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Background <p>From the Middle Ages onwards, preserved hands of victims were often used in manslaughter trials in northern Europe to represent the plaintiff and to prove the crime. These hands, mostly right hands, are referred to as <i>Leibzeichen </i>(evidence of a&#xa0;corpse). This paper highlights their historical and legal significance and interprets findings from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.</p> Material and methods <p>In the catchment area of the Institute of Legal Medicine in Rostock, several locations, especially churches, were contacted as possible sites for finding <i>Leibzeichen</i>. The supposed <i>Leibzeichen</i> were recorded and compared with historical sources. These included two hands from the museum in Wismar and a&#xa0;right hand in Petschow. Reports were researched on two findings walled up in Damshagen in 1926 and now known as <i>Sühnehände </i>(atonement hands). In addition, a&#xa0;find from Hesse is reported in order to demonstrate the significance of <i>Leibzeichen</i> for the classification of today’s findings.</p> Results <p>The three hands examined show consistent characteristics that correspond to historical records: right hand, clear mummification, smooth severance surfaces at the wrists, and missing finger joints. Although some of the findings described have been classified as <i>Leibzeichen</i> in the past, they are now often mistakenly interpreted as <i>Sühnehände</i>.</p> Discussion <p>The preference for severing and preserving the right hand could be based on biblical symbolism and point to the role of the church as a&#xa0;place of divine justice or burial; however, a&#xa0;clear classification remains difficult due to a&#xa0;lack of clear evidence and knowledge about this custom. Common characteristics could serve as central criteria for the classification of such findings.</p>

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Leibzeichen in Norddeutschland – ein (fast) vergessener Rechtsbrauch

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月24日

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  • A. Gesiorowski,
  • V. Kolbe,
  • R. Bingert,
  • A. Büttner,
  • A. M. Begerock

摘要

Background

From the Middle Ages onwards, preserved hands of victims were often used in manslaughter trials in northern Europe to represent the plaintiff and to prove the crime. These hands, mostly right hands, are referred to as Leibzeichen (evidence of a corpse). This paper highlights their historical and legal significance and interprets findings from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Material and methods

In the catchment area of the Institute of Legal Medicine in Rostock, several locations, especially churches, were contacted as possible sites for finding Leibzeichen. The supposed Leibzeichen were recorded and compared with historical sources. These included two hands from the museum in Wismar and a right hand in Petschow. Reports were researched on two findings walled up in Damshagen in 1926 and now known as Sühnehände (atonement hands). In addition, a find from Hesse is reported in order to demonstrate the significance of Leibzeichen for the classification of today’s findings.

Results

The three hands examined show consistent characteristics that correspond to historical records: right hand, clear mummification, smooth severance surfaces at the wrists, and missing finger joints. Although some of the findings described have been classified as Leibzeichen in the past, they are now often mistakenly interpreted as Sühnehände.

Discussion

The preference for severing and preserving the right hand could be based on biblical symbolism and point to the role of the church as a place of divine justice or burial; however, a clear classification remains difficult due to a lack of clear evidence and knowledge about this custom. Common characteristics could serve as central criteria for the classification of such findings.