He was known as an eccentric who left his mark on the Munich chic scene like no other: designer Rudolph Moshammer, nicknamed Mosi, was an absolute original. His appearance and style made him a household name in the city. This January marked the 20th anniversary of his gruesome murder. We take a look back at the life of a Munich fashion icon.
Beloved mother, difficult father
Rudolph Moshammer was born in Munich on September 27, 1940. Initially, the family was wealthy and Mosi grew up well protected for the first few years. However, when his father was forced to change jobs in 1956 and lost his new position soon afterwards, the tide turned. The family was threatened with homelessness and had to fear for their future at Leopoldstraße 20. The father took refuge in alcoholism and became violent, which is why Rudolph fled with his mother Else. They moved together to Agnesstraße, while his Moshammer father became homeless and died a few years later.
His mother was always by his side, even after his breakthrough as a fashion designer. They ran the boutique in Maximilianstrasse together and appeared in public together until Else’s death in 1993. Mosi designed the mausoleum for his mother in which she was laid to rest in Munich’s Ostfriedhof cemetery. Her purple dyed hair also made her an eye-catcher.
He was deeply moved by the fate of his father, which is why Rudolph Moshammer became involved in helping the homeless and addicts. He set up the “Light for the Homeless” foundation and for years invited homeless people to a Christmas dinner where he gave them presents. He sponsored a detox center for alcoholics and supported the homeless newspaper BISS.
From retailer to fashion czar
Rudolph Moshammer initially trained as a retail salesman and worked in various fashion stores. But his dream was a different one. Rumor has it that he completed an internship at Dior in Paris; whether this is true or not is not known. In any case, he did not do an apprenticeship as a tailor. Nevertheless, in 1968 he opened “Carnaval de Venise” in Maximilianstrasse, which he ran with his mother. This bold move was quickly crowned with success, making him internationally famous. Celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Thomas Gottschalk and Roberto Blanco dressed in Mosi’s ready-to-wear fashion. Malicious tongues claimed that these were not designed by him, but this could never be proven.
In public, Mosi always appeared in an unusual wig, in a suit and with a beard. After Else’s death, his Yorkshire terrier Daisy, whose head was adorned with a bow, accompanied him to his appearances. After his death, Moshammer’s chauffeur took care of the animal. In 2006, she succumbed to a lung disease
Both Daisy and Moshammer appeared in films and on television. Daisy starred in an episode of the RTL series “Unter uns” and was seen together with her owner in a Nescafé advertisement. Mosi appeared in several “Tatort” episodes and in the film “666 – Traue keinem, mit dem du schläfst!” He has also tried his hand in the theater and even in music, taking part in the preliminary round of the Eurovision Song Contest 2001.
The murder of Rudolph Moshammer in his villa
On January 14, 2005, 64-year-old Rudolph Moshammer took a young man to his villa in Grünwald in his Rolls Royce. He had promised him €2,000 for sexual services. There was a dispute about the payment, which is why the man finally strangled Moshammer with an electric cable. His DNA was found at the scene of the crime and he confessed.
Mosi’s death affected many people. They placed candles at his villa and in front of his boutique to express their condolences. The designer was buried in the mausoleum at the East Cemetery next to his mother. His boutique was sold. Until 2024, Maximilianstrasse 14 was occupied by a store of the watch manufacturer Blancpain instead.
Three years after the crime, the nephew of the heir Walter Käßmeyer moved into the villa in Grünwald. The property has since been converted into an apartment building. The proceeds from the sale of his Rolls Royce and his mother Else’s jewelry went to BISS. In 2018, Rudolph Moshammer was immortalized in the “Sky of Fame” in the Stachus-Passagen shopping mall. Mosi remains unforgotten in the memories of many Munich residents anyway.