BB-032 / Punishment
The Rack
The Act
The victim’s wrists and ankles were fastened to rollers at either end of a frame. The rollers were turned, stretching the body until joints dislocated and muscles tore. The device was used both to extract confessions and as punishment.
The Response
Use of the rack declined with the Enlightenment and the shift away from judicial torture in most European legal systems during the 18th and 19th centuries. It survives primarily as a historical artifact and cultural symbol.