The Fritzl Family’s Facade
Josef Fritzl was born in Austria in 1935, shortly before the start of World War II. Living in Amstetten, he fell for a woman named Rosemarie, who was four years younger. In 1956, they got married. The pair lived a tranquil and unassuming life in Lower Austria, welcoming three sons and four daughters together. Their daughter, Elisabeth, was born on April 6, 1966.
Josef worked as an electrical engineer and made a name for himself in the industry as an engineering equipment salesman who was always building. Though Rosemarie and Josef Fritzl had seven children to care for, Elisabeth appeared to be the most problematic—in the eyes of her father, at least.
