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Quiz about The Ghastly Profession  of  the Executioner
Quiz about The Ghastly Profession  of  the Executioner

The Ghastly Profession of the Executioner Quiz


Most countries have had someone who practises the occupation of executioner. He is the one who carries out the legal death sentence that is/was handed down by the king, government or other legal body. What do you know about this long-standing profession?

A multiple-choice quiz by dcpddc478. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
dcpddc478
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
326,364
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
1918
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Which European country had an official executioner until the death penalty was outlawed in 1981? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What was the name of the United Kingdom's most prolific executioner in the 20th century? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Why did many countries use the long-drop method of hanging as opposed to the short-drop method of executions in the 19th and 20th centuries ? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. In which country did executioners use the electric chair? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Souflikar was the most prolific executioner of the Ottoman Empire. What method did he use? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Vasili Blokhin is possibly the most prolific official executioner in history. He practiced his profession during "The Great Purge" in which country? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Carl Peter Hermann Christensen was the last official executioner for the country of Denmark. What was unusual about this Nordic executioner? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In 1536 the famous French executioner Jean Rombaud was brought from France to England to execute which Royal Figure? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Franz Schmidt was the first known executioner to keep a journal of the 300 people he executed. In which European country was he an executioner? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which American President carried out two executions while serving as the sheriff of Buffalo, New York? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which European country had an official executioner until the death penalty was outlawed in 1981?

Answer: France

Marcel Chevalier was France's last official executioner. Chevalier started in his chosen field in 1958. He performed over 40 executions. He carried out the last 2 executions in France. The method used was the guillotine. He had been preparing his son for the position of chief executioner when the death penalty was outlawed in France in 1981.

He was the fifth member of his family to hold the position of chief executioner.
2. What was the name of the United Kingdom's most prolific executioner in the 20th century?

Answer: Albert Pierrepoint

Albert Pierrepoint executed at least 450 people during his years as the United Kingdom's chief executioner. He executed the other three choices. James Inglis holds the record for the quickest hanging. Michael Manning was the last person to be hanged in Ireland. John Haigh nicknamed the "Acid-Bath Murderer" was a serial killer hanged in 1949 for six murders. Pierrepoint became particularly well known for executing Nazi war criminals at Hameln in the then British Zone in 1945-1946. Pierrepoint lived to the ripe old age of 94.
3. Why did many countries use the long-drop method of hanging as opposed to the short-drop method of executions in the 19th and 20th centuries ?

Answer: It was considered more humane

The long-drop method was used because it took into account the person's height, weight and the strength of the rope. It was more likely to break the neck and cause instantaneous death, while the short drop method usually caused death by strangulation and could take 20 minutes to be fatal.

The downside was that if the calculations were wrong the long-drop method was more prone to cause an accidental beheading as occurred during the hanging of old west outlaw Black Jack Ketchum. The long drop was introduced to Britain in 1872 by William Marwood as an improvement to the short drop and standard drop methods.

It spread quickly from Britain to the other English speaking countries.
4. In which country did executioners use the electric chair?

Answer: U.S.A.

The electric chair was invented and used in the United States. The only other country to ever use the electric chair was the country of the Philippines, who only used it for executions between 1924-1976. The electric chair was last used in 1998 and is considered out-dated. Most executions in the U.S.A. are carried out by lethal injection, although it should be noted that an execution was carried out in 2010 using a firing squad.

The executioner's identity is closely guarded.
5. Souflikar was the most prolific executioner of the Ottoman Empire. What method did he use?

Answer: Manual strangulation

Souflikar manually strangled over 5,000 people during his reign as "Bostanci" or executioner. This ritual execution had an unusual twist to it. The condemned raced the executioner through the court gardens to the spot of execution. If he got there first he was only banished. If he got there last he was manually strangled on the spot and his body was thrown into the river. "Bostanci" is translated into the word "gardener" as it was his job to keep weeds out of the court gardens and to weed out those who were considered to be a threat to the empire.

In this culture, the position of executioner was respected, feared, and exalted.
6. Vasili Blokhin is possibly the most prolific official executioner in history. He practiced his profession during "The Great Purge" in which country?

Answer: Russia

Blokhin was chosen in 1926 by Joseph Stalin to lead the company of official executioners for the Soviet Union. Blokhin claimed to have personally executed tens of thousands of men. He executed over 7,000 Polish POWs in 28 days during what became known as the "Katyn Massacre".

His usual method of execution was to push the condemned against a wall and shoot him in the back of the head. He was known to have done 300 in one night. He was highly decorated for his service to his country.
7. Carl Peter Hermann Christensen was the last official executioner for the country of Denmark. What was unusual about this Nordic executioner?

Answer: He never executed anyone

Christensen was the last official executioner for Denmark but never actually executed anyone. He held the office from 1906-1926. The last peacetime execution in Denmark occurred in 1892. It was performed by Jens Carl Theodor Seistrup using an axe on a convict who had been declared guilty of attempting to kill a prison officer.
8. In 1536 the famous French executioner Jean Rombaud was brought from France to England to execute which Royal Figure?

Answer: Anne Boleyn

Jean Rombaud was the executioner brought in to execute Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, for treason and adultery. He was a renowned swordsman. His craft was practiced by having the condemned kneel upright and sever their heads with a single swing of his sword.

It was much more humane than the beheading by axe which could take three to four blows. He was brought in for his skill and so that no English executioner would be guilty of executing the Queen.
9. Franz Schmidt was the first known executioner to keep a journal of the 300 people he executed. In which European country was he an executioner?

Answer: Germany

Franz Schmidt was a German executioner who worked from 1578-1617. His journal includes all his executions and all those who were punished by other means. When he retired from his profession he was promptly re-accepted into society. In Germany at this time, disrespectful professions included executioners, prostitutes, actors, millers, and beggars, just to name a few. Copies of Schmidt's original journal are held at libraries in Nuremburg and Bamberg. Schmidt executed by sword, rope, drowning, burning and breaking on the wheel.
10. Which American President carried out two executions while serving as the sheriff of Buffalo, New York?

Answer: Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland was the only president who ever legally executed anyone. His opponents tried to used this against him when he ran for president, but the ploy backfired when the public viewed these actions as being tough on crime.
Source: Author dcpddc478

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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