Case file · Non-fiction & research literature
Balthasar Bekker, 'The World Bewitched'
In 1691, Amsterdam pastor Balthasar Bekker published 'De Betoverde Weereld', arguing that the Devil has no power in the world and witchcraft is impossible.
1691 CE · 52.37, 4.89 · status: official
The account
The book sold thousands of copies in two months and was translated widely; Bekker lost his post, but the work helped end witch prosecutions in Europe.