Kaspar Hauser | |
|---|---|
 Hauser in 1830 | |
| Born | 30 April 1812 |
| Died | 17 December 1833 (aged 21) |
| Cause of death | Stab wound |
| Known for | Claimed unusual upbringing and subsequent mysterious death |
Kaspar Hauser (30 April 1812 – 17 December 1833) was a German youth who claimed to have grown up in the total isolation of a darkened cell. Hauser's claims, and his subsequent death from a stab wound, sparked much debate and controversy, both in Nuremburg and abroad. Theories propounded at the time identified him as a member of the grand ducal House of Baden, hidden away because of royal intrigue. However, there were also allegations that Hauser was an impostor.[1] In 2024, a scientific study ruled out Hauser's royal descent by comparing mitochondrial DNA haplotypes with the House of Baden.
- ^ d Heydenreuter: König Ludwig I. und der Fall Kaspar Hauser, in: Staat und Verwaltung in Bayern. Festschrift für Wilhelm Volkert zum 75. Geburtstag. Ed. by Konrad Ackermann and Alois Schmid, Munich 2003, pp. 465–476, here p. 465.