Between alliances, assassins and mandrakes: Oliver Pötzsch presents the new hangman's daughter novel and cookbook

Created: 06/12/2022, 08:00

By: Andreas Jäger

Author Oliver Pötzsch presented a few lines of his latest work.

© Andreas Jäger

The successful author and creator of the Henker's Daughter saga, Oliver Pötzsch, visited Schongau and recited a few lines from his latest novel.

Schongau – It has been on the market since November 24th and entered the Spiegel bestseller list at number 13: the latest and meanwhile ninth novel in the Hangman's Daughter saga by successful author Oliver Pötzsch.

At the invitation of the library manager Kornelia Funke, he once again visited the homeland of his ancestors and, in the course of a reading in the Ballenhaus, performed a few lines from "The Executioner's Daughter and the Black Madonna".

Veronika Rüfer and Valentin Schmidt provided the musical entertainment.

In the book, the readers go back to the year 1681, when the Schongau executioner Jakob Kuisl, despite his advanced age, went on a pilgrimage to Altötting with his family.

But not only the Kuisls are in the Bavarian pilgrimage community at this time, also two high-ranking rulers are there: Emperor Leopold I of Austria and the Bavarian Elector Max Emanuel.

In the special atmosphere between the Chapel of Grace and the Black Madonna, they want to forge a "holy alliance" and thus unite in the fight against the Turks.

He came across this “G2 summit in the Kuhkaff”, as Pötzsch jokingly calls the meeting, through an article in the “Bayerische Staatszeitung”.

In it, the author drew parallels between Elector Max and the former Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer, which Pötzsch found quite amusing.

Due to Max Emanuel's strong thirst for power, "one could rather compare him to the current prime minister," the author said with a wink.

Assassins play role in new 'Hanker's Daughter' book

Numerous fans of the hangman's daughter saga gathered in the Ballenhaus in Schongau.

© Andreas Jäger

As the evening progressed, Pötzsch went into more detail about the so-called assassins, who also play a role in the new novel.

Those assassins were not only a religious community in northern Persia, but also ruthless assassins.

In the novel, they even made it as far as Altötting, so the Kuisls find themselves in extremely dangerous company.

In addition to the assassins, Jakob Kuisl also finds his own past dangerous in the new book.

Pötzsch announced a secret that Kuisl had been carrying around for a long time and which he was now catching up with.

Of course, nothing more has been revealed, even if one or the other hangman's daughter fan might already have a guess.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.)

Hangman's Daughter Cookbook is introduced

Shortly before the 60 or so spectators took a break, Oliver Pötzsch had a very special appetizer with him: The Henker's Daughter Cookbook.

That came about because cooking was and still is one of the greatest passions of the Kuisl family, alongside music.

Because Pötzsch's descendant is also an enthusiastic hobby cook.

There was also a small sample of what the readers can expect in the cookbook: Henkersplätzchen based on Anni Kuisl's original recipe.

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The focus of the second half of the evening was medicine.

Here, too, protagonist Jakob Kuisl is a proven expert.

In general, people in earlier times liked to go to an executioner for medical questions.

In order to present some medicinal herbs and poisons that appear again and again in Pötzsch's books, the author brought Uschi Engelwurz on stage.

As a herbal expert, she is very familiar with the world of club moss, pilsner herb and monkshood.

Tenth part of the historical saga seems very likely

Incidentally, the latter is not to be trifled with, as it is the most poisonous plant in Europe.

In addition to mandrake, a historical painkiller and narcotic, the special effect of deadly nightshade was also described in more detail.

This was nothing less than the beauty product of the past, because it enlarges the pupils, which is apparently supposed to look quite attractive.

"Unfortunately, this also makes your vision very blurry, so it's almost impossible to tell who you're flirting with," Angelica explained.

Anyone who wanted to be beautiful seemed to have to suffer even in the 17th century.

At the end of the event, Pötzsch said goodbye with hopeful news for all fans of the hangman's daughter, because a tenth part of the historical saga seems very likely.

However, he was unable to say how long the Kuisls will continue, because: "Jakob Kuisl no longer wields the sword quite so easily."

You can find more current news from the region around Schongau at Merkur.de/Schongau.