The Source:
Klaus Hamberger
"Mortuus Non Mordet"
Verlag Turia & Kant, Vienna, 1992
The Case
According to Klaus Hamberger, this story can be found in:
"Bericht der Nagybanyer Inspektoren" (28-02-1753) which in its turn is being
kept in the Hofkammerarchiv Wien, Münz und Bergwesen, rote Nummer 90, fol. 6.ff
In the town of Kapnick, during the last couple of months of 1752, it is noted
that many more people are dying than is usual for the time of the year.
The victims, who die within 3 to 4 days, complain that they feel a painful
burning inside their body and it is found that there is blood in their saliva.
Soon there are rumors going around that accuse two dead women of causing
these deaths: Dorothea Pihsin and Anna Tonnerin. In February 1753, their
graves are opened and the bodies examined by an official team of investigators.
Anna's remains are found to be decomposing naturally. It is decided that
she is innocent. Dorothea's corpse, however, looks quite well preserved,
with the exception of her face. Incissions are made and fresh blood comes
out of those wounds. It is decided that Dorothea is guilty of sorcery
and bloodsucking. Her body is put under the gallows and cremated.
After this execution, the mortality rate in Kapnick goes back to normal again.
The Date:
We have been given the exact date of this report ( 28 February 1753 ). We have also been given the exact date on which Dorothea Pihsin had been buried ( 13 October 1752 ).
The Place:
Klaus Hamberger informs us that Kapnick (the German name) or Nagybania (the Hungarian name) is a town that is situated somewhere at the border of Transylvania. It did not take me long to find that nowadays it is better known under its Romanian name of Baia Mara. It is a mining town that is the capital of the district Maramures and can be found in the NorthWest of Romania, not very far from the Ukrainian border.
Possible Follow-Up:
Please remember that it is our purpose to stimulate new vampire research.
Therefore, I have only given you the main points of this report:
There is quite a bit of further information to be found in Klaus
Hamberger's book. Go find a copy of it and read it. Better still, go to the
Hofkammerarchiv and see if you can get access to the original source.
Use your imagination and see what else you can come up with.
© 2007 by Rob Brautigam - NL - Last changed 03 October 2007
