Named the Medieval Crime Museum (Kriminalmuseum), it is home to a wide range of torture instruments from ancient times.

If walking on the deserted streets of central Leipzig (Germany), tourists will be surprised to find a museum in a dark corner among fast food shops and not far from the birthplace of composer Richard Wagner. Named the Medieval Crime Museum (Kriminalmuseum), it is home to a wide range of torture instruments from ancient times.

An artifact with the German name Das Streckbett on display at the Kriminalmuseum

Operating in Leipzig since 2010, most of the artifacts here are from private collections and there are tools made in the 12th century. Although some wooden parts have been repaired or replacement, all metal parts are kept intact. Visitors will not be able to take their eyes off the barbaric tools designed to inflict terrible pain on people.

A chair full of sharp spikes used to interrogate the victim

This museum does not have too many instructions and annotations, but viewers also don’t need to read the guide boards to feel the brutality of the artifacts here. Most of the artifacts were displayed with pictures or illustrations of their use, as many tools were not easy to operate by people of the time. Details of criminals who received punishment with torture instruments are also described, such as saws used to punish homosexuals.

Some other torture tools have a simple design but can cause extreme pain to the victim

As a town rich in medieval traditions, Leipzig has no shortage of museums with historical themes, and places like the Kriminalmuseum always attract a lot of visitors. This museum’s collection has a stodgy feel to it, it all seems rusty and very heavy. The museum curators also point out that, despite being so barbaric and ancient, it is possible that these forms of torture are still practiced around the world today.