Background
He was born in Rheinfelden, Further Austria, in 1436 or 1438.
(Jacob Sprenger, German theologian of the 15th century, an...)
Jacob Sprenger, German theologian of the 15th century, and Heinrich Kramer are the authors of the 'Malleus Maleficarum' or 'Witch Hammer (1489), which first formulated in detail the doctrine of witchcraft, and formed a textbook of procedure for witch trials. They were appointed inquisitors under the bull 'Summis desiderantes affectibus' of Innocent VIII in 1484, and their work is arranged in three parts 'Things that pertain to Witchcraft'; 'The Effects of Witchcraft'; and 'The Remedies for Witchcraft. It discusses the question of the nature of demons; the causes why they seduce men, and particularly women; transformations into beasts, as wolves and cats; and the various charms and exorcisms to be employed against witches.
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He was born in Rheinfelden, Further Austria, in 1436 or 1438.
He became a Master of Theology and then in 1480 Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Cologne.
His lecture room was thronged and the following year he was appointed Inquisitor for the Provinces of Mainz, Trier and Cologne. His activities in this post demanded constant travelling through the very extensive district.
Popular opinion makes Sprenger the co-author of the Malleus Maleficarum. All editions after 1519 named him as Heinrich Kramer's collaborator.
It has been claimed that Sprenger was not interested in witches and that he cannot be linked to any witch trial. His personal relationship to Kramer was acrimonious and Sprenger used his powerful position whenever he could to make Kramer’s life and work as difficult as possible. [6] Scholars now believe that he became associated with the Malleus Maleficarum largely as a result of Kramer's wish to lend his book as much official authority as possible.
(Jacob Sprenger, German theologian of the 15th century, an...)
He was admitted as a novice in the Dominican house of this town in 1452. He became a zealous reformer within the Order.
He founded an association of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary in Strasbourg in 1474.
