exact time of construction of the Hinterkaifeck farm, unfortunately, is not recorded in any documents available to researchers. Time has taken its toll, and many archives have been lost or destroyed. However, judging by the preserved fragmentary information, photographs, and eyewitness descriptions, as well as by the architectural style of the building, it can be assumed with a high degree of certainty that the farm was probably erected in the late 19th or early 20th century, during a period of active development of agriculture in Bavaria.
The building was a typical farmhouse for Bavaria at that time: a two-story structure, built of durable stone and wood, materials available in this area. Stone provided strength and durability to the structure, and wood was used for the construction of floors, walls, and the roof.
Hinterkaifeck was arranged in such a way that its inhabitants could live and work without practically leaving the complex. The residential house, outbuildings, and even the barn were connected into a single unit, forming a complex system of passages and corridors. This created a sense of seclusion and security, but at the same time made the farm vulnerable. It was thanks to this isolation and the ability to move between buildings without going outside that the perpetrator was able to carry out his plan, remaining unnoticed for a long time.
The roof of the farm was covered with red tiles, laid in the traditional Bavarian style. The tiles protected the house from the weather, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. The roof had a steep slope, which allowed snow to slide down easily, without creating additional stress on the structure.
The house was closely adjoined by outbuildings necessary for farming and providing for the life of the farming family: a spacious barn for storing hay and grain, a stable for keeping horses and other domestic animals, a shed for storing agricultural implements, and other auxiliary premises, such as a wood shed, a chicken coop, and a pigsty.
All these buildings formed a single complex, closely connected with the life of the farming family, providing them with everything necessary for survival and prosperity. The Hinterkaifeck farm was not just a house, but a whole world, in which the life of several generations of Bavarian peasants unfolded.
The Hinterkaifeck farm, like many other peasant farms in Bavaria, was most likely built by one of the members of the Gruber family, which owned it for several generations, passing it from hand to hand, from father to son, from grandfather to grandson. This was the land of their ancestors, the roots of the family, the source of their life and well-being. They invested their labor, their hopes, their dreams in this land.
The location of Hinterkaifeck was relatively secluded. There was a decent distance to the nearest houses, and several kilometers to the village of Groben itself. Due to its remoteness, the farm was quite isolated from the surrounding world. A narrow dirt road, surrounded by forest, led to the farm. This created a sense of detachment from the outside world, which played a fateful role in the tragic events of the spring of 1922. The farm was far from busy highways and transport routes, which made it difficult to access and made it vulnerable.
The farm itself, if you could see it in those last peaceful days, was a huge, austere stone structure, shaped like a giant Latin letter «I». The living quarters, spacious and probably well-furnished, made up the main part of the house, while the stable and barn adjoined them under one roof. Thus, everything necessary for living and working on the farm was under one roof, in close interweaving. This, combined with the remoteness of the farm, created an atmosphere of self-sufficiency and isolation.
Outside, order reigned in a large open courtyard, paved with rough stone slabs. On the left, a small shed stood separately, serving as both a bakery and a laundry room. Its chimney rose above the roof, spreading the aroma of freshly baked bread, which, however, was never felt in the house again. In the courtyard adjacent to the main building, there were sheds for storing hay, as well as enclosures for livestock, creating a scene familiar to a peasant yard. Everything was in its place, familiar and calm.
And yet, despite its apparent reliability and durability, Hinterkaifeck seemed to exude a certain gloom, as if it harbored an unspoken secret. On quiet evenings, when the sun set over the horizon and a thick shadow enveloped the forest, it seemed that the walls of the farm were compressing, and invisible observers were hiding in the dark corners.
The attic seemed particularly sinister. The creaky floorboards, the whisper of the wind in the cracks, and the bizarre shadows cast by the moonlight created the feeling that something invisible and unkind lived there. Sometimes at night, strange sounds came from there – either a rustle or a creak, which made the blood run cold in your veins.
And although the Gruber family had grown accustomed to this gloomy atmosphere and had learned not to pay attention to the strange sounds, an inexplicable fear lurked in the depths of each of them. Fear of the dark, of the forest, of what is hidden in the shadows.
Hinterkaifeck seemed to be waiting for something. Waiting for its hour to reveal its terrible secret. And this hour was approaching with every minute, with every creak of the floorboards, with every rustle in the forest.
Chapter 5
The House Where the Light Goes Out
The Hinterkaifeck farm, immersed in the Bavarian outback, belonged to the Gruber family. It was said that they lived in prosperity – the land was fertile, the livestock was well-groomed. But money, as you know, does not always guarantee peace.
The Grubers were not loved by their neighbors. They lived reclusively, as if guarding some secret, and this always causes suspicion. They were shunned, whispered about behind their backs, called strange, even sinful. As if the shadow of an ancient curse lay on the farm.
Few documents about the Grubers have survived, memories are vague, and rumors… rumors are painted in dark colors. It was felt that something was wrong in this house, that something dark was hidden behind the external decency. As if behind the locked doors of Hinterkaifeck, its own sinister drama was unfolding, which no one was supposed to know about.
The Grubers lived as if in a besieged fortress, cut off from the world not only by the stone walls of the farm, but also by an invisible wall of alienation. Rarely was anyone seen at village festivals or in church; they did not share their joys or sorrows with their neighbors. And the neighbors, admittedly, did not particularly strive for communication, trying to turn to them only in case of extreme necessity. As if they felt that something unkind was in the air in Hinterkaifeck, that it was better to stay away from this place.
The only exception was Viktoria, the daughter of Cäzilia and Andreas. This tall, slender girl, unlike her parents, did not shun the outside world. She was the thread that connected Hinterkaifeck to the surrounding villages. Viktoria went to school in Weidhofen, where, albeit reluctantly, she communicated with other children and teachers. These few hours away from the farm were a breath of fresh air for her, a rare opportunity to feel part of ordinary life.
On the way to school, and sometimes on household chores, Viktoria sometimes exchanged a couple of words with the postman or passing merchants. These conversations were short and formal, but even they served as a thin thread connecting her with the outside world, reminding her that she was not completely forgotten. Helping around the house and rare visits to church services also gave her the opportunity to escape, albeit briefly, from the oppressive atmosphere of the house.
Viktoria was mostly spoken of well – sweet, quiet, with a beautiful voice. She was a pretty girl, but there was a strange detachment in her appearance. It seemed that she lived in her own world, cut off from the cruel reality surrounding her.
It was said that her angelic singing in the church choir seemed to atone for the sins committed within the walls of the farm. But even in church, in a holy place, Viktoria could not completely relax, as if she was afraid that Andreas’ shadow would catch up with her there. She feared her father like fire, never contradicted him, avoided his gaze, and unquestioningly carried out all his orders. But even this did not save her from anger –