"A scaffold (French: échafaud, German: Schafott) is a raised, stage-like site for public executions.
The execution was practised in public places. The "public spectacle" character of the ...
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execution was meant to deter the people from committing crimes, and demonstrate the authority of the Government, while simultaneously acting as a form of entertainment for the masses. For this purpose, the scaffold was often higher than a podium setup, and was therefore also called scaffold.
Initially, beheading by an executioner was usually performed with a sword, axe, or hatchet, later executions were sometimes performed with a guillotine instead." - (en.wikipedia.org 16.10.2021)