Some Medieval Torture Museums in Europe

Exhibitions illustrating that under medieval law, a confession for a serious crime had to be tested under the duress of torture. These museums are not about safe, sane play between consenting adults.

As well as the following, many smaller museums have individual exhibits of special interest: it's worthwhile looking out for fetters in castles, corporal punishment canes in English country houses and chastity belts almost anywhere!

Kriminal Museum - Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Large museum in historic walled town showing a thousand years of legal history and the development and standardisation of jurisprudence to the 19th century. Exhibits include instruments of torture, items used in the execution of sentences, costly books, graphic arts, documents of emperors, princes, the nobility and towns. Comprehensive and Academic

Original equipment in the original location:

• Alte Rathaus: Museen der Stadt Nürnberg, Germany
  14th century torture chamber and prison cells below the old Nuremburg townhall
• Museum de gevangenpoort - The Hague, The Netherlands
  Medieval cell blocks and the torture chamber in the old Den Haag prison building
• Beaumaris Gaol and Courthouse - Anglesey, Wales
  Museums of crime and punishment in the original buildings; offering insights into prison life and policing on Anglesey. Authentic punishment cell

Instruments of torture for the Spanish Inquistition - Cité of Carcassonne, France
Has a French guillotine but otherwise the collection is similiar to Rothenburg and London/Warwick. Small

I have not visited these:

• Museo Criminale Mediovale - San Gimignano Italy
  Historical material illustrating torture in the course of ages and the deeds of the Inquisition. It includes a collection of torture instruments, costumes, prints and documents. Originals and reproductions.
• Museum Tortury, Èeský Krumlov - Czech Republic
  Cheesy website pictures

Warwick Castle - England
Original torture chamber and oubliette but much of the equipment displayed appears to be German, possibly from the Nuremburg collection.

The London Dungeon - England
The London Dungeon brings more than 2,000 years of gruesomely authentic history vividly back to life.... The London Dungeon also makes an unusual and entertaining banquet venue...

Das Fesselmuseum
Website that illustrates many of the common medieval restraint items and has pictures from smaller museums that do not have their own websites

Is your world Torture free?
Torture is abhorrent. Torture is illegal. Yet torture is inflicted on men, women and children in well over half the countries of the world. Torture is universally condemned.Torture is still used to extract confessions, to interrogate, to punish or to intimidate. In police stataions and prison cells, on city streets and in remote villages, torturers continue to inflict physical agony and mental anguish.

• Les galères et les galériens- French galley slaves of the ancien régime
• Pirate punishments and pirate sexuality - Punishments for buccaneers, outlaws and masculine antiheroes
• Discipline and punishments of the Roman legions
  

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