Hans Staininger (mayor)
Hans Staininger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1508/1540 Pfarrkirchen, Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | September 28, 1567 Braunau am Inn, Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire |
| Other names | Hans Steininger, Johann Staininger |
| Occupation | Burgomaster |
| Known for | Having the world's longest beard until Hans Langseth |
Hans Staininger or Steininger (1508/1540 - September 28, 1567) was the burgomaster of Braunau am Inn (then Bavaria, now Austria) who died when he broke his neck by tripping over his own beard.[1][2] The beard, which was 4.5 feet (1.4 m) long at the time, was usually kept rolled up in a leather pouch.[3]
Biography
According to Benedikt Pillwein and Joseph Kyselak, Hans Staininger was born in the city of Pfarrkirchen and was elected as the burgomaster of Braunau am Inn six times throughout his life. He was famous for having the longest beard in the world at the time, with a length of 4.5 feet (1.4 m) On September 28, 1567, Staininger's house was set ablaze and while trying to escape, he tripped on his beard and accidentally snapped his own neck. Following his death, his beard was taken and given to the Staininger family for several generations. In 1911, the Staininger family donated the beard to the District Museum in Herzogsburg in Lower Austria where it remains (as of December 2025).[1][2][4][5][6][7]
References
- ^ a b Kyselak, Joseph (1829). Skizzen einer Fußreise durch Oesterreich, Steiermark, Kärnthen, Berchtesgaden, Tirol und Baiern nach Wien [Sketches of a Walking Tour Through Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, Tyrol and Bavaria to Vienna] (in German). Vol. 2. Vienna: Pichler. p. 202 – via Munich Digitization Center.
Dieser Hanns Steininger mußte das Opfer seiner angestaunten Merkwürdigkeit werden...
[This Hanns Steininger had to become the victim of his astonished strangeness...] - ^ a b "Prost, Herr Steininger: Bierkrug des Stadthauptmanns wieder in Braunau" [Cheers, Mr. Steininger: The city captain's beer mug back in Braunau]. Oberösterreichische Nachrichten (in German). 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
"...Es dürfte sich aber bei all diesen seltsamen Erzählungen mit großer Wahrscheinlichkeit um Volkssagen handeln", resümieren Manfred und Tamara Rachbauer.
["...But all these strange tales are most likely folk tales," Manfred and Tamara Rachbauer conclude.] - ^ Bryant, Charles W. (2009-03-09). "10 Bizarre Ways to Die". Death & Dying. HowStuffWorks. Archived from the original on 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ Walter Geiring: The beard becomes a deadly tripping hazard . In: Passauer Neue Presse, September 27, 2017, p. 27
- ^ "Johann Staininger, a man with a very long beard. Line engraving, 1814". Wellcome Collection. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
- ^ EITZLMAYR, Max. Braunau - die historische Handelsstadt: Geschichte und Weg der gotischen Stadt am Inn. Stadtamt Braunau, 1997.
- ^ "Anonyme allemand, Portrait de Hans Staininger, conseiller de Braunau en Tyrol". Images d’Art. Archived from the original on 2024-12-14. Retrieved 2025-12-06.