Peter Kürten, aka The Vampire of Düsseldorf or the “Düsseldorf Monster,” was a German serial killer who operated in the city of Düsseldorf. Along with taking the lives of people, he even used to sexually assault people. He wreaked havoc between 25 May 1913 to 7 November 1929. Furthermore, Kürten had even participated in hideous crimes such as arson and attempted murders.
A German forensic scientist named Karl Berg described Kürten as “the king of the sexual perverts.”. He was found guilty of nine counts of murder. Furthermore, the court even learned that he attempted murder an additional seven times. For his crimes, he was sentenced to death by beheading. He was finally executed in July 1931. At the time of his death, he was 48 years old.
The name “Vampire of Düsseldorf” originated because there were times when he attempted to drink the blood from his victims’ wounds. According to 9News, Peter Kürten’s last meal was Wiener Schnitzel, fried potatoes, and a bottle of white wine.
In 1965, a film titled The Vampire of Düsseldorf showcased the life and crimes of Peter Kürten. According to IMDb, the synopsis of this film reads, “A true story of Peter Kurten, a serial killer who committed nine murders and many other offenses in Dusseldorf during the Great Depression era.”
The Vampire of Düsseldorf was directed by Robert Hossein. It starred Hossein, Marie-France Pisier, Roger Dutoit, and Annie Anderson.
What were Peter Kürten’s last words?
According to Biography, Peter Kürten’s last words were, “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? That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures.”
Kürten was born into extreme poverty in Mülheim am Rhein on May 26, 1883. His parents had thirteen children, of whom Peter was the eldest. Along with being alcoholics, his parents were also abusive. The family resided in a one-bedroom apartment. Peter’s father would often get inebriated and beat his wife and children. Furthermore, there were instances where he forced his family to assemble before him. He then ordered his wife to strip naked and have intercourse with him while the children watched. Peter’s father also went to jail because he regularly raped his eldest daughter, who was 13 years old.
When Peter Kürten turned 13, he formed a relationship with a girl his age. Even though they would participate in sexual acts, the girl did not let him have intercourse. To fulfil his sexual urges, Kürten participated in bestiality. Bestiality is the sexual act between a human being and an animal. The teenager used to perform these acts on sheep, pigs, and goats. Furthermore, he even claimed that right before achieving orgasm, he used to stab the animals. Once, he even attempted to rape the same sister his father molested.
Peter Kürten committed his first murder on May 25, 1913. He encountered a nine-year-old girl named Christine Klein asleep in her bed and he strangled her. He then proceeded to slash his victim’s throat twice with a pocket knife. Furthermore, he ejaculated when he heard Klein’s blood dripping on the floor.
