HEX! Museum of Witch Hunt

HEX! Museum of Witch Hunt is located in Ribe, Denmark’s oldest town, and confronts one of the darkest chapters of European history: the systematic persecution and execution of people accused of witchcraft. Rather than leaning into fantasy or folklore, the museum places the emphasis firmly on real events, real victims, and the social mechanisms that allowed mass hysteria to flourish.

The exhibitions explore the period from the late Middle Ages to the 17th century, when thousands of people — mostly women — were accused, tortured, and executed across Europe. Through immersive scenography, sound, lighting, and personal testimonies drawn from historical records, visitors are placed inside a world shaped by fear, religious authority, and the need to find scapegoats in times of crisis.

HEX! also draws clear parallels between historic witch hunts and modern forms of persecution, misinformation, and moral panic. This makes the experience deeply unsettling in a contemporary sense: it is not just about what happened, but about how easily it could happen again. The museum is intense, emotionally charged, and deliberately uncomfortable — a memorial as much as an exhibition.