The Hangman's Daughter

The Hangman’s Daughter

A HISTORICAL NOVEL

OLIVER POTZSCH

The Hangman’s Daughter

A HISTORICAL NOVEL

Translated by

LEE CHADEAYNE

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious.

Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

To the memory of Fritz Kuisl

For Niklas and Lily

at the other end of the line

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

JAKOB KUISL, the hangman of Schongau

SIMON FRONWIESER, the town physician’s son

MAGDALENA KUISL, the hangman’s daughter

ANNA MARIA KUISL, the hangman’s wife

THE KUISL TWINS, Georg and Barbara

BONIFAZ FRONWIESER, the town physician

MARTHA STECHLIN, midwife

JOSEF GRIMMER, wagon driver

GEORG RIEGG, wagon driver

KONRAD WEBER, parish priest

KATHARINA DAUBENBERGER, midwife from Peiting

RESL, serving maid at the Goldener Stern Inn

MARTIN HUEBER, wagon driver from Augsburg

FRANZ STRASSER, innkeeper in Altenstadt

CLEMENS KRATZ, grocer

AGATHE KRATZ, the grocer’s wife

MARIA SCHREEVOGL, the alderman’s wife

COUNT WOLF DIETRICH VON SANDIZELL, the secretary of the Duke-Elector of Bavaria

THE ALDERMEN

JOHANN LECHNER, court clerk

KARL SEMER, presiding burgomaster and landlord of the Goldener Stern Inn

MATTHIAS AUGUSTIN, member of the inner council

MATTHIAS HOLZHOFER, burgomaster

JOHANN PUCHNER, burgomaster

WILHELM HARDENBERG, superintendent of the Holy Ghost almshouse

JAKOB SCHREEVOGL, stovemaker and trial witness

MICHAEL BERCHTHOLDT, baker and trial witness

GEORG AUGUSTIN, wagon driver and trial witness

THE CHILDREN

SOPHIE DANGLER, ward of linen weaver Andreas Dangler

ANTON KRATZ, ward of grocer Clemens Kratz

CLARA SCHREEVOGL, ward of alderman Jakob Schreevogl

JOHANNES STRASSER, ward of innkeeper Franz Strasser in Altenstadt

PETER GRIMMER, son of Josef Grimmer, mother deceased

THE SOLDIERS

CHRISTIAN BRAUNSCHWEIGER, ANDRE PIRKHOFER, HANS HOHENLEITNER, CHRISTOPH HOLZAPFEL