**The dream of getting rich quick is almost as old as humanity itself. Illustration by Marco Heer.**

Of greed and ghosts

In the early modern period, many people sought to ‘get rich quick’ by digging for treasure. But they often encountered fraudsters and spirits along the way, leading quite a few of them to end up in court.

Christoph Kummer

Christoph Kummer is a historian and freelance journalist who is interested in people and events that have been consigned to the margins of our collective memory.

On a chilly night in the autumn of 1736, four men congregated by the light of an oil lamp in the barn of a farm in the Willisau area. The wind howled through the wooden rafters as one of the four, a ‘gentleman from Konstanz’, solemnly drew a circle on the ground. The farmer Kaspar Müller and his companions Rochi Zeder and Hans Bättig looked on nervously. “A hidden fortune, untouched for centuries – he who proves himself worthy, shall hold it in his hands,” the stranger whispered mysteriously. Treasure hunting was widespread in Switzerland between 1500 and 1800. It was more than just a quest for riches. It reflected people’s uncertainties following wars that had shaken society and the Reformation, which had challenged traditional belief systems. Hidden treasure, of which there was talk in many places, also brought a kind of hope ‒ for a better life or better luck ‒ or provided something to focus on.

**The Willisau region on a copper engraving by Matthäus Merian, 17th century.** Wikimedia

Hunting for treasure was symptomatic of the way people thought about the economy: in a largely agrarian society characterised by limited ownership and property rights, wealth could only be created through the redistribution of goods that already existed. Acquiring riches meant taking something away from others – or so people thought. And that made recovered treasure an ‘acceptable’ form of wealth, something that did not upset the social order. This was also a time of great economic upheaval, which saw the monetary economy grow while the banking sector lagged behind. Consequently, many people preferred to hide their savings.

Divining for great riches

“You stand at the threshold of your destiny,” the stranger murmured as he stepped into the circle with a consecrated palm branch in his hand. In emphatic tones, he urged Müller to submit to the task in hand: “It is your duty before God to redeem this soul! Do you wish to bear its damnation on your shoulders?” Treasure hunting was inextricably linked with religion and superstition. Hidden treasure was considered to possess magical properties: it was believed that it could purposely evade those seeking it or disguise itself as something worthless. That is why treasure seekers turned to occult practices to help them in their quest: the divining rod was a favourite tool, along with mandrake root, special mirrors and books of spells. Prayers were recited, saints appealed to and demons invoked, all in an attempt to find the treasure – and to make contact with ghosts.

**Diving rods were often used to look for hidden treasure in the 18th century. Illustration by Thomas Pennant, 1781.** Wikimedia

Treasure was often guarded by restless spirits, whose presence was no coincidence: existence as a ghost was seen as penance for something the deceased had failed to do in life. Anyone who buried treasure was suspected of the deadly sin of greed or of having neglected to use their wealth for good. Digging up their riches was the only way to deliver them from their sins. “He is here,” the stranger whispered, “I will speak with him.” The man from Konstanz made his way slowly and carefully out of the barn into the darkness. An agonizingly long hour passed during which the three locals waited in frosty silence. When the stranger returned, he announced: “There are two spirits – brothers. One is damned, but the other can be saved. And he will show us the treasure.” It consisted of 25,000 or 35,000 gold zecchini coins and an equal number of doubloons – plus “three golden chains that pass around the body four times.”

**Treasure was often guarded by ghosts. Or so people thought in the 18th century. Print by Rudolf Jettmar, 1905.** Albertina, Vienna

But before the treasure could be recovered, the gentleman from Konstanz laid down one condition: each of the three men must contribute three gold coins – as a necessary offering for them to receive the treasure. The stranger claimed it would demonstrate their seriousness of intent. The following Friday Bättig and Zeder returned to Müller’s farm, each bearing three gold coins. The stranger took their money and sewed it up carefully inside three small bags, which he then placed in the centre of the magic circle. “They will soon fill up,” he promised. But there was one last task to be performed beforehand. “The treasure will only reveal itself to those who are pure of heart,” he warned. “You must first repent your sins before it will show itself to you.” So, the men set off to Sursee to confess.

**Treasure hunters hoped to get rich quick. A gold doubloon from Bern, dating from 1793.** Swiss National Museum

They returned to the farm, buoyed up with hope. But the stranger was nowhere to be seen. They waited a while before eventually going into the barn and opening the bags. What they saw, had them rooted to the spot. Instead of the longed-for hoard of gold, the bags contained only worthless pieces of lead. But that was not the end of their misfortune. The three men were soon summoned to appear before the court in Willisau. Word had got around of their strange nighttime goings-on.

Treasure hunting was strictly forbidden in many areas due to its association with superstition and sorcery – it was one of the offences sometimes prosecuted at witch trials. Court records from various cantons set out the penalties. In Lucerne alone, around 200 cases were documented in the 18th century. The punishments handed down ranged from fines and imprisonment to corporal punishment, right through to public shaming and banishment. Court records show that Müller was banished from the region for two years, Bättig for three and Zeder for one. And what of the ‘gentleman from Konstanz’? He had vanished without trace – and was no doubt on the lookout for his next victim.

**People were exposed to public ridicule and humiliation in the pillory.** Wikimedia

With the coming of the Enlightenment and the decline of superstition, treasure hunting lost its mystical appeal in the 19th century. The focus was then on history and technology, not on ghosts and magic formulas. Although hunting for treasure remained popular, success was henceforth based on worldly deduction. Where had the treasure come from? Who had hidden it? Treasure maps played a key role, for the first time gaining the significance they still hold in popular culture today.

More of: Modern Age Society Crime

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