Fritz Haarmann, known as the “Butcher of Hanover” and the “Vampire of Hanover”, was a German serial killer who murdered at least 24 boys and young men in the years after the First World War.
On the devastated streets post-First World War Germany, predator hidden in the shadows struck terror into the city of Hanover.
Remembered by disturbing nicknames including “The Butcher of Hanover”, “The Vampire of Hanover” and “The Wolf Man”, Fritz Haarmann atrocities stand like some of them the worst ever recorded in interwar Europe.
Born Friedrich Heinrich Karl Haarmann on October 25, 1879, Haarmann was born into a dysfunctional family as the youngest of six children. His mother, who was seven years older than his father, became increasingly frail and bedridden in her later years. while his father was known for alcohol-induced temper tantrums and violence.
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During his early childhood, Haarmann exhibited gender nonconforming behavior, preferring dolls over typical boys' toys, maintaining limited friendships with peers of his age or gender, and being dressed in girls' clothing by his mother. He was discharged from military training in 1895 after epileptic seizures, changed different professions and gradually descended into petty criminal activity.
After the end of the First World War, Germany's economic collapse, widespread famine, social upheaval and the breakdown of the established order left countless young people defenseless – and Haarmann was ready to hunt them. It is believed that in September 1918, Haarmann began his horrific killing spree of young men and boys – often homeless, unemployed or runaways.
He made a name for himself in Hanover as a second-hand clothing and meat dealer and even worked as a police informant. This gave him an air of respectability and allowed him to prey on vulnerable young people at the railway station, reports Express.
His method was savage: he would lure a young man into his attic room, offer food and drink, and then often bite off the victim's Adam's apple, sometimes completely cutting off the windpipe and windpipe. The bodies were dismembered and the remains were thrown into the Leine River.
Rumors began to circulate that the meat he was selling at the market was actually human flesh disguised as pork or horse. Although there was no conclusive evidence that the meat sold was human, investigators did note its extensive illegal meat trade and the questionable origin of its shipments.
In 1924 the situation in Hanover worsened. On May 17, a skull washed ashore near Herrenhausen Gardens.
More skulls surfaced, and by June the river had uncovered more than 500 body parts from dozens of victims, most of whom were between the ages of 14 and 22.
Despite the ongoing police investigation, Haarmann continued his horrific activities, partly under the guise of his status as an informant. And only on the night of June 22, 1924, when he was seen at the station with a 15-year-old boy, the situation began to change.
Ironically, the young man accused Haarmann of sexual assault after he tried to have him arrested on false charges. The next morning, Haarmann found himself under arrest.
His trial began on December 4, 1924, and he was ultimately convicted of 24 counts. murders. On April 15, 1925, justice prevailed: Haarmann was executed by guillotine in Hannover prison.
Although its terrible crimes sent shock waves throughout Germany, they also exposed deep social divisions within the Weimar Republic.
