Denmark, like the German states, were a very evolving entity during the period of interest here. It went from a total autocracy to a democracy. The realm of the Danish kings also shrunk a lot, even beside the loss in 1814 of Norway, when until 1864 the kingdom consisted also of substantial parts of Germany – a situation also leading to differences in the legislation and its administration. Denmark itself was also the place for totally innovative legislation concerning crimes of interest here, but also of the discovery that it did not function as hoped, because some prosecuted designed their confessions to receive the penalty they preferred. Murder in cases of despair often were understood as a result of the work of the devil. This was the understanding of the priests when Margareta Richter in Rendsburg in Schleswig in 1664 killed her two small daughters but failed to execute her plan of suicide. Such a sin by a devoted Christian could only be the action of the killer of mankind, Satan.514 In Denmark the earliest legislation directly adressing murders in order to be executed seems to have been the reaction to murders committed in the army, the first ten were committed between 1728 and 1730 and then three murders and two attempts in 1737. In two of the last cases soldiers standing guard suddenly shot somebody passing them. January 27th 1738 a Royal ordinance was adapted, stating that murder or attempted murder in the military without any motive were to be punished first with a whipping once a week for nine weeks at the scene of the crime, then to be broken on the wheel, from below, and then remain on the wheel to die. The last provision was meant not to be implemented but, probably through negligence, happened at the first execution completed June 26th 1738.515 Late in 1741 Margrethe Christensdatter drowned a girl, Maren, of nine years by throwing her in a channel in Copenhagen. After the murder she was very anxious and therefore she went to the authorities and confessed only a few days later when she had heard that the girl was missing. The Denmark different realities and reactions 514 Lind 1999 p 408 sq. 515 Algreen-Ussing 1831 p 43 sqq, Krogh 2000 p 233 sqq, Krogh 2012 p 52 sq. 147
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