Walburga Oesterreich

Walburga "Dolly" Oesterreich (b. approx 1864 or 1870 in Germany or Milwaukee, Wisconsin; d. 1961 in Los Angeles) was an American homemaker and wife of a wealthy textile manufacturer. She is famous for her bizarre affair with Walter Klein. The story inspired The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom and was the basis for a TV film starring Neil Patrick Harris.

Oesterreich first became friendly with Klein around 1903 and described him as her "vagabond half-brother."cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Vagabond |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,752478-2,00.html |work=Time Magazine |publisher= |date=1930-04-28 |accessdate=2008-04-02 ] While living in Milwaukee, Klein lived in an attic unknown to Oesterreich's husband, Fred Oesterreich. When the Oesterreichs moved to Los Angeles, a second secret room was constructed for Klein. In 1922, after overhearing an argument between the Oesterreichs, Klein came out of the attic, shot Fred Oesterreich, and pushed Walburga Oesterreich into a closet. The door was locked from the outside, and therefore Oestereich was not charged in the killing of her husband; Klein escaped punishment for 8 years.

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