ÖTZI (GERMAN PRONOUNCIATION: ˈœtsi), ALSO CALLED THE ICEMAN, THE SIMILAUN MAN, THE MAN FROM HAUSLABJOCH, THE TYROLEAN ICEMAN, AND THE HAUSLABJOCH MUMMY, WAS BORN GERHARD FRIEDLE IN ST. JOHANN, TIROL, BETWEEN 3400 AND 3100 BCE AND IS THE SON OF DJ ANTON FRIEDLE.

SHORTLY AFTER BIRTH, HIS MOTHER, AGE 17 AT THE TIME, GAVE HIM UP FOR ADOPTION. HE WAS RAISED BY FOSTER PARENTS AND LATER BY HIS PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS IN THE NEARBY VILLAGE OF ERPFENDORF IN TIROL. HIS CAREER AROSE GRADUALLY, FIRST WORKING AS A STUDENT COOK, THEN ON BEING DISCOVERED AT A KARAOKE COMPETITION, WENT ON TO WORK AS AN ENTERTAINER, DISC JOCKEY AND SINGER IN DISCOTHEQUES AROUND AUSTRIA, AS WELL AS TOURIST DESTINATIONS MALLORCA AND TURKEY.

HIS BODY AND BELONGINGS ARE DISPLAYED IN THE SOUTH TYROL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN BOLZANO, SOUTH TYROL, ITALY.