Soko Linz: Murder in the women's pole gym shocks the city!

Soko Linz: Murder in the women's pole gym shocks the city!

On June 20, 2025, the crime series “SOKO Linz” visited a particularly explosive topic as part of its current episode. The gruesome murder of Heidi Gallos becomes the starting point of the investigation in a women-only pole fitness studio in Linz. Investigators Johanna “Joe” Haizinger, played by Katharina Stemberger, and Ben Halberg, played by Daniel Gawlowski, face a tricky case that delves deeper into the world of feminism and pole fitness.

In this episode, which was directed by Claudia Jüptner-Jonstorff, Lilo Priess and Ines Staffelbauer, portrayed by the team around actors Zoe Straub and Konstanze Dutzi, initially seem desperate. As wives of suspects in the murder case, they bring additional complexity to the plot. The characters Erich Staffelbauer, Guntmar Priess and Roman Gartner, played by David Oberkogler, Rainer Wöss and Michael Danglund, also contribute to the tension of the plot.

Feminism in focus

This episode not only draws attention to the murder, but also provokes reflection on the role of pole dancing as a feminist practice. According to a dissertation written in 2011 by Kerry Louise Allen at the University of Nottingham, pole dancing classes play a significant role for women in health and fitness clubs. Many participants see their participation as an expression of freedom of choice and control, although at the same time they are exposed to the pressure of social expectations. This can challenge the idea that pole dancing always offers real empowerment.

Allen has found in her research that perceptions of pole dancing cannot simply be classified as “empowering” or “demeaning.” The women in her study often distance themselves from both the stripper identity and specific feminist movements, pointing to the complex relationship between female self-image and societal norms.

The connection to the murder case

In the context of the Heidi Gallos murder case, “SOKO Linz” shows how empowerment and the challenges women face are intertwined. While the investigators Joe and Ben try to find the perpetrator, the environment of the women who create a space of self-determination for themselves in the world of pole dancing is also examined.

The episode's portrayals of characters not only promote the crime element, but also emphasize societal dynamics and the role of women in various social spaces, including fitness and leisure. The episode also addresses the tension between individual emancipation and the social structures that influence it.

Overall, the episode of “SOKO Linz” offers an exciting mix of crime story and social commentary expressed through the lens of feminism and pole fitness, which gives the plot a supporting depth.