Religious Persecution Collection (#5)

Letter of Protection for Callmann Lazarus from Friesenheim in Baden, 1777. Found in the Collection of Deutsche Nationalbibliothek

Lviv - Vienna. Anti-Semitic postcard, 1905. Private Collection

Praying over a suspected witch in Salem, 1690s
Reverend Cotton Mather attempting to save a soul from witchcraft by prayer, Salem, Massachusetts, 1690s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century Darley illustration

Rhode Island natives befriending Roger Williams, 1635
Roger Williams welcomed by Rhode Island Native Americans, 1635. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Roger Williams escaping to Rhode Island, 1635
Roger Williamss exile from Massachusetts Colony to Rhode Island, 1635. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Trial of a Quaker in England
Quaker man on trial in an English courtroom. Hand-colored engraving of a 19th-century illustration

Suspected witch arrested by Massachusetts colonists, 1600s
New England Puritans arresting an old woman accused of witchcraft, 1600s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century Howard Pyle illustration

Giles Corey accused of witchcraft in Salem
Giles Corey accused by a witness at the Salem witchcraft trials, 1690s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Salem witchcraft trial, 1692
Witness testifying at the Salem witchcraft trials, 1690s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Departure of the Pilgrim Fathers from Delft Haven, July 1620, (19th century). Artist: T Bauer
Departure of the Pilgrim Fathers from Delft Haven, July 1620, (19th century). The Pilgrim Fathers, members of the English Separatist Church sect of Puritans fled religious persecution in 1609

The expulsion of Jews from France in 1182 (A miniature from Grandes Chroniques de France), 1320s. Artist: Anonymous
The expulsion of Jews from France in 1182 (A miniature from Grandes Chroniques de France), 1320s. Found in the collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France

Red Army men confiscating church treasures of the Simonov monastery, Moscow, USSR, 1925. The monastery was founded in 1370

Witchcraft at Salem Village title page, 1692
Lamsons " Witchcraft at Salem Village" title page, 1692. Halftone reproduction with a watercolor wash

Wife of Giles Corey tried for witchcraft in Salem
Trial of Giles Coreys wife for witchcraft, Salem, 1692. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Roger Williams exiled to Rhode Island, 1635
Roger Williams leaving Massachusetts Bay Colony for Rhode Island, 1635. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century Darley illustration

The Five Frankfurters. Anti-Semitic Postcard, c. 1911. Private Collection

The Mandelbaum and his fruits Anti-Semitic Postcard, after 1900. Private Collection

Germania. Anti-Semitic Postcard, c. 1920. Private Collection

The Zionist Protocols: the program of the international secret government by Theodor Fritsch, 1924. Private Collection

To the German mothers! Leaflet of the Reich Federation of Jewish Front Soldiers, c. 1920. Found in the collection of Deutsches Historisches Museum

Anti-Semitic Postcard, 1918. Found in the collection of Deutsches Historisches Museum

Free ticket to Jerusalem, c. 1900. Found in the collection of Deutsches Historisches Museum

Mail sticker for the guests of the Hotel Kolner Hof in Frankfurt am Main, c. 1900. Found in the collection of Sammlung Wolfgang Haney

The Russian Jews examined by a doctor before the Emigration from Liverpool, 1891. Private Collection

Jews Condemned to be Burned at the Stake, 1882. Artist: Anonymous
Jews Condemned to be Burned at the Stake, 1882. Private Collection

Persecution of the Jews by the crusaders, 1784. Artist: Bogerts, Cornelis (1745-1817)
Persecution of the Jews by the crusaders, 1784. Found in the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Anti-Catholic Gordon Riots, London, 6-7 June 1780. A mob setting fire to Newgate Prison and freeing prisoners. Lord George Gordon, a retired navy lieutenant

The Martyrdom of St John, 1498 (1906). Artist: Albrecht Durer
The Martyrdom of St John, 1498 (1906). From Durer Des Meisters Gemalde Kupferstiche und Holzschnitte in 471 Abbildungen [Stuttgart und Leipzig, Deutsch Verlags-Ansalt, 1906]

Martyrdom of St Sebastian, 1473-1475 (1870). Artist: Hotelin
Martyrdom of St Sebastian, 1473-1475 (1870). After the painting by Antonio Pollaiolo in the collection of the National Gallery, London

Samuel Gortons landing in America, c1636 (c1880). Artist: Whymper
Samuel Gortons landing in America, c1636 (c1880). Fearing persecution for his religious beliefs, Gorton (1592-1677) fled England for the American colonies in 1636

Pilgrim Fathers around a watch-fire, c1620 (c1880). Fleeing religious persecution in England, the Pilgrim Fathers established the second successful colony in North America

Puritans before James I, 17th century (c1880). James and his son and successor Charles I sided with the established church against the Puritans

Reception the French Protestants in Amsterdam, late 17th century (c1870). Artist: H Sluyter
Reception the French Protestants in Amsterdam, late 17th century (c1870). Large numbers of Protestant French Huguenots emigrated to the Calvinist Dutch Republic after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of

The Baltic Railway Station, expulsion of Jews from St Petersburg, Russia, 1891. Artist: B Baruch
The Baltic Railway Station, expulsion of Jews from St Petersburg, Russia, 1891. A print from The Illustrated London News, 20th June 1891

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"Religious Persecution: A Dark History of Intolerance and Injustice" In the 1600s, a colonial family was banished from Puritan Massachusetts for their divergent beliefs, highlighting the early seeds of religious persecution. The year 1689 saw the publication of Cotton Mather's witchcraft book, fueling fears and leading to a wave of hysteria in Salem that resulted in tragic trials. The Salem witchcraft trials in the 1690s stand as a haunting testament to how fear can drive communities to turn against their own. Testimonies were given, lives were ruined, and innocent individuals paid the ultimate price based on mere accusations. Fast forward to the 1920s when anti-Semitism reared its ugly head with publications like "The Jews are Our Misfortune. " This vile rhetoric perpetuated hatred and discrimination against an entire community solely based on their religious identity. Centuries earlier, during Tudor times, monarchs such as King Henry VII, King Henry VIII, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I held immense power over religion. Their reign witnessed both tolerance and persecution depending on personal beliefs or political agendas. Art has often served as a powerful medium to depict religious persecution. "Self-Portrait in the Camp, " painted amidst World War II atrocities by an unknown artist captures the anguish faced by those targeted for their faith. "Nero's Torches - Burning of Christians at Rome" depicts one of history's most infamous acts where Christians were mercilessly burned alive under Emperor Nero's rule in ancient Rome. "The Martyrdom of Laurence Saunders at Coventry, " portrayed through oil on canvas in 1851 showcases one individual's sacrifice for his faith during turbulent times when dissenters faced brutal consequences. In more recent history, we witness state-sanctioned oppression with Red Army men confiscating church treasures from Moscow's Simonov monastery in 1925 under Soviet rule. Religion became a target of suppression in the pursuit of ideological uniformity.