Alsfeld contaminated!The plague in Alsfeld

The plague was the bogeyman of past times and an epidemic with devastating effects: the “Black Death,” or as it was allegorically depicted in illustrations, the “Grim Reaper with the scythe,” claimed millions of lives in Europe, caused villages to disappear from the map, and left entire regions desolate.

Because no one could explain the nature, origin, and above all, the cause of the deadly epidemic, it was often interpreted as “God’s punishment” and as a sign of the impending end of the world and the Last Judgment. This led to a search for scapegoats and the marginalization or murder of parts of the population, such as “gypsies” and, above all, to violent pogroms against Jews.

The plague also frequently raged in Alsfeld, a conveniently located trading city with a high fluctuation of travelers, which even then promoted the spread of the disease. Between 1575 and 1646, fifteen major plague epidemics with approximately 1,400 fatalities are recorded, though the actual number was certainly higher. The Alsfeld population, already battered by the turmoil of the Thirty Years’ War, was hit hardest in the war year of 1635, when almost every fourth inhabitant—560 people—fell victim to the disease. (MNic)