Fritz Haarman

Fritz Haarman began his life of crime very early. From a young age he was involved in petty theft, swindling and pick pocketing. According to him, he also molested children ‘for his pleasure’. He served several short prison sentences early on. Then in 1919, as Haarman finished serving another prison sentence, Germany fell into a state of famine, leaving hundreds homeless.

Acting as a policeman, Haarman would pick up young beggars and lure them back to his home on the Kellerstrasse. There he would sexually assault them, before biting through their throats to kill them. Haarman then stripped them of their clothing (which he sold), took the meat from their bodies (which he also sold), and dumped the remains in the River Leine.

In September 1919 Haarman met another homosexual man named Hans Grans, and the two became a deadly pair. From then on Grans was Haarman’s boss. He would boss him around, treating him like a servant. Grans chose the victims, but made Haarman take all the risks. It was estimated that the deadly pair were disposing of about 2 bodies a week, selling the remains on the black market meat trade. However one customer did go to the police, suspicious of the meat they were buying, but the police told them they should be grateful to find good meat in these difficult times.

The evil pair continued this until 1924, when skulls started to be fished out of the River leine. On 22nd June, Haarman was arrested for trying to molest a boy in the street. His apartment was searched, and heaps of clothing belonging to his victims were found. That same month, a group of children found some human remains in a meadow, and in the River over 500 bones were discovered.

Haarman finally confessed to the police, and also implicated his partner, Hans Grans. The pair stood trial in December 1924. Haarman mentioned that he did not understand why he was only being charged for 27 murders, when he could remember killing over 40. Haarman was sentenced to death, whereas Hans Grans only received a sentence of 12 years in prison.