Heinrich Kramer

Heinrich Kramer, also known as Henricus Institoris, was a German Dominican inquisitor who coauthored the Malleus Maleficarum, a late-fifteenth-century treatise on witchcraft.

James Sprenger: A German Dominican theologian traditionally named as coauthor of the Malleus Maleficarum, though his role is disputed. The treatise’s title page paired Sprenger with Kramer, despite uncertainty about Sprenger’s contribution.
Malleus Maleficarum: A late-fifteenth-century Latin treatise that argues for the reality of witchcraft and prescribes its prosecution. This is the work that made Kramer’s name endure.
Witch trials: Legal proceedings in which people were accused of practicing harmful magic or serving the Devil. The Malleus offered procedures and arguments that later witch prosecutions could draw upon.
Canon Episcopi: A medieval church text condemning the belief that nocturnal flights with supernatural figures were physically real. Its skeptical treatment of some supernatural claims conflicts with the Malleus’s account.
Pope Innocent VIII: The head of the Catholic Church from 1484 to 1492. His 1484 bull, Summis desiderantes affectibus, supported Kramer’s efforts against alleged witchcraft.
Summis desiderantes affectibus: A papal bull issued by Innocent VIII in 1484 addressing alleged witchcraft in parts of Germany. Kramer cited this bull as authorization for inquisitorial work, though it did not endorse every claim in his book.
Witchcraft: The practice or alleged practice of magic, especially magic believed to cause harm. Kramer helped define witchcraft as a systematic threat requiring legal intervention.
Innocent VIII's papal bull: A common description of Summis desiderantes affectibus, the 1484 bull addressing witchcraft allegations. The bull supported inquiry into witchcraft but did not certify the Malleus or all Kramer’s claims.
Ulrich Molitor: A German canon lawyer whose 1489 dialogue on witches questioned claims of their physical powers. Molitor’s skepticism contrasts with the certainty Kramer expressed about witchcraft.
Inquisition: A set of ecclesiastical institutions and procedures for investigating and judging alleged heresy. Kramer’s authority and methods came from his work as an inquisitor.

Linked from 3 pages

SuccubusRelated: His treatise records demonological claims relevant to the succubus tradition.