Wolfgang Priklopil
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Priklopil was an Austria
n communications technician. In 1998, he kidnapped 10-year-old Natascha Kampusch
and held her for eight years, committing suicide after she escaped.
Priklopil was born to Karl and Waltraud Priklopil, in Hainburg
, an only child. Karl was a cognac salesman and Waltraud a shoe saleswoman. Priklopil worked for a time at Siemens
as a communications technician.
Priklopil kidnapped Kampusch on the morning of March 2, 1998 as she was on her way to school, eventually keeping her in a custom built basement (sometimes referred to as a "dungeon
" in news reports) under his house in Strasshof, Lower Austria
. The house was built by Priklopil's grandfather, Oskar Priklopil, after World War II
. During the Cold War
period, Oskar and his son Karl built a bomb shelter
, thought to be the origin of Kampusch's dungeon. Priklopil took over the house in 1984 following his grandmother's death.
Kampusch escaped on August 23, 2006. After a police chase, from which he escaped, Priklopil committed suicide
by stepping in front of a moving train near the Vienna Northern Station.
Priklopil appeared to have relied exclusively on a Commodore 64
as his computer, which is complicating the recovery of evidence due to its obsolescence in modern times.
He was buried under the name "Karl Wendelberger" on September 8, 2006 in the Piplitz family grave plot in the town of Laxenburg
, south of Vienna.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n communications technician. In 1998, he kidnapped 10-year-old Natascha Kampusch
Natascha Kampusch
Natascha Maria Kampusch is an Austrian television hostess mostly known for her abduction at the age of 10 on 2 March 1998. Kampusch was held in a secret cellar by her kidnapper Wolfgang Priklopil for more than eight years, until she escaped on 23 August 2006...
and held her for eight years, committing suicide after she escaped.
Priklopil was born to Karl and Waltraud Priklopil, in Hainburg
Hainburg an der Donau
Hainburg an der Donau is a town in the Bruck an der Leitha district, Lower Austria, Austria.-Geography:The city Hainburg is located next to the Danube river and Bratislava in Slovakia and 50 km east of Vienna. It is part of the Industrial Quarter Industrieviertel in Lower Austria.45.87% of the...
, an only child. Karl was a cognac salesman and Waltraud a shoe saleswoman. Priklopil worked for a time at Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
as a communications technician.
Priklopil kidnapped Kampusch on the morning of March 2, 1998 as she was on her way to school, eventually keeping her in a custom built basement (sometimes referred to as a "dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
" in news reports) under his house in Strasshof, Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
. The house was built by Priklopil's grandfather, Oskar Priklopil, after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
period, Oskar and his son Karl built a bomb shelter
Air-raid shelter
Air-raid shelters, also known as bomb shelters, are structures for the protection of the civil population as well as military personnel against enemy attacks from the air...
, thought to be the origin of Kampusch's dungeon. Priklopil took over the house in 1984 following his grandmother's death.
Kampusch escaped on August 23, 2006. After a police chase, from which he escaped, Priklopil committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by stepping in front of a moving train near the Vienna Northern Station.
Priklopil appeared to have relied exclusively on a Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
as his computer, which is complicating the recovery of evidence due to its obsolescence in modern times.
He was buried under the name "Karl Wendelberger" on September 8, 2006 in the Piplitz family grave plot in the town of Laxenburg
Laxenburg
Laxenburg is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, near Vienna.- History :The place is well-known for its castle, Schloss Laxenburg, which, beside Schönbrunn, was the most important summer seat of the Habsburg dynasty....
, south of Vienna.