| Wolfgang Priklopil | |
|---|---|
 Passport photograph of Priklopil |
|
| Born | May 14 1962 Hainburg an der Donau, Austria |
| Died | August 23 2006 (aged 44) Vienna, Austria |
| Occupation | Telecommunications technician |
Wolfgang Priklopil (May 14, 1962 in Hainburg - August 23, 2006 in Vienna) was an Austrian communications technician. He is identified as the person who had kidnapped the then 10 year old Natascha Kampusch and held her for eight years, committing suicide after her escape. Priklopil was born to Karl and Waltraud Priklopil, in Hainburg, an only child. Karl was a cognac salesman and Waltraud a shoe saleswoman.[1] Priklopil worked for a time at Siemens as a communications technician. He kidnapped Kampusch on the morning of 2 March 1998 as she was on her way to school. Priklopil kept her in a custom built basement (commonly referred to as a 'dungeon') under his house in Strasshof, Lower Austria. The house was built by Priklopil's grandfather, Oskar Priklopil, after World War II.[1] During the Cold War period, Oskar and his son Karl built a nuclear shelter, which is believed to be the origin of Kampusch's dungeon. Priklopil took over the house in 1984 following his grandmother's death. Kampusch escaped on 23 August 2006. After a police chase, from which he escaped, Priklopil committed suicide by stepping in front of a moving railroad train near the Vienna Northern Station.[2][3] He was buried on September 8, 2006 in the Piplitz family grave in the town of Laxenburg, south of Vienna.
References
- ^ a b ""The silence of the lamb"", Guardian. Retrieved on 2006-12-10. (English)
- ^ Katie, Duke. "'Respect my privacy' says kidnap victim", Guardian Unlimited, 2006-08-27. Retrieved on 2006-08-27. (English)
- ^ Strohecker, Karin. "Austrian girl's suspected kidnapper kills himself", Washington Post, 24 August 2006. Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
