Does anyone of ever spend time trying to figure out how people were tortured in the middle ages? Well, if you do, wonder no more, because Amsterdam has got its very own Torture Museum. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, close to the Flower Market, the Torture Museum is one that is quite popular despite being small.
The Torture Museum features a variety of interestingly weird devices used in the middle ages for torture purposes. Just try to imagine how Guy Fawkes was tortured when he was caught trying to carry out his “gunpowder” scheme with Robert Catesby. There are objects like; the Guillotine, the Rack and Stocks, the Thumb Screws and the Flute of Shame. Other torture devices housed in the museum include; the Iron Maiden, Skull Crusher, the Judas Chair, Catherine Wheels and Scold’s bridle. Some of the devices are genuinely antique pieces while others are modern reconstructions. These devices are illustrated with engravings and described with historical background information in eight different languages.
The Torture Museum is a very educational museum that sheds light on what Europe’s morbid past looked like. It provides valuable insight into the tools that torturers used to get information from enemies/spies and executioners used to punish offenders. Imagine living in a time when being an executioner who chopped off heads was a “respectable” profession.
