List of German serial killers

Name Years active Proven victims Possible victims Status Notes Ref Bartsch, Jürgen 1962–1966 4 4 Died during castration surgery Known as “The Carnival Killer”; killed boys aged 8–13 in Langenberg, with one managing to escape ^[4] Beck, Ernst-Dieter 1961–1968 3 3 Died while imprisoned First murderer in German history on whom a chromosome test was applied ^[5] Bingelhelm, Simon 16th century 26 26 Executed 1600 Known as “The Thousand Devils of Halberstadt”; robber who confessed to multiple murders in the present-day area of Saxony-Anhalt ^[6] Boost, Werner 1953–1956 1 5 Released 1990 Known as “The Couples’ Killer”; along with accomplice Franz Lorbach, murdered couples in the 1950s, but only convicted of one murder ^[7] Denke, Karl 1903–1924 30 42+ Committed suicide in police custody Cannibal who killed homeless vagrants and travellers in Prussia; allegedly sold his victims’ flesh as meat to unsuspecting customers ^[8] Eichhorn, Johann 1931–1939 5 5+ Executed 1939 Known as “The Beast of Aubing”; raped numerous women around western Munich, killing and mutilating at least five of them when they resisted him ^[9] Fleischer, Simeon 16th-century 19 19 Executed 1581 Wool weaver who murdered 19 wives for money; existence is disputed ^[10] Gatter, Arthur 1990 8 8 Committed suicide before sentencing Known as “The Hammer-Killer of Frankfurt”; killed people with a hammer in Frankfurt city parks ^[11] Genipperteinga, Christman 1568–1581 964 964 Executed 1581 Possibly fictitious bandit who kept a registry of all the people he had killed, tallying up to 964 ^[12][13] Gossmann, Klaus 1960–1965 7 7 Released 2015 Known as “The Midday Murderer”; committed robberies and murders at noon, hence his nickname ^[14] Gottfried, Gesche 1813–1827 15 15 Executed 1831 Poisoned people with arsenic in Bremen and Hanover; last person to be publicly hanged in the city of Bremen ^[15] Großmann, Carl 1918–1921 26 100+ Committed suicide while imprisoned Known as “The Berlin Butcher”; killed women and later sold their flesh on the black market ^[16] Haarmann, Fritz 1918–1924 24 27+ Executed 1925 Known as “The Butcher of Hanover”; murdered young men and boys before dismembering their bodies; allegedly sold some of the flesh as contraband meat ^[17] Hagedorn, Erwin 1969–1971 3 3 Executed 1972 Killed three boys in Eberswalde; last civilian to be executed by East Germany in 1972 ^[18] Hanebuth, Jasper 17th-century 19 19 Executed 1653 Former mercenary and highwayman who killed people around the Eilenriede forest ^[19] Holst, Thomas 1987–1989 3 3 Committed to a psychiatric clinic Known as “The Heidemörder”; tortured and then killed women in south Hamburg ^[20] Honka, Fritz 1970–1975 4 4 Died 1998 Murdered prostitutes in Hamburg’s red light district ^[21] Hopf, Karl 1902–1906 4 4 Executed 1914 Poisoned family members and attempted to kill others in the Frankfurt area ^[22] Imiela, Arwed 1968–1969 4 4 Died in prison Known as “The Bluebeard of Fehmarn”; fraudster who lured and killed women in Fehmarn after gaining access to their bank accounts ^[23] Kimmritz, Willi 1946–1948 4 4 Executed 1950 Known as “The Horror of the Brandenburg Forest”; raped and robbed women in the forests around Berlin, killing some of his victims ^[24] Kroll, Joachim 1955–1976 14 14 Died while imprisoned Known as “The Ruhr Cannibal”; raped and killed mostly women in and around the Ruhr region, eating parts of their flesh afterwards ^[25] Kürten, Peter 1913–1929 9 9+ Executed 1931 Known as “The Vampire of Düsseldorf”; responsible for numerous sexual assaults, murders and attempted murders in Düsseldorf ^[26] Lehmann, Christa 1952–1954 3 3 Released 1977 Poisoned family members and the family dog; initially sentenced to life imprisonment but released after 23 years Ludy, Franz Josef 1952–1968 4 4 Sentenced to life imprisonment Serial child abuser