Hello Billj-ga, and thank you for your question.
The Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology has a detailed entry
on Kaspar Hauser (they spell his first name "Kaspar", though elsewhere
it appears as "Kasper"). I will excerpt a bit from this entry and
summarize his story, below. While I cannot reproduce the full article
here due to copyright restrictions, the Encyclopedia is available
online through many public libraries, especially those with access to
the Gale Database group of references.
Kaspar Hauser (born circa 1812, died 1833) is described in the
Encyclopedia as a:
"Mysterious teenage boy who appeared in the streets of Nuremberg,
Germany, on May 26, 1828. He could give no clear account of how he
came there or where he was from, and some months later claimed that he
had been imprisoned in a small, dark room all his life and fed on
bread and water. At the time of his appearance in Nuremberg he
appeared to be unstable on his legs and largely incoherent. The boy
had a letter in his possession, ostensibly from a poor laborer, which
stated that the writer first took charge of the boy as an infant in
1812 and had never let him ``take a single step out of my house . . .
I have already taught him to read and write, and he writes my
handwriting exactly as I do.'' There was also a note purporting to
come from Hauser's mother, stating that the boy was born on April 30,
1812, that his name was Kaspar, and his father, now dead, had been a
cavalry officer. Both letters appeared to be fakes."
----------
Hauser's story attracted considerable attention at the time. He was
taken in and educated by a local schoolmaster, and appeared to
progress very rapidly, from a boy barely able to speak coherently, to
someone who was soon talkative and writing freely.
Rumors swirled about Hauser -- that he was raised by criminals; that
he was the crown prince; that he possessed certain spiritual qualities
of "animal magnetism". Several scholars, businessmen and prominent
people took up his cause, and wrote treatises of his life. Hauser was
given a job as clerk in a office, but he grew dissatisfied with his
position.
Hauser's end came as mysteriously as his beginning:
"On December 14, 1833, Hauser suddenly rushed into Meyer's room,
clutching his side, and led Meyer to a point about five hundred yards
from the house. Hauser was unable to answer questions, but on
returning to the house gasped out, ``Went court garden . . . man . . .
had a knife . . . gave a bag . . . struck . . . I ran as I could . . .
bag must lie there.'' It was found that he had a narrow wound under
the center of his left breast, caused by a sharp, double-edged weapon.
He claimed that on the morning of the founteenth, a man brought him a
message from the court gardener, asking him to look at some clay from
a newly bored well. When he went there, another man came forward, gave
him a bag, stabbed him and fled. There was snow in the vicinity of the
stabbing, but no footprints beyond a single track, perhaps Hauser's
own. The bag contained a note in mirror writing containing vague
phrases about coming from the Bavarian frontier. Hauser died within
three or four days, his heart having been injured."
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As to Hauser's historical significance, his story has certainly
captured the imagination, if nothing else. The main "categories" (if
I can use that imprecise term) for the interest in Hauser seems to be:
--The Wild Child: How does a boy who appears almost witless -- and
without the normal socialization most of us have -- manage to adjust,
grow and learn in the presence of civilization.
--The Paranormal: Did Hauser have unusual psychic/spiritual powers?
Some people believe he did.
--The Mysterious: Where the h*ll did he come from? And what the heck
happened to him at the end?
There are numerous works of fact and fiction in which he is the
central character; a 1994 movie; and some works of theater.
He has a substantial presence on the internet as well, with more than
17,000 sites returned for a Google search on [ "Kaspar Hauser" OR
"Kasper Hauser" ].
I've listed some of the key English-language resources here:
Websites:
Kaspar Hauser
Notes Kaspar Hauser Kaspar Hauser. A strange boy was found in
Nürnberg,
Germany on Whit Monday of 1828. He was about 16 years old ...
Description: Brief account of his life and mystery.
Category: Science > Anomalies and Alternative Science > Anomalous
People
kbs.cs.tu-berlin.de/~jutta/me/notes/kaspar-hauser.html
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Kaspar Hauser - The History & The Play
Written by Charlene Collison and Michael Chase
"Kaspar Hauser was first discovered on Whit Monday 1828, standing
unsteadily in a square in Nuremberg, dressed in clumsy clothing. In
his hand he held a cryptic note instructing the captain it was
addressed to that A'... if he isn't good for anything (the captain)
must either kill him or hang him in the chimney".
http://www.mask-studio.co.uk/Article.htm
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The Enigma of Kasper Hauser
... Herzog’s screenplay for Kaspar Hauser is based upon the man’s
diary (much ... There is a profound philosophy at the base of Kasper
Hauser: How does emotional...
www.notcoming.com/reviews/kasperhauser.html
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Kaspar Hauser - Wild Child of Europe
[nice, lengthy write up here, if you want more details]
http://www.mysteriouspeople.com/Hauser1.htm
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Publications:
Lang, Andrew. Historical Mysteries. London: Smith Elder, 1904.
Sampath, Ursula. Kaspar Hauser: A Modern Metaphor. Columbia, S.C.:
Camden House, 1991.
Singh, Joseph Amrito Lal. Wolf-children and Feral Man. Hamden, Conn.:
Archon Books, 1965.
Stanhope, Earl. Tracts Relative to Caspar Hauser. London: James S.
Hodson, 1836.
I hope this is the information you are looking for. If you need any
additional information, please let me know through a Request for
Clarification, and I'll be glad to help your further. |
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