The Hinterkaifeck Murders (Germany, 1922)

By: Munir 

In a quiet rural area of Germany, the Gruber family lived on a remote farm called Hinterkaifeck. Andreas Gruber, his wife Cäzilia, their daughter Viktoria, her two children, and their maid all lived together. Six days before the murders, strange things started happening.

Andreas mentioned to neighbors that he’d seen footprints in the snow leading to the house—but none going back out. He also heard footsteps in the attic and found a newspaper on the porch that no one in the household had bought. Their previous maid had even quit months earlier, saying the house was haunted.

Then, on March 31, 1922, someone brutally murdered all six residents with a mattock (a type of pickaxe). Shockingly, the killer likely stayed on the farm afterward—feeding the cattle, eating meals, and keeping the house in order for days before the bodies were discovered.

Despite several suspects and theories—including incest, revenge, and a drifter—no one was ever arrested. The mystery remains unsolved to this day.

The Hinterkaifeck Murders: Germany’s Creepiest Unsolved Crime

In the Bavarian countryside, around 70 km north of Munich, stood an isolated farmstead called Hinterkaifeck. The six residents—Andreas Gruber (63), his wife Cäzilia (72), their widowed daughter Viktoria Gabriel (35), Viktoria’s children Cäzilia (7) and Josef (2), and their maid Maria Baumgartner (44)—lived a reclusive life.

Ominous Signs Before the Killings

About a week before the murders, Andreas told neighbors he’d found footprints in the snow that led to the farm—but none that left. He also heard footsteps in the attic and found an unfamiliar newspaper in the home. Their previous maid had resigned months earlier, saying the farm was haunted. The new maid, Maria, had just arrived on the day of the murders.

The Night of Horror: March 31, 1922

One by one, the family was lured to the barn—likely by noises or calls—and murdered with a mattock. Viktoria, Andreas, and Cäzilia (the grandmother) were all found stacked on top of each other in the barn. Inside the house, the maid and young Josef were also found bludgeoned in their beds.

The most disturbing part: little Cäzilia had clumps of her own hair in her hands, suggesting she was alive long enough to pull it out in terror before dying.

The Killer Stayed on the Farm

Neighbors became suspicious when no one saw the Grubers for days. Eventually, a search party found the gruesome scene. Investigators discovered that the animals had been fed, meals had been eaten, and the fireplace had been used—after the murders. The killer had stayed on the property, possibly living among the corpses.

Theories and Suspects

Many were investigated, including:

• Lorenz Schlittenbauer, a neighbor who had a relationship with Viktoria and possibly fathered Josef.
• Former farmhands with grudges.
• Even Viktoria’s rumored involvement in incest with her father—a possible motive for vengeance.

But no conclusive evidence ever surfaced. The murder weapon was found years later, hidden in the attic. The skulls of the victims were sent to Munich for analysis—but were lost during World War II.

The Case Today

Over 100 years later, the case remains unsolved. In 2007, German police academy students reviewed the files and reportedly narrowed down a likely suspect—but refused to release the name out of respect for surviving relatives.