who murdered two children and a couple ^[27] Mayer, Johann 1918–1919 5 5 Executed 1923 Known as “Stumpfarm”; disabled man who shot and killed people with a carbine ^[28] Niers, Peter 16th-century 544 544+ Executed 1581 Reputed bandit and gang leader who killed numerous people with his accomplices Ogorzow, Paul 1940–1941 8 8+ Executed 1941 Known as “The S-Bahn Murderer”; SA sergeant who killed women in wartime Berlin ^[29] Pinzner, Werner 1984–1986 13 13 Committed suicide to avoid apprehension Known as “The St. Pauli Killer”; contract killer who murdered various people around Hamburg ^[30][31] Pleil, Rudolf 1946–1947 10 25 Committed suicide while imprisoned Known as “The Deadmaker”; killed one salesman and nine women in the Harz mountain range, but confessed to killing more ^[32] Poehlke, Norbert 1984–1985 6 6 Committed suicide to avoid apprehension Known as “The Hammer-Killer”; police officer and bank robber who killed people during his crimes in Baden-Württemberg; killed his wife, two sons and then himself in Italy to avoid capture ^[33] Pommerenke, Heinrich 1959 4 4+ Died while imprisoned Killed women around Baden-Württemberg; longest-serving prisoner in Germany until his death ^[34] Prigan, Bernhard 1947–1952 3 16 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as “The Strangler”; killed women near controlled-access highways and major roads ^[35] Reinstrom, Lutz 1986–1988 2 2 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as “The Acid Killer”; sadomasochist who tortured and killed two women in Hamburg ^[36] Schiffer, Egidius 1983–1990 5 5 Died in prison Known as “The Strangler of Aachen”; murdered girls and women, sexually abusing three of them ^[37] Schmidt, Ulrich 1987–1989 5 5 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as “The Holiday Killer”; Assaulted nine women in Essen, killing five. ^[38] Schumann, Friedrich 1918–1920 7 7 Executed 1921 Known as “The Terror of Falkenhagen Lake”; criminal who killed people in the Berlin area ^[39] Seefeldt, Adolf 1908–1935 12 12+ Executed 1936 Known as “The Sandman”; travelling watchmaker who poisoned and then sexually assaulted young boys in their sleep ^[40] Steinwegs, Kurt-Friedhelm 1974–1983 6 6 Committed to a psychiatric institution Known as “The Monster from Lower Rhine”; juvenile delinquent who killed six people ^[41] Sternickel, August 1905–1913 7 7 Executed 1913 Petty criminal who killed his employer in 1905; while on the run for authorities in the next years, proceeded to kill other people for profit ^[42] Stumpp, Peter c. 1564–1589 18 18 Executed 1589 Known as “The Werewolf of Bedburg”; farmer and accused cannibal who killed people in the 16th-century ^[43] Tessnow, Ludwig 1898–1901 4 4 Executed 1904 First criminal in history on whom a blood type test was performed ^[44] Ursinus, Sophie 1796–1803 3 3 Died 1836 Poisoned her family members with arsenic; her trial led to a method of identifying said type of poisoning ^[45] Velten, Maria 1963–1982 3 5 Died 2008 Known as “The Poison Witch from Lower Rhine”; poisoned her family members and partners with parathion; released from prison at 93 ^[46] Wiese, Elisabeth 1902–1903 5 5 Executed 1905 Known as “The Angel Maker of St. Pauli”; poisoned her grandchild and other children with morphine, burning their bodies in the stove afterwards ^[47] Wichmann, Kurt-Werner 1989 4 21+ Committed suicide Cemetery gardener thought to be responsible for the Göhrde Murders, and other ones as well ^[48] Wittmann, Ferdinand 1860–1865 6 6 Executed 1868 Poisoned his relatives with arsenic; youngest serial killer in German history ^[49] Wittmann, Manfred 1968–1969 3 3 Released 2013 Known as “The Staffelstein Killer”; sadist who killed underage girls in Coburg ^[50] Zwanziger, Anna Maria 1801–1811 4 4 Executed 1811 Bavarian poisoner who killed people with arsenic; executed by decapitation in Kulmbach ^[51]