The Prisoners' Gate or "Eikelpoort" was part of the city walls, but also served as a prison. Between 1589 and 1603, at least 6 alleged witches were imprisoned in these cells.
The first wave occurred in 1589 at Nijlen, where the "simpel meyscken" (simple girl) Anneke Faes was accused of putting spells on milk and a horse. Along with her mother Liesbeth Stryckaerts, they were arrested and taken to Lier. Sheriff Willem Brant had the 14-year-old Faes flogged until the girl confessed. She identified two other women as witches: Anna Cops from Lier, and Cathelyne Van den Bulcke from Nijlen.
The pregnant Liesbeth Stryckaerts was quickly released. As punishment, Anneke Faes was ordered to fast every Friday, and Anna Cops was banished for seven years. But Van den Bulcke had a worse fate. Indeed, Faes identified her as the head witch. On 19 December, she was tortured by an executioner from Antwerp. Cathelyne revealed some incredible stories to her interrogators: how she was seduced by the devil "Moonvaeyer", how she could make butter out of water and participated in the witches' Sabbath. But what was striking was that she never mentioned the name of other witches. A courageous act, especially since Van den Bulcke herself had been incriminated. As such, she spared the others the hellish fate that awaited her: being burned at the stake... (see location memorial stone).
In 1603, the Prisoners' Gate housed two new witches: Engelberte Hechts was arrested in the Maagdenhuys (see location Maagdenhuys), where she was accused of having put spells on the young girls living there. Helwige Van Horck followed shortly thereafter, having been stabbed in a nearby inn (see location Den Torst) without bleeding enough. Hechts' ultimate fate is unknown, but Van Horck was banished.
Read the historical background here
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