The Wolf of Ansbach

Like most wild animals, wolves predominantly inhabit remote areas, maintaining a natural inclination and capability to steer clear of human presence. But under certain circumstances, such as human encroachment into wolf territories and lack of game, encounters between wolves and humans can occur leading to potential conflicts and rare instances of attacks. Throughout history, spanning back to the medieval era, there exists a documented record of numerous instances where humans have encountered and fallen victim to wolf attacks, numbering in the thousands. Among these historical accounts, there is one in particular that is noteworthy. The hunting of the wolf of Ansbach. In 1685, a wolf began attacking livestock and children in the Principality of Ansbach, in the modern German state of Bavaria, then a part of the Holy Roman Empire. An idea soon spread that the perpetrator of the attacks was not an ordinary wolf, but instead a werewolf. There was little uncertainty regarding the identity of this loathed creature—Michael Leicht, the despised Burgomaster of Ansbach, who had recently met his demise after imposing a tyrannical and deceitful reign upon the town for an extended period. Speculation arose suggesting that the deeply despised official had, in fact, eluded death by transferring his spirit into the form of a wolf. Reports surfaced of alleged sightings of him at his own funeral, while a contemporary flyer depicted Michael Leicht, in the form of a wolf wrapped in a white-linen shroud, return to his former residence and scare the new occupants. The Burgomaster appears as a wolf to scare the people of Ansbach. It thus became necessary to hunt the fierce wolf, not only to protect the children, but to free the city from the spirit of the Burgomaster. It was also an opportunity to avenge years of harassment and mistreatment.