Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen

Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen was born in Oberlauda, today a district of Lauda-Königshofen, on 12 August 1575.

He played a role in the formation of the Catholic League, under the leadership of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, on 10 July 1609.

He conducted a witch-hunt in the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg in 1612–13 and again in 1617–18, which saw approximately 300 accused witches burnt at the stake in this period.

[2] He was elected Prince-Bishop of Würzburg on October 5, 1617, with Pope Paul V confirming the appointment on February 10, 1618.

During the Thirty Years' War, Bamberg and Würzburg deployed large numbers of infantry and cavalry in 1620 and 1622.