Anneliese Michel

Anneliese Michel was a German woman from Bavaria whose death in 1976 became one of the most widely known exorcism cases in modern Europe.

Anneliese Michel was a German woman from Bavaria whose death in 1976 became one of the most widely known exorcism cases in modern Europe. She underwent 67 Catholic exorcism rites before dying from malnutrition and dehydration, and the case led to criminal convictions and long-running public debate about religion, mental illness, and medical care.

Background

Anneliese Michel was born on 21 September 1952 in Leiblfing, Bavaria, West Germany. She studied religious education and came from a devout Catholic family.

Exorcism case

In 1975 and 1976, Catholic priests performed repeated exorcisms on Michel after her family believed she was possessed. Accounts consistently describe 67 rites conducted over roughly ten months before her death.

Death and legal proceedings

Michel died at age 23 on 1 July 1976 in Klingenberg am Main, Bavaria. Reports attribute the death to malnutrition and dehydration rather than possession. Her parents and the priests involved were later convicted of negligent homicide.

Public and cultural impact

The case became one of the most discussed exorcism stories in Europe and contributed to debate over psychiatric illness, faith healing, and religious ritual. It also influenced later films and documentaries.