Major changes in social and economic life produce criminal behavior on a much greater scale and in a wider variety than before. The population has grown rapidly; it is believed to have increased 150% between 1450 and 1599. Larceny and violence proliferate. Bands of outlaws target towns, and merchants are subjected to substantial property theft. The rise of the privileged noble class and the clergy produces an increase in what will later be called white-collar crimes — forgery, counterfeiting, and fraud. The criminal justice system is pressured to become more efficient.

Death and His Demonic Helpers are Lurking Everywhere Hans Weiditz, 1533