Starting point for this Master’s thesis is Elisabeth Pfluger’s book Solothurner Sagen (1972). While these legends reveal certain parallels to documented witch trials, they also convey a distorted representation of the individuals involved. This thesis examines the transformation of early modern witch trial records from the canton of Solothurn into folkloric narratives. Drawing on judicial archival documents and confessions, this study explores the processes through which traumatic collective memory was reshaped into oral narratives.

At the intersection of archival theory and cultural memory research, the work examines the gaps and silences inherent in judicial sources and explores how critical fabulation can restore marginalized voices. The analysis shows that the Solothurn witch legends did not simply obscure historical events, but actively negotiated social fears, gender dynamics, and communal identity across generations. This work contributes to broader debates on the relationship between historical trauma, archival practice, and the cultural afterlife of persecution.