“...sometimes the most dreadful of crimes can happen in the most ordinary of places.”

Professor David Wilson, Criminologist

“If it’s not your business, don’t get involved.”

Austrian proverb

SCENE OF CRIME

Fritzl’s grandmother, Anna Fritzl, was born in the ‘somewhat unglamorous’ town of Amstetten, in Austria.

She married a mill owner. Their loveless marriage was made worse because Anna couldn’t conceive. So Fritzl’s grandfather had sex with his servants. One of these, Maria, would become Josef Fritzl’s mother.

MAKING A MONSTER

In 1934, Maria met a very poor man called Josef. On 9 April 1935, the unmarried couple had a child. They gave their son his father’s first name and Anna’s maiden name.

Josef Fritzl was probably stigmatised by his conservative community from birth because of his illegitimacy. At home, Josef was just as likely to be mistreated;

“The only emotion that Mr Fritzl knew in his early years was fear. Fear for his mother, and fear of his mother...she maltreated him without any obvious reason. He never knew when it would come again.”

Dr Heidi Kastner, Forensic Psychiatrist to Josef Fritzl

On 12 March 1938, when Josef was nearly three years old, Hitler’s troops marched across the border in to Amstetten.

Hitler himself followed a few days later to be greeted by a large crowd.

Young Josef was in that crowd perched on the shoulders of his father to greet the Führer.

In 1938, 99.7% of Austrians voted to become part of the Third Reich. There was no unity in Josef’s home: