Kaspar Hauser appears in Nuremberg
1828NotableContested
A teenager claiming a life of captivity turns up in Nuremberg and is rumored to be a stolen prince of Baden. DNA tests in 2024 rule that out.
Contested history
Consensus: Kaspar Hauser appeared in Nuremberg in 1828 claiming a lifetime of captivity and died of a stab wound in 1833.
He was the hereditary prince of Baden swapped at birthDebunked
Mitochondrial DNA tests on his hair, published in 2024, do not match the Baden royal line.
He exaggerated or invented parts of his storyDebated
Several contemporaries doubted his account, and some historians think his final wound may have been self-inflicted.
His origins remain unknownEstablished
The DNA results rule out the prince story but do not identify who he was.
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