in Germany at the time. An example of how attending executions seems to have a negative effect comes from Dresden in 1821.Auguste Wilhelmine Strohm was almost thirty years old and as a child she had seen at least one execution that had made a great impact, and that had led her to think that one could not die more joyful and well prepared for heaven. Now, a month after the execution of Johann Gottfried Kaltofen in the city, she stabbed to death a younger female friend who had come round for coffee and had fallen asleep. She had planned to go to sleep herself and report the murder in the morning. She, however, could not sleep, prepared what she needed in gaol, and then reported the murder and described how the recent execution had inspired her by showing a fast, easy, and secure road to heaven.504 Leberecht Siegmund Jaspis, who had prepared Kaltofen for death, 500 Martschukat 2005 p 58 sqq, Martschukat 2001 p 21 sq. 501 Heineken 1983 p 56, 207, Elmshäuser 2003 p 220. 502 Seling-Biehusen 1988 p 140, Voget 1831 p 287 sq. 503 Elmshäuser 2003 p 220. 504 Schaden 1822 p 61 sqq, Hopf 1823 p 430 sqq, Hentig 1962 p 160 sq, Hasse 1824 p 479. According to Jaspis 1822 p 6 she had seen two executions in 1804 and 1809. Among several 143
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