Fritz Haarmann: The Monster of Hanover
He killed to supply a city’s need for cheap meat
Was Fritz Haarmann the worst serial killer in history? That is not easy to conclude, partly because nobody knows how many victims he accounted for, but — from what is definitely known — this might well be the case.
Born in Hanover, Germany, on 25th October 1879, he worshipped his mother but hated his father, who at one time tried to get Fritz committed to an asylum. However, although the doctors regarded him as feeble-minded, there were no grounds to commit him.
He wandered from place to place, making a living from petty crime and often finding himself involved with the police, although he never caused any trouble when arrested and, when sent to jail, he was regarded as a model prisoner. He served time for picking pockets, petty theft, and — somewhat more worryingly — indecent behavior with small children (child molestation).
In 1918, Germany was in chaos after defeat in World War I. Law and order had broken down and profiteers, swindlers and crooks reign supreme. Fritz Haarmann had just completed a five-year sentence for theft and fraud and found himself drawn to the conmen and spivs to be found outside the central railway station of Hanover.
