The 23 years old student (Pedagogy) Anneliese Michel, dies on the 1st of July 1976 after an approximately 9 month lasting Exorcism. The movie tells the story of the last official Exorcism in Germany, and the following “Aschaffenburger Exorcism Lawsuit”.

It all began about 1968, when Anneliese (a very religious nurtured girl) has an insult. Paralysed and shaking she can’t call her 3 sisters, or her parents (Josef and Anna) for help. A Neurologist at the Psychiatric Clinic Würzburg diagnosed Epilepsy Type “Grand Mal”. Depressions, often occurring after those Epilepsy Attacks, have not been recognized.

After a long stay at the Hospital, she begins to see devilish grimaces during her daily praying. In the fall of 1970 Anneliese returned to school, and while other girls live the freedom of the 70s, she starts believing to be possessed. She can’t find another reason for the grimaces. Now also voices are following her, saying that Anneliese will “stew in hell”. The Depressions get stronger and stronger and Anneliese doesn’t see any reason for the meetings at the Doctors, because they don’t bring a relief. Just once, does she tell a Doctor about the “Demons”, which even give orders to her now. But the gap between known Medicine and Catholic Ideology is too big, to get her problems considered.

In the summer of 1973 her parents ask different Pastors for an Exorcism. The Catholic Chaplains reject and recommend, to continue the medication on the now 20 year old Anneliese. The proof for a possession (Infestatio) is strictly structured, and before not all criterions are fulfilled, the Bishop can’t approve an Exorcism. Aversions against religious objects, speaking in languages the person never learned and supernatural powers, are just some of them.

Pastor Ernst Alt, supervising Anneliese at that time, asked the Bishop of Würzburg for the Permit to perform an Exorcism on Anneliese Michel in 1974. His request was also rejected, so he recommends Anneliese an even more religious Lifestyle. But the attacks don’t disappear. At her parents house in Klingenberg, she insults, beats, bites the family members. She doesn’t eat, because the demons don’t allow her to. Anneliese sleeps at the stone floor, eats Spiders, Flies and Coal. She even drinks her own Urine. For hours, she yells thru the house. Anneliese breaks Crucifixes, destroys paintings of Jesus and demolishes Rosaries. Running thru the house, tearing the clothes from her body and urinating on the floor is nothing unusual anymore. She even commits self-mutilation.

In September 1975, after an exact Verification, the Bishop of Würzburg, Josef Stangl, assigns Father Arnold Renz and Pastor Ernst Alt with the order, to perform “The Great Exorcism” on Anneliese Michel. The basis for this ritual is the “Rituale Romanum”, a still valid Canon Law from the 17th century. Pastor Alt and Father Renz try to save Anneliese from, in the meantime over 6 individuals (Lucifer, Judas Iscariot, Nero, Cain, Hitler and Fleischmann, a disgraced Frankish Priest from the 16th century, and some other “Damned”), which manifested thru her. From September ’75 till July ’76, 1 to 2 sessions a week were held. Sometimes her attacks were so strong, that she had to be hold down by 3 men, or they had to chain her up. Between those sessions in her parent’s house, Anneliese has some time without any attacks, in which she goes to school, makes her final examinations at the Pedagogic Academy in Würzburg and goes to church. Just like she used to live before.

But the attacks didn’t stop. The young woman gets unconscious and paralyzed  more often. The Exorcism continues over weeks and months. Always praying the same specified prayers and incantations, over and over again. Sometimes the parents are present, or her sisters. Even a married couple, that claims of having “discovered” Anneliese. Over several weeks, she denies every food. Her knees are burst, because of the 600 Genuflections she does obsessive during the Exorcisms. During the Exorcism there were over 40 audio tapes recorded, to log the possession.
The last day of the Exorcism Rite is the 30th of June 1976. Anneliese is now also suffering from a Pneumonia, totally emaciated and having high temperature. But she can’t waive doing the Genuflections. Her parents even help her doing them. “Beg for Absolution.”, is the last sentence Anneliese says to the Exorcists. To her mother she says: “Mother, I’m afraid.”. Anna Michel recorded the death of her daughter on the next day, the 1st of July 1976. At Noon, Pastor Ernst Alt informs the prosecuting authorities in Aschaffenburg. The Senior Prosecutor began investigating.

Short time before these events, William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” came to the cinemas in Germany (1974), and started a paranormal Hysteria all over the land. Psychiatrist all over Europe, reported of an increase of obsessive ideas at their patients.  For the Prosecutors, the factual situation is more than bizarre. And it took almost 2 years, until the “Klingenberg Case” was brought to court. Anneliese’s parents and the 2 Exorcists were accused of negligent homicide. There were only 2 questions to answer. What caused the death of Anneliese Michel, and who was responsible ?

The cause of death, as diagnosed by the Forensics: “Anneliese starved to death” ! If the Accused would have begun with forced feed, one  week before her dead, Anneliese’s live could have been saved. Her sister told in front of the court, that Anneliese didn’t want to go to a Mental House, sedated and forced to eat.  The Exorcists tried to prove the presence of the demons, by playing the tapes they recorded. There were such strange dialogues, like 2 of the demons arguing , who of them has to leave Anneliese’s body first. The demon, that called himself Hitler, talked with Frankish Accent (Hitler was born Austrian). None of those present during the Exorcisms, never had a doubt, that this weren’t demons.
The Psychiatrists, which have been ordered by the court, talked about “Doctrinaire Induction”. Saying, that the Priests have offered Anneliese the contents of her psychotic behaviour. Consequentially she later accepted the behaviour of a, from a demon possessed person. Also an unsettled sexual development, along with the diagnosed Temporal Lobe Epilepsy influenced Anneliese’s Psychosis.

The judgement was, although the parents and the chaplains were adjudged guilty, not as hard as expected. All of the accused were sentenced to 6 months jail on probation, because of manslaughter resulting from negligence and omitted First Aid. The accused should have helped by taking care of the medical treatment the girl needed. But instead of doing so they aggravated the bad constitution, by using naïve Practices.

A Commission of the German Bishop-Conference later declared, that Anneliese Michel was not possessed. Anneliese’s body didn’t even find peace after the girl’s death. Because of some believe in miracles, it was said that her body doesn’t decay, her corpse gets exhumed 11/2 year after the burial. With the final result, that the body decays, as every other dead body. Till now her grave is a place of pilgrimage, for Rosary-praying pilgrims, who still think, that Anneliese Michel has defeated the Devil.

In 1999 Cardinal Medina Estévez presented Journalists, in Vatican-City, the new Version of the “Rituale Romanum” that was used by the Catholic Church since 1614. He presented them "De exorcismis et supplicationibus quibusdam" better know as “The Exorcism for the upcoming Millennium”. After more then 10 years of editing, the Pope approbated the new Exorcism Rite, which is now allowed for worldwide usage. The change was initiated by the death of Anneliese Michel. The German Bishop-Conference demanded to ultimately abolish the “Rituale Romanum”. The Vatican answered in his own way, with a new form of Exorcism. More then 20 years after Anneliese Michel died.

Edit: The title of the news has been changed due to the fact that the movies title was changed from "The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel" to "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" in Dec, 2004. The movie now also will not be about the real case, but only based on the events. MacReady who wrote this article does not speak english as his first language, so please go easy on him. We realize his english is not perfect, but appreciate the great effort he put into writing this article.