Born during the Great Depression in 1931 Vienna, Elfriede Blauensteiner's early life was marked by hardship, a cold and distant mother, and the looming shadow of World War II. In this episode, we explore her difficult upbringing, her troubled first marriage, and her eventual meeting with Rudolf Blauensteiner, her second husband. But this is no story of redemption—Blauensteiner would later become a notorious serial killer with a dangerous addiction to gambling. These early years set the foundation for the darker chapters of her life yet to come.

Elfriede Blauensteiner, serial killer, Great Depression, Vienna 1931, World War II, difficult childhood, cold mother, first marriage, divorce, Rudolf Blauensteiner, second husband, gambling addiction, Austrian history, early life challenges.