Peter Kurten: The Vampire of Dusseldorf

During periods between prison sentences, Kürten committed numerous sexual assaults. His first documented murder victim was 10-year-old Christine Klein, who was sexually assaulted and stabbed in her home in Cologne on 25th May 1913 while her parents were working in the pub below her bedroom.

Christine’s uncle, who had recently argued with her father, immediately fell under suspicion. Kürten returned to the crime scene the following day and was fascinated by the horror the murder had caused among the local community, particularly after the sexual assault became known. Although the uncle was eventually cleared due to a lack of evidence, Kürten followed the trial with great interest, further fuelling his sadistic fascination with the suffering of others.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Kürten was called up for military service. Unable to adapt to military discipline, he deserted from his barracks. After being captured, he was imprisoned until 1921, his longest sentence to date, and his resentment over what he considered an injustice intensified.

After his release from prison, Kürten moved to Altenburg, where he met and married a former prostitute who had previously been imprisoned for the murder of her fiancé. During the next four years, he lived a relatively normal life, found work as a moulder, following his father's profession, and even became active in the trade union.

Kürten greatly enjoyed the mass hysteria and public fear generated by his crimes, thriving on the media attention. On 9th November 1929, he even contacted a newspaper with a map showing the location of the body of his latest victim, five-year-old Gertrude Albermann, whom he had stabbed to death two days earlier before concealing her body beneath builders' rubble.

Kürten’s attacks continued throughout the winter and into the spring of 1930. Although none proved fatal, the brutal assaults only heightened public terror, as the survivors’ accounts provided sensational newspaper coverage during the hardships of the Great Depression. Public criticism of the authorities for failing to capture the killer became widespread.

On 14th May 1930, a chain of events began that ultimately led to Kürten’s capture. He offered a young unemployed woman, Maria Budlick, a place to stay and took her to his apartment, intending to have sex with her. When she refused, he agreed to find her alternative accommodation but, while taking her back to the train station, led her into a nearby forest, where he raped her before allowing her to leave.

Initially ashamed, Budlick did not intend to report the assault. However, a letter she had written to a friend describing the attack was mistakenly delivered to someone else, who contacted the police. Officers located Budlick and persuaded her to press charges. She clearly remembered Kürten’s apartment and returned there with detectives on 21st May 1930. Upon seeing her with the police, Kürten fled the scene.

Throughout Kürten’s reign of terror, he remained deeply attached to his wife. Realizing that he would eventually be caught for the rape of Maria Budlick now that police knew his identity, he devised a plan to secure his wife's financial future. He confessed that he was the “Düsseldorf Vampire,” described all of his murders and assaults, and insisted that she would receive a substantial reward for turning him over to the authorities.

On 24th May 1930, Frau Kürten reluctantly followed his wishes and led police to their arranged meeting place at a local church, where Kürten surrendered peacefully.

After his arrest, Kürten gave Professor Karl Berg, a distinguished psychologist, an extraordinarily detailed confession covering his series of crimes. Berg later published the confession in a book titled The Sadist. Kürten claimed responsibility for 79 separate criminal acts and went to great lengths to convince investigators of his guilt, perhaps believing that his full cooperation would maximize the financial reward paid to his wife.

Kürten possessed an almost eidetic memory, and his detailed recollection of each offence appeared to give him considerable pleasure, although it was far less enjoyable for the stenographers tasked with recording his confession.

Kürten’s trial commenced on 13th April 1931, with charges including nine murders and seven attempted murders. To outward appearances, the successful businessman in a well-tailored suit initially retracted his extensive confession, claiming that he had only sought to ensure his wife’s financial security.

However, exhaustive questioning by the examining magistrate and a damning body of evidence presented over the following two months eventually led him to admit guilt during interrogation. In an emotionless voice, Kürten blamed his childhood and the German penal system for the development of his sadistic tendencies and showed no remorse for his crimes.

The jury took only 90 minutes to return a guilty verdict on all counts, and Kürten received nine death sentences. He was executed by guillotine on 2nd July 1931.