Thirty years after his death, Jack Unterweger still fascinates humanity. Author and journalist Malte Herwig has looked at the case again from a different perspective and wants to answer one question in particular: how did he manage to manipulate people like that?
Jack Unterweger, a convicted female murderer from the early 1970s, was sentenced to life in prison. He discovered writing in Stein Prison and was later celebrated as a writer.
Between prison and fame
“Jack is not a simple serial killer, but an impostor. He has deceived people. One has to imagine that the ORF hired a convicted murderer to investigate his own red light district murders. “You can’t make that up,” says German writer Malte Herwig, who has interviewed war criminals, murderers and psychopaths.
In his current book “Austrian Psycho” (Molden, 18.90 euros) he processes the results of his years of research from the perspective of a cultural worker who supported Jack Unterweger as “Häfnpoeten”. “Imagine this: Jack Unterweger gave lectures after his parole. After the events he looked for a victim and murdered the women,” the German summarizes the killer’s tactics.
Travel to the childhood of the female murderer
For his podcast “JACK. “Greed eats beauty,” Herwig traveled to Carinthia and looked at the hut in the Wimitz Valley where Unterweger grew up with his grandfather. “That was really scary. I could literally see Jack’s life behind the cobwebs.
Herwig was always interested in two things, namely culture and crime, the abysses. And with Jack Unterweger both come together. The journalist spoke for the first time with former employees of the Stein prison. Former Colonel Willibald Zach reports that Jack manipulated people. He completed his high school graduation while in prison and discovered writing.
Jack as a plagiarist
“Another thing I discovered is that all of Unterweger’s writing was a shame; he couldn’t write at all. This book ‘Purgatory’ is actually not a bad book, but I have found a lot of evidence that he did not write it himself. But he was a plagiarist. “He could kill, but he could not write,” according to the German’s investigation. He made minimal changes to poems by Hermann Hesse and used the lines for his work.
A DNA test of a hair and a special knotting technique confirmed that Jack was the killer. Literary figures such as Elfriede Jelinek, Erich Fried and Ernst Jandl campaigned for his release after the first murder. Then the intellectuals had to swallow when the handcuffs clicked on the celebrated poet because of multiple murders.
What is special about Malte Herwig’s book, in addition to the narrative technique and the high literary level, is the meticulousness with which he collapses Unterweger’s fabric of lies.
Astrid Wagner, one of Austria’s most famous lawyers, was once Unterweger’s last confidante and also his last lover. Although there was ‘only one kiss’ between her and the prostitute killer. At the time, during his pre-trial detention, before his spectacular trial in Graz.
“I had read media reports about his case, was convinced of his innocence and therefore visited him – as a very young lawyer – behind bars. To give him strength.’ And as a result, “a deep relationship developed between the two of us.”
Lawyer doubts the correctness of the verdict
How much influence did ‘Jack’ have on Astrid Wagner’s future life, even after his suicide? “Very. It was probably because of him that I became a criminal lawyer. To support men and women who are in a similar situation to him; to fight for their rights in court.” It almost sounds like you’re questioning the accuracy of his judgment. “What’s true. I’m still not sure if he was actually a serial killer. Or that he was simply portrayed that way by the judiciary.”
On the other hand, she knows clearly: “He was an extremely empathetic person with whom I always felt at ease. I could have intelligent conversations with him, I could laugh with him, I could be sad with him.” Postscript: “But of course Jack also had dark sides in him – like every person in this world.” Whether these dark sides were in him stronger than his good – “unfortunately I will probably never know that again”…
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
