The Hopfgarten Poltergeist

In 1921, a farmhouse in Hopfgarten in the Austrian Tyrol became the site of a poltergeist outbreak. The case was investigated by researchers and documented in paranormal literature of the period.

The Activity

Objects moved by themselves throughout the farmhouse. Items flew through the air. Furniture was overturned. The family was terrified by phenomena they could not explain or control.

The Focus

As with many poltergeist cases, the activity seemed centered on a young person in the household. The phenomena occurred most intensely in their presence and decreased when they were away.

The Investigation

Researchers documented the case, interviewing witnesses and observing the household. They ruled out fraud after careful observation. The phenomena appeared genuine and inexplicable.

The Pattern

The Hopfgarten case followed patterns seen in other documented poltergeists: adolescent focus, flying objects, and gradual cessation. It added to the European literature on the phenomenon.

Assessment

The Hopfgarten poltergeist demonstrates the international nature of the phenomenon. Similar cases were occurring across Europe and America during this period, suggesting a universal human experience rather than cultural invention.