Franz Schmidt was a well-known German executioner and chronicler of the 16th and 17th centuries ⚔️. Born in Hof, Bavaria, Schmidt inherited his profession from his father, who also served as an official executioner. He spent most of his career in Nuremberg, where between 1578 and 1617 he carried out more than 350 executions and around 300 corporal punishments 🩸. Unlike the stereotypical image of an executioner, Schmidt was known as a deeply pious and respected citizen, admired for his precision