HAMBURG — 1975 · Serial Murder
The Honka Killings in Ottensen
Fritz Honka, a Hamburg dock worker and night watchman, killed four women he had met in bars around the St. Pauli district between 1970 and 1975. The killings came to light on 17 July 1975, when firefighters tackling a blaze in a building on Zeißstraße in Ottensen discovered human remains in his attic flat. Honka was arrested and confessed. On 20 December 1976 a Hamburg court sentenced him to 15 years for one murder and three counts of manslaughter and ordered his committal to a psychiatric institution. Released in 1993, he died in 1998. The case is remembered because the victims, women on society's margins, went unmissed for years; it inspired the 2019 film 'The Golden Glove'.
- Date
- 1975
- Place
- Ottensen, Hamburg, Germany, Hamburg, DE
- Category
- Serial Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 53.5535, 9.9275 ↗
Timeline of Events
- December 1970The first killing linked to the series took place.
- 1974–1975Three more women disappeared; their absence drew little attention.
- 17 July 1975Firefighters found remains during a fire in Ottensen; the offender was arrested.
- 20 December 1976He received 15 years and psychiatric committal.
- 1998He died a few years after his release.
Sources
- Volksstimme — Serienmörder Fritz Honka: Biografie, Morde, Opfer volksstimme.de ↗
- Wikipedia — Fritz Honka en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Volksstimme
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
Related Cases
More cases from the 1970s
Categories
Collections
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.