The Haunted House in Rosenheim, Königsstraße 13
The Rosenheim Haunting: Mysterious Events in a Small Bavarian Town
The Rosenheim Haunting is a fascinating phenomenon from the 1960s that continues to puzzle us to this day. In this article, you will learn everything there is to know about the Rosenheim Haunting, the people involved, and the various theories surrounding these inexplicable occurrences.
The Start of the Haunting
The Events in 1967
In the fall of 1967, strange incidents occurred in a law office in the small Bavarian town of Rosenheim, which went down in history as the "Rosenheim Haunting."
In Sigmund Adam's law firm, odd things happened, including pictures on the walls rotating uncontrollably, shelves suddenly tipping over, and lights spontaneously turning on and off. The office equipment and furniture seemed to develop a life of their own without any apparent cause. The telephone system was also affected: there were recurring mysterious calls where no one could be heard on the other end of the line. The frequency of calls reached up to 600 per day, significantly disrupting the office's operations.
Annemarie Schneider – at the Center of the Haunting
The 19-year-old secretary Annemarie Schneider was at the center of these strange occurrences. As soon as she was nearby, the manifestations intensified. Reports suggest that the unexplainable phenomena also occurred outside the law office, whether she was at her apartment or other places.
Some witnesses reported objects moving in her presence or spontaneous temperature fluctuations nearby. When she was let go in December 1967, the inexplicable events abruptly stopped.
Investigations and Theories
Scientific Investigations
The Rosenheim Haunting quickly attracted the interest of scientists. Physicists and psychologists examined the incidents and could not find a natural explanation.
Physicist Hans Bender, who was then leading the Institute for the Border Areas of Psychology and Mental Hygiene, studied the case intensively. His investigations concluded that the occurrences could not be attributed to electromagnetic disturbances, earthquakes, or other physical phenomena. The anomalies occurred even when all possible external sources of disturbance were eliminated.
Other scientists, including physicist and parapsychologist Walter von Lucadou, also investigated the case and could not find a conventional explanation for the observed phenomena. They conducted numerous experiments to rule out potential causes such as electromagnetic fields, acoustic vibrations, or mechanical effects. Nevertheless, the incidents remained puzzling and inexplicable.
Parapsychological Theories
Some researchers suspected that the Rosenheim Haunting could be attributed to paranormal forces unconsciously emanating from Annemarie Schneider.
The theory suggests that she would have developed psychokinetic forces in a state of emotional tension and stress that caused the unexplained incidents.
These forces could move objects, influence electrical devices, and create other physical effects without any discernible cause. The so-called "psychokinesis" - the influence of the physical world by mental forces - is, however, scientifically controversial and not widely accepted.
Hans Bender and other parapsychologists have tried to support this theory through experimental investigations but were unable to find definitive evidence for the existence of psychokinetic abilities in Annemarie Schneider or others. Nevertheless, the psychokinetic theory remains one of the most widespread explanations for the Rosenheim Haunting.
Over the years, various books, documentaries, and films about the Rosenheim Haunting have been released, keeping interest in this inexplicable phenomenon alive.
Here is a selection of the most well-known works:
Books
- Hans Bender: "Der Rosenheim-Spuk: Ein Fall spontaner Psychokinese" (1968): This book is one of the first works that deals in detail with the case and documents the investigations of the author and parapsychologist Hans Bender.
- Fanny Moser: "Spuk: Ein Rätsel der Menschheit" (1970): In this book, the author dedicates a chapter to the Rosenheim Haunting and considers it in the context of other haunting phenomena.
Documentaries
- "Der Rosenheim-Spuk" (1974): This German documentary examines the events and presents interviews with involved individuals, including Annemarie Schneider, Sigmund Adam, and Hans Bender.
- "Grenzwissenschaften – Der Rosenheim-Spuk" (2003): In this TV documentary, the events of 1967 are revisited, and various theories to explain the haunting are introduced.
Movies
- "Das Rosenheim-Experiment" (1994): This German feature film loosely based on the events of the Rosenheim Haunting focuses on the psychokinetic theory. The main character, a young secretary, is haunted by inexplicable phenomena that affect her daily life and relationships.
- "Der Fall Rosenheim" (1996): This TV production is a crime film that uses the events of 1967 as a backdrop for a fictional story in which an investigator tries to uncover the cause of the haunting.
Although there are not many works dealing exclusively with the Rosenheim Haunting, the case remains an important part of parapsychology and fringe sciences. The events of 1967 have sparked interest in unexplainable phenomena and provide material for further investigations, discussions, and creative interpretations.