Kaspar Hauser-Real or a fraud?

[Tani]

Kaspar Hasuer was found by a shoemaker in Nuremberg, Germany...

http://www.mysteriouspeople.com/Hauser1.htm

(Hope the link works!) I supposed it would be easier to give a link, rather than to write it all down

Now what I'm asking is:
Do you think Kasper was real and told the truth, and all those 'accidents' really were accidents? Or do you think differently?
To be honest, I don't really know. I think that he was confined, and was so desperate for attention that all these events happened, but that he lied an awful lot. I also think that, maybe he commited suicide...For some unknown reason. But other than that, it's all rather strange,

So what do you think about him?

[Frank]

Hello Tani,

I was born in Nuremberg and grew up there, so I am interested in the case Kaspar Hauser since my childhood. Then I believed that his story was real, but I was a child and knew nothing more than the legend itself.
In the 90ies my interest came up again due to a very good movie picture, but its prince legend did not convince me.
Some time ago I read the arguments for fraud on the German wikipedia http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaspar_Hauser (the German site is far betten than the English one, but I suppose you don't speak German, do you), and they made me really think about. But when I was almost convinced that his story was a fraud, I saw a documentary on (public) tv, in which they presented a wooden toy horse found at the reconstruction of a moated castle in the Oberpfalz(Upper Palatinate). This was found in a former dungeon and fitted the description of Kaspar Hauser's horse. It also fitted in its size and proportions a child's drawing of a toy horse found in another dungeon near Lauffenberg at the river Rhine. Near that castle a message in a bottle alleged to Kaspar Hauser was found in 1816. This message also contains a hint to that dungeon at Lauffenberg. In this documentation they also present the new DNA analysis, which conflicts the first analysis and resurrects the prince theory.
So I am more confused than ever. But something tells me it's a fraud, just a feeling.

Best regards,
Frank

[JSchmidt]

Really interesting case with many problematic statements both by Kaspar himself and different experts. Like him being to walk (if quite awkward) after years of not using his legs and him not showing any deficits that come with a lack of light and being spoken to. Almost as impossible to solve as the JtR case.

[Mayerling]

Does anyone know who is the current hereditary Prince of Baden or pretender to that title?

Jeff

[HollyDolly]

Kaspar Hauser Real or fraud?

That's for the post Frank. I wish i could have seen the show. I don't think everything about Kaspar was a fraud,but there are so many unaswered questions about him. Now it is possible he stabbed himself, but where and how did he dispose of the weapon? Could it be he ,if a fraud was going to be found out and couldnot keep the deception going any longer, hence a possible suicide ?

Frank, so you were born in Nuremberg? I have cousins there on my late father's side of the family. His relatives own the firm of August and Jean Hilpert still as far as I know.I'd love to go there someday.
Do you know if there are any books on Kaspar Hauser in english?

[Mrs. Fiddymont]

I have been fascinated by Kasper Hauser for years!

I simply find the whole thing baffling. None of it really makes any sense. Except that apparently, someone called Kasper Hauser did exist, and that he died under extremely mysterious circumstances--and that the whole story, while very very bizarre, had plenty of people to prove that (generally speaking) it did happen.

I too thought it was some kind of fanciful thinking to suggest that this boy might be an actual prince, but the DNA results I heard (far too little!!) about seem to suggest that, well, just maybe...

I would love to know more about it. And yes, please let us know if there are any books, articles, etc in English where we English-speakers can learn more about this fascinating unsolved mystery!