Editing Death by burning (section)

====Last judicial burnings====
According to the jurist {{Interlanguage link multi|Eduard Osenbrüggen|de}}, the last case he knew of where a person had been judicially burned alive on account of arson in Germany happened in 1804, in [[:de:Hötzelsroda|Hötzelsroda]], close by [[Eisenach]].<ref>''Osenbrüggen'' (1854), [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_C-4PAAAAYAAJ/page/n33 p. 21] For a similar, more modern assessment, as well as locating the incident to Hötzelsroda, see Dietze (1995)</ref> The manner in which Johannes Thomas<ref>Last name "Mothas" used in extended account in ''Bischoff, Hitzig'' (1832), real name "Thomas" given in ''Herden'' (2005), [https://books.google.com/books?id=wVNuf9VEhGkC&pg=PA89 p. 89]</ref> was executed on 13 July that year is described as follows: Some feet above the actual pyre, attached to a stake, a wooden chamber had been constructed, into which the delinquent was placed. Pipes or chimneys filled with sulphuric material led up to the chamber, and that was first lit, so that Thomas died from inhaling the sulphuric smoke, rather than being strictly burnt alive, before his body was consumed by the general fire. Some 20,000 people had gathered to watch Thomas' execution.<ref>On the manner of execution according to the original account, see ''Bischoff, Hitzig'' (1832), [https://books.google.com/books?id=88dCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA178 p. 178] Contemporary newspaper notice, ''Hübner'' (1804), [https://books.google.com/books?id=jyVEAAAAcAAJ&pg=PT964 p. 760, column 2]</ref>

Although Thomas is regarded as the last to have been actually executed by means of fire (in this case, through suffocation), the couple Johann Christoph Peter Horst and his lover [[Friederike Luise Delitz|Friederike Louise Christiane Delitz]], who had made a career of robberies in the confusion made by their acts of arson, were condemned to be burnt alive in Berlin 28 May 1813. They were, however, according to [[Gustav Radbruch]], secretly strangled just prior to being burnt, namely when their arms and legs were tied fast to the stake.<ref>'''Original account''' by investigating police officer Heinrich L. Hermann, ''Hermann'' (1818) '''Gustav Rudbrach's mention''' ''Rudbrach'' (1992), [https://books.google.com/books?id=3JOVbGPdrjYC&pg=PA247 p. 247] '''Precise moment of strangulation''' ''Gräff'' (1834), [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ucZDAAAAcAAJ/page/n61 p. 56] '''Modern newspaper article''' ''Springer'' (2008), [http://www.welt.de/regionales/berlin/article2489746/Das-letzte-Feuer.html Das Letzte Feuer]</ref>

Although these two cases are the last where execution by burning might be said to have been ''carried out'' in some degree, Eduard Osenbrüggen mentions that ''verdicts'' to be burned alive were given in several cases in different German states afterwards, such as in cases from 1814, 1821, 1823, 1829 and finally in a case from 1835.<ref>''Osenbrüggen'' (1854), [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_C-4PAAAAYAAJ/page/n33 pp. 21–22, footnote 83]</ref>