Fritz Angerstein

Fritz Heinrich Angerstein (January 3, 1891 – November 17, 1925) was a German mass murderer who killed eight people at his home in Haiger, on December 1, 1924. The subject of a media spectacle, Angerstein was sentenced to death eight times, and was executed in 1925.

Biography Fritz Heinrich Angerstein was born on January 3, 1891, in Dillenburg, German Reich, the seventh of ten children. His father, who worked as a carpenter and later as a steelworker, was also the mayor of Dillenburg. Angerstein suffered from health problems during his childhood, including regular tuberculosis infections and having a rib surgically removed, but at age 14 began working as a surveyor, before being employed by the Nassauische Bergbau AG. In 1917, he became procurator of a limestone mine in Haiger, which was taken over by the firm van der Zypen in 1920.

In 1911, Angerstein married Käthe Barth, a devout Methodist, and the marriage was described as happy, with Angerstein giving the impression of a loving and caring husband. His wife's illnesses mentally and physically exhausted Angerstein, who himself almost constantly suffered from various types of tuberculosis. The relationship with his mother-in-law was said to have been strained because they were unable to have any children and because of her poor treatment of his wife. Angerstein related that his mother-in-law often reduced Käthe's diet to soup, due to her ailments, though apparently she often burnt the meal, whereupon his wife would not eat anything at all. According to his own testimony, Angerstein once whipped his mother-in-law with a dog whip out of anger, because Käthe had run away from home due to another burnt meal. In the same instance, Angerstein also had decided to shoot his mother-in-law and himself should his wife not return home.

Murders

On the night of November 30 to December 1, 1924, Angerstein had damaged a telephone wire and some water pipes. Between 12 and 1 a.m., Angerstein awoke as his wife suffered from severe heart pain. He wanted to call a doctor, but his wife held him back, instead fetching his mother-in-law. After she returned to her bed, Angerstein sat beside his wife, who was lying in bed, where she read him a letter. Angerstein then changed the pillow case, stained by his wife's vomiting. He overheard his wife and mother-in-law talking about another letter written by his brother-in-law, stating that he had syphilis, and that the disease could spread to other family members, agitating him. He then talked with his wife about the letter, and remembered his wife once telling him that she wanted to die the same hour he died. Angerstein then decided to kill his wife and himself, and when his wife fainted, Angerstein fetched his revolver from another room. When he returned to the room, his wife was awake, and she grabbed his hand and took his revolver from him, saying "His own wife, Lord forgive him!" before fainting again. Angerstein then fetched his hunting dagger and fatally stabbed his wife 18 times with it. Angerstein's German Shepherd was later found in the locked cellar with its head smashed in. Angerstein told his helpers and the police that he was assaulted in his villa after he returned from town, and some people claimed to have seen 15 to 25 bandits. Angerstein was taken to the hospital in Haiger, where he was operated on, while panic over the imaginary bandits spread across Haiger, and extra policemen were sent for from Siegen and Wetzlar for protection, and militias were formed.

Georg Popp helped in the investigation of the murders, and the investigators raised doubts about Angerstein's story. The corpses had rigor mortis already set in, thus contradicting Angerstein's claims regarding when the killings had taken place. Angerstein was arrested, though he remained in hospital. After the autopsies, he was accused of having committed the murders, and Angerstein finally confessed to his brother in the presence of a police officer.

Käthe Angerstein, née Barth, Angerstein's wife Katharina Barth, Angerstein's mother-in-law Minna Stoll, Angerstein's maidservant Ella Barth, 18, Angerstein's sister-in-law Reinhold Diethardt, bookkeeper Heinrich Kiehl, clerk Alex Geiß, Angerstein's gardener Rudi Darr, gardener's assistant

Conviction and execution

Out of fear that the public could turn against Angerstein, he was taken to Limburg an der Lahn only two weeks before the trial started in July 1925. The trial was a media spectacle, garnering much publicity and coverage, and together with the trials of serial killers Fritz Haarmann and Peter Kürten, was considered one of the great mass murderer trials of the Weimar Republic. Angerstein was charged with 13 crimes, among them eight counts of murder, two counts of embezzlement, and one count each of forging documents, arson, and perjury. Angerstein claimed he did not embezzle money, but that van der Zypen had owed him money. A total of 153 witnesses and 27 experts were called. Angerstein admitted to committing bribery and later to embezzlement.

On November 17, 1925, at 8 a.m., Angerstein was executed by decapitation with an axe by executioner Carl Gröpler in the courtyard of the Central Prison Freiendiez in Diez an der Lahn.

Aftermath Possible motives There was much speculation surrounding the motive behind the murders. It was assumed that Angerstein had been gripped by paranoia due to his embezzlement, and that he was attempting to get rid of witnesses. Reference to this was made in this context to Angerstein's suicide attempt. Rumours circulated to the effect that Angerstein was inspired by the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, which state that by killing nine people a seal may be activated that provides great riches.