H. C. Erik Midelfort is a distinguished historian specializing in the German Reformation and the history of Christianity in Early Modern Europe. His seminal works delve into the complex social and intellectual foundations of the era, particularly exploring themes of witchcraft and madness. He is recognized for his significant contributions to bridging German and American scholarly communities through translations of important German texts. Midelfort's rigorous research offers profound insights into the shifts in European society and religious thought during a transformative period.
During the 16th century, close to 30 German noblemen were known as mad. This work studies these princes (and a few princesses) as a group and in context - illuminating the history of Renaissance medicine and psychiatry, German politics in the Reformation and Renaissance definitions of madness.