
Fritz Haarmann spent time the German army before being discharged and placed in a sanatorium. 1905 he began homosexual contacts with young people at the Hannover Central Station. At this time he also began his criminal career as a thief and burglar. Haarmann lived in the Hannover red light district, where met Hans Grans in 1919. They got sexual partners. His lover Hans Grans soon moved into Haarmanns appartment and brought home runaway boys from time to time. Haarmann and Grans then raped and killed the young boys and men. Later on, Fritz Haarmann sold their victims clothes as a rag collector.
Haarmann gets suspicious
Haarmann was questioned by the Hannover police from time to time because of his known relationships to young men and their disappearances. In June 1924, he was arrested. With alleged use of police violence, Fritz Haarmann pleaded guilty at the 1st of July 1924 to have killed several boys. However, the following day he withdrew the evidence. Four days later, the police lowered the water level of the river Leine. In the river bed they found about 300 human bone fragments. Afterwards they could connect the bones to at least 22 victims - the victims of Fritz Haarmann.
Execution day for the Vampire of Hannover
In December 1924, the trial began of Fritz Haarmann. At the 15th of April 1925, the Butcher of Hannover was executed.
Fritz Haarmann, the Butcher from Hannover