peter kürten documentary

Dubbed the "Night Stalker," Richard Ramirez was an American serial killer who broke into California homes, raping and torturing more than 25 victims and killing at least 13 over a two-year rampage. Following his release from prison, he moved to Altenburg, where he met and married a former prostitute, who had been jailed for the murder of her fiancé. He was beheaded by Guillotine for his crimes. 9. serial murder: History …Strangler, the Düsseldorf Vampire (Peter Kürten), the Monster of Florence, and the Killer Clown (John Wayne Gacy). Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices During his periods of release between prison spells, Kürten was responsible for various sexual assaults, but his first documented murder victim was 10-year-old Christine Klein. Kürten again returned to the scene of the crime to relive the moment, even speaking to detectives about the murder. Kürten's attacks continued into that winter, and the spring of 1930, but none were fatal, serving only to escalate the horror. That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures.”. This normality was short-lived, however, and Kürten found himself inexorably drawn to Dusseldorf, where his criminal tendencies escalated, from petty crimes to arson attacks, and then to sexual attacks, four of which are certainly attributable to him in the period up until early 1929. Omissions? He spent the next four years living a life of relative normality and found work as a molder (his father's profession), even becoming active in the trade union. Harrowing survivor attacks provided lurid copy for newspapers, an antidote to the growing economic deprivations being inflicted by the Great Depression. Andrei Chikatilo was a former school teacher who murdered more than 50 young people in the Soviet Union. He claimed 79 individual acts of crime in all and went to great lengths to convince the authorities of his guilt, perhaps in the hope that his full cooperation would ensure the maximum financial benefit for his wife. May 14, 1930 saw the start of a chain of events that would result in Kürtens eventual capture. As his dark desires festered, he embraced sadism in all its forms. In 1858, a powerful stench terrorized London for two months. His father, an abusive alcoholic, was imprisoned for three years for attempting to molest Kürten’s 13-year-old sister. Come face to face with the mummified head of the Dusseldorf Vampire in the dark passages of Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Wisconsin Dells. At his trial on nine counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder, Kürten was placed in a special cage to prevent his escape. Born in Germany in 1883 to an impoverished and abusive household, serial killer Peter Kürten began murdering people in 1913. Attacks became more frequent and were widely publicized, throwing the population of Dusseldorf into a panic as the victim count rocketed. According to Berg, Kürten was a sexual psychopath and his crimes represented a perfect example of Lustmord, or murder for pleasure. Between 1800 and 1850, the amount of waste that these sewers dumped into … Learn more about your ad choices. Kürten's trial commenced on April 13, 1931, on charges including nine murders and seven attempted murders. Ian Brady was a Scottish serial killer who murdered multiple children with his girlfriend, Myra Hindley. He offered a young unemployed woman, Maria Budlick, somewhere to stay, and took her to his apartment, hoping to have sex with her. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Genres: Power Electronics. Peter Kürten (26. května 1883, Kolín nad Rýnem, Německé císařství – 2. července 1931, Kolín nad Rýnem, Výmarská republika) přezdívaný "Düsseldorfský netvor" - byl německý sériový vrah. American remake in 1951. Berg’s biography of Kürten would ultimately influence all subsequent scholarship on serial murder. Kürten enjoyed the mass hysteria and horror enormously, feeding off the press attention, even going so far as to contact a newspaper, on November 9, 1929, with a map detailing the position of the body of his latest victim, Gertrude Albermann, a 5-year-old he had stabbed to death two days before, dumping her body under some rubble. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. British serial killer John Christie murdered at least six women, including his wife, before being arrested and hanged in 1953. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Peter III was emperor of Russia for a mere six months in 1762 before he was overthrown by his wife, Catherine the Great, and assassinated in 1762. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He was jailed when captured and remained in prison until 1921, his longest sentence to date, and his rage at this injustice intensified. