Rosemarie Fritzl: Who Is Josef Fritzl’s Ex-Wife? Wikipedia, Age, Kids, Family, Death
Rosemarie Fritzl is the former wife of Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who shocked the world in 2008 when it was revealed that he had kept their daughter Elisabeth as a sex slave in a hidden basement for 24 years, fathering seven children with her.
Rosemarie, who divorced Josef in 2012, has always maintained that she was unaware of his horrific crimes and that she was also a victim of his manipulation and lies. But how much did she know, and where is she now?
Early Life and Marriage
Rosemarie Fritzl was born in 1939 in Austria. She married Josef Fritzl in 1956 when she was 17 and he was 21. They had seven children together: three sons and four daughters, including Elisabeth, who was born in 1966. Rosemarie was a homemaker, while Josef worked as an electrical engineer. They lived in a large house in Amstetten, a town in Lower Austria, where Josef had built a secret cellar under the garage.
Rosemarie Fritzl Wiki/Bio
| Name | Rosemarie Fritzl |
| Birth Date | 1939 |
| Birth Place | Austria |
| Age | 85 years (as of 2024) |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Spouse | Josef Fritzl (m. 1956–2012) |
| Children | Elisabeth Fritzl, Ulrike Fritzl, Doris Fritzl, Harald Fritzl, Josef Jnr Fritzl, Rosemarie Jnr Fritzl |
| Grandchildren | Alexander Fritzl, Michael Fritzl, Kerstin Fritzl, Stefan Fritzl, Monika Fritzl, Felix Fritzl, Lisa Fritzl |
| Net Worth | $897,000 (estimated) |
| Current Location | Linz, Austria |
| rosemariefritzl | |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
The Abuse of Elisabeth
According to Elisabeth, Josef began sexually abusing her when she was 11 years old. He would often beat her and threaten to kill her if she told anyone. In 1984, when she was 18, he lured her into the cellar, drugged her, and locked her up. He told Rosemarie and the rest of the family that Elisabeth had run away to join a religious cult, and that she had left letters asking them not to look for her.
He also forged letters from Elisabeth to explain the arrival of three of her children, whom he claimed she had abandoned on their doorstep. Rosemarie accepted his story and raised the children as her own, without ever seeing or speaking to Elisabeth.
The Discovery of the Secret
In 2008, one of Elisabeth’s children, Kerstin, who was 19 at the time, fell seriously ill and was taken to the hospital by Josef. He claimed that he had found a note from Elisabeth asking him to take care of her daughter. The doctors, however, were suspicious and appealed to Elisabeth to come forward.
Josef, fearing that his secret would be exposed, released Elisabeth and the other two children who were still in the cellar, and brought them to the hospital. He told Rosemarie that Elisabeth had returned from the cult with her children, and asked her to act surprised. However, the police soon arrested Josef and interrogated him and Elisabeth separately. Elisabeth revealed the truth about her ordeal, and Josef confessed to his crimes.
The Aftermath of the Scandal
Rosemarie was initially taken into care by the authorities, along with Elisabeth and her children. She was questioned by the police but was cleared of any involvement or knowledge of Josef’s actions. She was also allowed to visit Elisabeth and her children, who had been given new identities and placed in a secret location. However, Elisabeth reportedly rejected her mother, blaming her for not protecting her from Josef. Rosemarie also faced public hostility and scrutiny, as many people doubted her innocence and wondered how she could have been so oblivious to what was happening in her own house.
In 2009, Josef was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, rape, incest, enslavement, and other charges. He was initially held in a psychiatric prison but was later transferred to a regular prison. He changed his name to Josef Mayrhoff and reportedly expressed remorse for his actions. He also tried to reconnect with his family, writing letters to Rosemarie and asking her not to divorce him. However, Rosemarie filed for divorce in 2010, and it was finalized in 2012. She also changed her name and cut off all contact with Josef.
Net Worth
Rosemarie Fritzl’s net worth is not publicly known, as she has been living a low-profile life since the scandal broke out. However, according to one source, her net worth is estimated to be $897,000 as of 2024. This may include the income from her book sales, as well as the compensation that she received from the Austrian government for her suffering.
Career
Rosemarie Fritzl did not have a formal career, as she was a homemaker who took care of her children and grandchildren. She was also a devout Catholic who attended church regularly. She had a difficult marriage with Josef, who was controlling, abusive, and unfaithful. She was unaware of his criminal past, as he had been convicted of rape in 1967 and served 18 months in prison.
She was also unaware of his secret cellar, where he kept Elisabeth and three of her children captive. He told her that Elisabeth had run away to join a religious cult and that she had left three of her children on their doorstep. Rosemarie accepted his story and raised the children as her own, without ever seeing or speaking to Elisabeth.
Nationality
Rosemarie Fritzl was born in 1939 in Austria. She is of Austrian nationality and white ethnicity. She married Josef Fritzl in 1956 when she was 17 and he was 21. They had seven children together: three sons and four daughters, including Elisabeth, who was born in 1966.
Is Rosemarie Fritzl Dead?
Rosemarie Fritzl is not dead, as of January 2024. She is 85 years old and lives in a small flat in Linz, a city 30 miles away from Amstetten. She survives on a small pension and sells homemade handbags and paper flowers.
She has a few friends and occasionally visits her children and grandchildren, who have also changed their names and moved to different places. She rarely speaks to the media and has said that she wants to forget the past and live a normal life.
Current Location
Rosemarie Fritzl lives in a small flat in Linz, a city 30 miles away from Amstetten, where the Fritzl case took place. She moved there after divorcing Josef in 2012 and changed her name to protect her identity. She lives alone, as she has been rejected by Elisabeth, who blames her for not protecting her from Josef.
She also cut off all contact with Josef, who is serving a life sentence in prison. She tries to maintain a low-profile life and avoids the public attention and scrutiny that she faced after the scandal.
The Current Situation of Rosemarie
Rosemarie, who is now 85 years old, lives in a small flat in Linz, a city 30 miles away from Amstetten. She survives on a small pension and sells homemade handbags and paper flowers. She has a few friends and occasionally visits her children and grandchildren, who have also changed their names and moved to different places. She rarely speaks to the media and has said that she wants to forget the past and live a normal life. She has also expressed sympathy for Elisabeth and her children and hoped that they would find happiness and peace.
Rosemarie Fritzl is one of the most tragic figures in the Fritzl case, a woman who was deceived and betrayed by her husband for decades, and who lost her daughter and her family as a result. She has been described as a naive, simple, and loyal wife, who was also a victim of Josef’s abuse and domination. However, she has also been criticized as a negligent, ignorant, and complicit mother, who failed to notice or question the signs of Josef’s evil deeds. The truth may never be fully known, but one thing is certain: Rosemarie Fritzl will always carry the burden of her husband’s monstrous crimes.
