Who is the mystery donor stuffing envelopes with £8,000 and leaving them around German town?

Germany is riveted by the antics of its very own Robin Hood – a mysterious benefactor who has been posting large amounts of cash to local charities and crime victims.

The envelopes contain around 10,000 euros – around £8,300 - in

500 euro notes.



They have been sent to a robbery victim, a hospice, various charities and the family of a handicapped boy called Tom.

Lucky town: These days it's good fortune raining down on Braunschweig in Germany as a mystery donor leaves money around the town

The windfall envelopes began arriving unannounced late last year in the northern city of Braunschweig, some 120 miles from Berlin.



So far an estimated £160,000 has been doled out – and that’s only the money that people have admitted to.

The envelopes have been left in prayer books in churches, beneath doormats and pushed through letterboxes.

They have also been left at the offices of the local paper with instructions as to whom the cash is to be sent.

Last week a nurse at the hospice in Braunschweig was the recipient of the philanthropist who left the cash in an envelope on the doorstep.

Beneficiary: Armin Kraft, from Children in Poverty in Braunschweig was one of the lucky residents who received wads of euro notes

Numerous theories have emerged as to who might be behind the cash handouts.



Some speculate it is a lottery winner, another that it is the work of someone who has received a large inheritance.

Most interested of all is the local Finanzamat – tax office – where officials fear they might be being cheated out of huge chunks of taxable cash.

Michael Knobel, manager of the Am Hohen Tore hospice that was chosen last week for a handout, said: “I like to think of it as a modern-day Robin Hood who is robbing from the rich to give to the poor in these hard times.

'Whoever it is, I would like to thank them. It's strange for us not to know who he or she is because we would like to invite them in to have a cup of coffee.'

Excited speculation: St Mary's Fountain and public square in Braunschweig, the town with a mystery benefactor

Anke Burckhardt, a nurse at the hospice, said the money would be well used, providing training for staff on how best to care for those who know they are dying.

Hans-Juergen Kopkow, the pastor of St Markus' church, found ther envelope tucked into a hymn book in his church.

He said 'I think it is a rich man or woman and he has nobody to leave this money to. In this congregation, we know what to do with the money

- we can give it to people in great need. This person will create great joy for people.'

Newspaper clippings from the local Braunschweiger Zeitung newspaper accompany the cash donations, the newspaper is not seeking to unmask the benefactor - editor Henning Noske said: 'He or she wishes to remain anonymous and we have to respect it. So it's anonymous, anonymous, anonymous as far as we are concerned.

'It has become a real life fairytale.'

The first envelope carrying 20 €500 notes arrived at a crime victims’

aid group in Braunschweig in November, shortly after the newspaper carried a story about a woman who was left in shock after her handbag was stolen.

Not long afterwards another €10,000 was left each for a kindergarten, a church community and local soup kitchens.

There was never any clue as to the generous donor, just a white envelope full of cash. 'And there was often an article from our paper with it,” added Mr Noske.

One envelope even found its way to the paper’s offices – a bundle of

€500 notes was delivered on February 1 with an article from the paper about a 14-year-old called Tom who had been left seriously injured by a swimming accident seven years before.