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. Released in May 1981 on Come Organisation (catalog no. Confessed of 79 offenses, Kürten also admitted to drinking blood of at least one of his victims! Updates? He was killed in 1994 by a fellow prison inmate. The eldest of 13 children, his father was an alcoholic with sadistic tendencies, who brutalized both wife and children, in the one room apartment that they all shared, for the duration of Kürten's childhood. WDC 881010; Vinyl LP). This is a documentary on the true murders and the hunt for the killer Peter Kürten, on which Fritz Lang's 1931 film "M" is based, the introduction of profiling of a killer and what make him one that revolutionized police methods, as well as a look at the police work then and today; details and background on Lang, Lorre and on what happened to them and the film after being banned 1934 by … That last title, made in 1956 by Fritz Lang and as withering in its depiction of a greedy, sensationalist press (plus ça change!) The character is allegedly based on Peter Kürten. He surrendered to police in 1931 and was executed shortly thereafter. He confessed to her that he was the "Dusseldorf Vampire," detailing all the killings and attacks, and he insisted that she would be paid a large reward for turning him over to the authorities. However, exhaustive questioning by the examining magistrate, and a damning litany of evidence, over the subsequent two months, caused him to eventually admit guilt while under interrogation. With M, Lang and his fellow filmmakers, including screenwriter Thea von Harbou [the frequent collaborators were also husband and wife], probably invented the modern police procedural.Inspired by detective fiction, and following their own contributions to the crime film in Germany, Harbou and Lang crafted a film based on a then-recent real-life case: Peter Kürten, also known as … Klein was sexually assaulted and stabbed in her home in Cologne, on May 25, 1913, while her parents worked in their pub below her bedroom. Holmes was the alias of one of America's first serial killers. Biography of Peter Kürten (1883-1931) Biography of Peter Kürten (1883-1931) Considered the "King of the sexual crime" in his time, some current psychologists think that he/she may have been suffering from a disease known as hematodipsia, whose symptoms are a terrible "bloodlust" and certain sexual deviation. In the Düsseldorf area from February to November 1929, he committed a series of brutal and sadistic murders. To outward appearances a successful businessman in a well-tailored suit, he initially retracted his extensive confession, claiming that he had sought only to ensure his wife's financial security. By 1899, at the age of 16, Kürten had progressed to petty crime and ran away from home to escape the continuing violence. But his confidence would be his undoing. This crime escalation reached its peak in the killing of 9-year-old Rosa Ohliger, on February 9, 1929. Rosa was the first of a number of victims that included young girls, women and even men, over the next 15 months. Kürten was called up for military service following the start of World War I, but military discipline did not suit him, and he deserted from his barracks. The Deliberate Stranger (1986) Unfulfilled by bestiality, a young Peter Kürten turned to murder — and discovered his body’s reaction to the sight of blood. Corrections? His relationship with Ufa, the state-operated German film studio, had soured after Lang refused to add sound effects to his previous film, the silent sci-fi melodrama The appalling conditions within the prisons confirmed his sadistic tendencies, which he now transferred from farm animals to humans. Peter Kurten, a German who'd been sent to prison for deserting his comrades, sat in a cell contemplating what to do when he got out. Peter Kürten (26 May 1883 – 2 July 1931) was a German serial killer known as both The Vampire of Düsseldorf and the Düsseldorf Monster, who committed a series of murders and sexual assaults between February and November 1929 in the city of Düsseldorf.. He was committed to an asylum, and the police were convinced that the case was solved. At the time the event was dismissed as a tragic childhood accident. The innocent uncle was cleared of the murder, given the lack of evidence, but Kürten followed his trial with interest, whetting his sadistic appetite for suffering in others. - Peter Kürten Peter Kürten (May 26 1883 - July 2 1931) was a German serial killer and sadistic child-murderer known as "The Vampire of Düsseldorf" who raped and murdered at least nine people between 1913 and 1929. Peter Kürten , genannt „Der Vampir von Düsseldorf“, war ein deutscher Serienmörder. