Maria Holl
Maria Holl brings a history of courage to Nördlingen, where a memorial fountain recalls one of the town’s last witch trials. Set outdoors beside the water, it offers an accessible place for wheelchair users and visitors with strollers. The fountain also creates a distinctive setting for photographs, with the historic story close at hand.
Maria Holl was born around 1549 near Geislingen an der Steige and worked as an innkeeper. After marrying Michael Holl in Ulm Minster in 1586, she moved to Nördlingen and opened the inn Die goldene Krone. Accused of witchcraft in 1593, she endured sixty-two torture sessions without confessing. Her acquittal followed in 1594, supported by her steadfast faith and many Nördlingen citizens.
A memorial plaque marks the wall of her former inn, while the fountain was erected in 1966. Its form resembles a pyre, linking remembrance with the violence of the witch hunts. Restoration in 2010 preserved this concrete reminder of Maria Holl’s resistance and the community that stood behind her.
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