Manfred Böckl

Manfred Böckl (2 September 1948 – 20 April 2026) was a German writer who specialised in historical fiction. From the 1980s, he wrote novels that often revolve around Bavaria, crime, abuse of power and historical renegades and seers. He had a local breakthrough in 1991 with a novel about the Bavarian prophet Mühlhiasl. A recurring subject in Böckl's works was Celtic culture, and he practised Celtic neopaganism.

Early life and education Manfred Böckl was born in Landau an der Isar in Bavaria, on 2 September 1948. He had a Catholic father and an Evangelical mother. He studied German studies, geography, jurisprudence, history, philosophy, literature, psychology and theology at the University of Regensburg without finishing a degree. From 1973 to 1976, he worked as an editor at the Passauer Neue Presse and after that as a freelance writer.

Literary career Böckl debuted as a writer in 1966 when he had a novella published. From 1980 to 1984, he published a series of young adult novels, Geheimbund Blaue Rose , written together with Helmut Watzke under the pseudonym Jean de Laforet. Since 1984, he has written a large number of historical novels, often set in Bavaria and revolving around crimes and abuse of power.

Die Hexe soll brennen (1989, ), set in the Regensburg and Straubing area, is about witch-hunts, a theme that also appears in novels about Agnes Bernauer (1993) and the witch trial of Fuersteneck (1997). Several of Böckl's stories are about historical renegades in conflict with authorities, including novels about (1990), (1993), Mathias Kneißl (1998) and (1999). A recurring subject is Bavarian prophets, including Mühlhiasl, who is the central character in the 1991 novel Mühlhiasl. Der Seher vom Rabenstein , which became a literary breakthrough for Böckl in Bavaria; as of 2021, it had been published in 10 German editions. It was followed by several novels and non-fiction books about clairvoyants and seers. In Bischofsmord und Hexenjagd. Die spektakulärsten Kriminalfälle aus dem historischen Bayern (2015, ), Böckl combines his interest in Bavaria and historical crimes and explores the conspiracy theory that Ludwig II of Bavaria was murdered.

Another recurring subject is the Celts and their culture, including Myrddin Wyllt, Boudica, the triple goddess and the druids. Böckl practiced Celtic neopaganism in a form he described as a "spiritual return to Celtic paganism".

As of 2016, Böckl's books had sold around one million copies in total.

Death Böckl died "suddenly and unexpectedly" at his estate in the Bavarian Forest, on 20 April 2026, at the age of 77.

Selected publications Novels

Non-fiction