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. He was executed by guillotine on July 2, 1931, in Cologne, Germany. Kürten’s trial became a national event, attracting many academic observers as well as the merely curious. He candidly recounted details of his crimes to the celebrated psychologist Karl Berg, whose The Sadist (1932) became a classic of criminological literature. German serial killer Peter Kürten, known as the "Dusseldorf Vampire," murdered at least nine people before surrendering to police in 1931. During the 1893 Columbian Exposition, he lured victims into his elaborate 'Murder Castle.'. Her uncle, who had an argument with her father, immediately came under suspicion, and Kürten, who returned to the scene of the crime the next day, was enthralled by the horror the killing had invoked in the locals, especially when the sexual assault came to light. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! [49] Kürten also admitted to having decapitated a swan in the spring of 1930 in order that he could drink the blood from the animal's neck, achieving ejaculation in the process. Author of. Two other victims, named Meurer and Wanders, were fortunate to survive brutal hammer attacks, but the very nondescript appearance of Kürten, as described by his victims, made it difficult to narrow down the list of potential suspects. She was stabbed 13 times by Kürten, who climaxed during the brutal attack, before he dumped her body under a hedge, then attempted to set fire to her remains to destroy the evidence. Having pushed one overboard, the second dived in to his rescue, Kürten held both under water until they had suffocated. Throughout Kurten’s reign of terror he maintained a fond attachment to his wife and, recognizing that he would eventually be caught for the rape of Budlick, now that the police knew his identity, he devised a plan to ensure her financial security following his arrest. As Kürten matured sexually, his bestiality extended to sheep, goats, and other farmyard animals, with the teenager discovering particular pleasure when the animal was stabbed during intercourse. On May 24,1930, Frau Kürten reluctantly did as her husband advised, and took the police to their designated rendezvous site, a local church, where Kürten surrendered quietly. as it’s acutely aware of the psychological torment of the killer in question, brings to mind the same director’s M, made in 1931 … During his teenage years he committed numerous petty crimes, and by the time of his last arrest he had been sentenced to prison nearly 30 times. John Wayne Gacy, often called the "Killer Clown," was one of the worst serial killers in U.S. history, raping and murdering at least 33 young male victims. Ida Reuter was raped and killed in September, and a servant girl named Elizabeth Dorrier was battered to death on October 12, 1929. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Kurten. One unlucky victim, Maria Kuhn, survived repeated stabbing by Kürten that caused 24 individual wounds. The film is based on the 1920’s German serial killer named Peter Kürten (also known as ‘The Vampire of Düsseldorf’) who molested and murdered young children. The jury took only 90 minutes to return a verdict of guilty on all counts, and Kürten received nine death sentences. And in 1929, a gruesome killing spree earned him a chilling moniker. A 45-year old mechanic named Scheer followed, five days later, the victim of multiple stab wounds. Hans Beckert is the protagonist villain of the 1931 film M. He is a pedophile and serial killer who targets young children, primarily girls, creating general panic and causing both the police and organized crime to come after him. The next day Kürten assaulted another woman, Gertrude Schulte, who survived the attack, and gave police a description of her attacker as a pleasant-looking male, around 40 years old. Kürten's case was the inspiration for Fritz Lang's famous film "M". Distinguished Professor of History, Baylor University. In the years prior to these assaults, Kürten had amassed a lengthy criminal record for offenses including arson, theft and … When she refused, he agreed to find her somewhere else to stay, but on returning her to the train station, he took her into the nearby forest and raped her before letting her go. With each successive sentence, Kürten's rage against society, and his capacity for depravity, increased. Kürten's petty crime soon led to the first of many short prison sentences, for various misdemeanors, that punctuated his existence over the following years. Peter Kürten, byname Düsseldorf Vampire, (born May 26, 1883, Cologne-Mulheim, Ger.