True Basel: Spooky Basel: Evil Spirits at St. Johanns-Vorstadt

St. Johanns-Tor

Our clocks have been turned back one hour, and the nights are becoming longer. Who appears at night? Ghosts! So watch your back when you walk the streets of Basel :-). Here is why:

Up until the 20th century, many ghost stories existed in Basel where restless spirits were believed to be haunting the streets of Basel. One of those stories took place at St. Johanns-Vorstadt (the street leading up to one of the city gates: St. Johanns-Tor, see photo above) at the former establishment of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (Johanniterorden). This grand house (see picture below) was later inhabited by Arnold Böcklin (1827-1901), a Swiss symbolist painter.

The former establishment of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (St. Johanns-Vorstadt 84/88)

St. Johanns-Vorstadt leading up to the city gate

At this house, uncanny figures terrified the inhabitants with curious appearances and maddish noises. Sometimes they heard a child screaming and climbing out of a fountain, sometimes they saw a woman dressed in a black coat or a small, white dog. One time even a dead knight appeared in the courtyard holding a sword.

So keep this in mind next time you walk by this house at night...or not :-).

Thanks for reading!

Laura