Nikolaus Karl Günther Nakszynski, known professionally as Klaus Kinski, was an actor and singer born on October 18, 1926, in Zoppot. During his imprisonment in World War II, he performed in the play Pech und Schwefel in 1945. Kinski made his film debut in 1948 in Morituri. He performed in over 130 films across genres including westerns and horror. In 1971, he presented the solo stage performance Jesus Christus Erlöser. Kinski performed in five films directed by Werner Herzog: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Woyzeck (1979), Fitzcarraldo (1982), and Cobra Verde (1987). He directed and appeared in Kinski Paganini in 1989. Kinski released several spoken word albums, including the Spoken Word Collection. He published the autobiography Crever pour vivre in 1976. Kinski died on November 23, 1991, in Lagunitas. In 2013, his daughter Pola Kinski published the memoir Kindermund.
