Pillar of Shame in Vilnius Townhall Square

Whenever justice was to be served in the form of public execution, a wooden platform rose in the Town Hall Square, it was called the theatre. Magicians, murderers, thieves, counterfeiters, and all sorts of criminals ascended it to meet their death.

The mildest punishments were usually carried out at the Pillar of Shame, also known as the ‘pilot’. Made of wood and fitted with iron hooks, it also stood in the Town Hall Square of Vilnius. It was primarily used for whipping, but sometimes the chained offender would lose his or her ear for committing petty crimes, such as minor theft or brawl. Sometimes the punishment was limited to chaining a person to the whipping post for an hour or two. On other occasions the court would adjudge five hundred or even a thousand lashes. Not even the strongest men could survive such beating.

Address: Rotušės Sq.