The Gansfort Possession

In 1691, the Gansfort family of Arnhem, Netherlands, experienced a remarkable outbreak combining possession and poltergeist phenomena. The case was documented by minister Cornelis Brouwer in a detailed contemporary account.

The Family

The Gansfort family was respectable and pious. When their daughter began showing signs of possession, they sought religious help. The case quickly escalated beyond ordinary spiritual affliction.

The Phenomena

Objects moved throughout the house without visible cause. Stones fell from ceilings. Furniture relocated itself. The possessed girl spoke in languages she had never learned and displayed knowledge of events occurring at a distance.

The Voices

Multiple voices spoke through the possessed girl, each claiming to be a different demon. They argued with each other and with the ministers attempting exorcism. The theological debates were documented in detail.

The Investigation

Cornelis Brouwer investigated and documented the case thoroughly. He witnessed phenomena personally and tested for fraud. He concluded the events were genuinely supernatural and published his account for public education.

The Resolution

After extended prayer and exorcism, the possession ended. The poltergeist activity ceased. The girl recovered and lived normally thereafter. The family’s faith was credited with their deliverance.

Assessment

The Gansfort case is notable for its combination of possession and poltergeist features, thoroughly documented by a credible observer. It demonstrates how Dutch Reformed communities understood and addressed such phenomena in the late seventeenth century.