Educational purpose only. This post documents historical practices related to executions and aims to educate about historical procedures. We do not glorify violence or hate.
The Horror of the Garrote: Why This Execution Method Was So Brutal
Throughout history, few execution devices have inspired as much terror as the garrote. This method, primarily associated with Spain, involved binding the victim to a post while an iron collar was slowly tightened around their neck until death occurred. Some versions even featured a spike that would be driven into the victim’s spine. The garrote remained in use until just 50 years ago, with the last executions carried out in Spain in 1974 .
This article examines the mechanics, evolution, and brutal reality of one of history’s most infamous execution methods.
1. The Evolution of the Garrote
The garrote originated as a simple strangulation device. The term itself comes from the Spanish word for a stick or club, which was used to tighten a rope loop around the victim’s neck . Over time, it evolved into a more mechanical device.
By the 19th century, the garrote vil (the “vile garrote”) had become a sophisticated iron machine. The condemned person was strapped into a chair or bound to a post. An iron collar was placed around the neck and connected to a large screw mechanism . As the executioner turned a crank, the collar tightened, crushing the neck .
Some versions, particularly the Catalan garrote, incorporated a fixed metal blade or spike directed at the spinal cord. The theory was that this would break the neck quickly . But when the device malfunctioned, the spike would simply bore into the victim’s flesh while the collar slowly strangled them .
2. The Brutal Reality of a Garrote Execution
Despite its designers’ intentions, the garrote execution was frequently botched, turning what was supposed to be a quick death into a prolonged ordeal.
In 1974, Georg Michael Welzel was executed in Tarragona, Spain. The executioner had never used the device before and did not understand how it worked . The executioner turned the crank, but the collar did not tighten enough to break the prisoner’s neck . As described in reports, the spike “advanced rapidly to the back of the neck and dug into the flesh. The unfortunate Welzel howled, trying to sit up” . After 15 minutes of struggling and adjusting the device, and with the prisoner still alive and bleeding, the executioner managed to apply enough pressure to kill him .
That same day, Salvador Puig Antich was executed in Barcelona. Witnesses described an agonizing process that lasted twenty minutes . According to one account, the executioner, possibly drunk or suffering from a trembling hand due to age, failed to correctly fit the garrote’s pieces, which prolonged the young man’s death .
3. A “Humane” Alternative?
The garrote was actually introduced in Spain during the 19th century as a more “humane” alternative to hanging. Reformers argued that it would prevent the degrading spectacle of a prisoner’s convulsions, which were common in hangings .
However, the “humanitarian” intent was often contradicted by the horrific reality. Unlike the long-drop hanging, which was designed to break the neck instantly, the garrote often killed through slow strangulation or crushing, a process that could take 10 to 12 minutes . If the screw missed the point where the brain meets the spinal column, it would “simply bore into the victim’s neck while they were strangled by the iron collar” .
4. A Symbol of Brutality
The garrote became a symbol of Spain’s “black legend” — a reputation for cruelty that was used by foreign powers to portray Spain as particularly barbaric . But the garrote was not unique to Spain; it was also used in Portugal, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and briefly in the United States, where American authorities reportedly considered it “far less inhumane and revolting” than hanging .
The garrote was abolished in Spain in 1978, along with the death penalty, after the death of dictator Francisco Franco .
Primary Sources:
Britannica — Garrote history and description
Wikipedia — Garrote
BBC — The last execution by garrote (1974)
Historical accounts of executions in Spain during the 19th and 20th centuries