Town Hall Tower

Back in the14th century, the Town Hall Tower was part of the town's fortifications. Between 1603 and 1656, the unfortunate victims of the witch-hunts were held here until their execution. It is known that at least 75 persons were condemned and executed in Homburg for supposedly practicing witchcraft, 61 women and 14 men. In memory of and as rehabilitation for these poor souls, the City mounted a plaque on the tower in 2017, which refers to this infamous chapter of Bad Homburg's urban history. During the 16th and 17th centuries, tens of thousands of persons were executed for alleged witchcraft, forced to give false confessions and killed in horrific circumstances. Historically, execution for witchcraft was the most common "reason" for mass murder outside of wars, following only the persecutions of the Jews.