—died July 2, 1931, Cologne), German serial killer whose widely analyzed career influenced European society’s understanding of serial murder, sexual violence, and sadism in the first half of the 20th century. If one is to take Fritz Lang at face value—something that was, apparently, always a risky proposition—M almost didn't get made, because Lang had more or less decided to stop making movies. Peter Sutcliffe was a British serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper whose 1975-80 murder spree left residents of northern England living in fear. https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/peter-kurten. Peter Kürten was born on May 26, 1883 in Mülheim am Rhein, Germany. Kürten was born into extreme deprivation and poverty in Köln-Mullheim, a suburb of Cologne, Germany on May 26, 1883. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. By August 1929 it became apparent that their conviction was premature; a series of strangulations and stabbings occurred, culminating in the brutal fairground murder of foster sisters, 5-year old Gertrude Hamacher, and 14-year old Louise Lenzen. While researching for the film, Lang spent eight days inside a mental institution in Germany and met several child murderers, including Peter Kürten. He discovered a fascination for brutal sexual acts while in solitary confinement, which enhanced his fantasies so much so that he began to break prison rules to ensure the maximum time in solitary confinement. The case also had an impact on popular culture, serving as the basis of Fritz Lang’s film M (1931), in which a Kürten-like character is memorably portrayed by Peter Lorre. Just, Melvin: Just Evil, 2000, documentary directed by James Ronald Whitney; A grandfather sexually molests a number of family members. Hans is also known for whistling the tune of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" throughout the film. Throughout his shocking rampage that left dozens of people injured or dead, the newly dubbed “Vampire of Düsseldorf” Peter Kürten grew more and more confident — even writing into a local paper with the location of a victim’s body. During his periods of release between prison spells, Kürten was responsible for various sexual assaults, but his first documented murder victim was 10-year-old Christine Klein. Upon returning home, Kürten confessed to his wife he was the Vampire of Düsseldorf. Kürten claims to have drowned two school friends at the age of 9. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Dedicated to Peter Kürten, Sadist and Mass Slayer, an Album by Whitehouse. The movie is based on real events and deals with the background to the shooting of Lang's thriller " Artists: Studio for Propositional Cinema with Keren Cytter, Henning Fehr and Philipp Rühr, Feminist Land Art Retreat, Sarah Kürten, the third of 13 children, experienced a violent childhood. Convicted serial killer and sex offender Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 males between 1978 and 1991. Public condemnation of the authorities, for failing to catch the killer, was widespread. Before he was 10 years old, Kürten had apparently murdered two schoolmates. The real event: The character of Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) is based on real murderer Peter Their crimes, which both horrified and fascinated the public, raised numerous social and legal issues, such as the tendency of police to be less thorough in murder investigations when the victims were… His last words were reportedly: “Tell me, after my head is chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my own blood gushing from the stump of my neck? This daily subjection to sexual violence must have had an immense influence on the boy who, aged 9, formed an unhealthy relationship with a dog-catcher living in the same building, who introduced him to the practice of bestiality, carried out initially on dogs. He had no control within the prison walls and it drove him mad. In an emotionless voice, Kürten claimed that his childhood, and the German penal system, was responsible for releasing his sadistic tendencies, and he showed no remorse for his crimes. The search for the killer received a major setback, however, when a learning-disabled individual, named Stausberg, accused of similar crimes, inexplicably admitted to all of the so-called vampire killings. Once under arrest, Kürten provided an astonishingly detailed account of his string of crimes to Professor Karl Berg, a distinguished psychologist, who later published the confession in a book entitled The Sadist. , attracting many academic observers as well as the merely curious July 2,,... Vampir von Düsseldorf “, war ein deutscher Serienmörder Dahmer murdered 17 males between 1978 and 1991 the `` Vampire. Before being arrested and hanged in 1953 the prison walls and it drove him mad being inflicted the! Are agreeing to news, offers, and his capacity for depravity, increased England living in.... 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