Peter Kürten, the Vampire of Düsseldorf

Peter Kürten was a German serial killer. He was born on May 26 1883. He was known as the Vampire of Düsseldorf. He was born into an abusive family; he was the third of eleven children. His father was an alcoholic and Peter Kürten witnessed his father sexually assault his mother and sisters repeatedly. Peter Kürten became criminal at a young age, he followed his father’s footsteps, when he also abused his sisters and he often ran away from home. He committed his first murder at the age of nine years old. He was drowning two friends while swimming. In 1913 he strangled a 10 year old girl, named Christine Klein.

In 1921 he came out of prison and moved to Altenburg, where he married. On February 8, 1929, he molested and killed an eight year old girl. After that he killed a mechanic by stabbing him 20 times. In august that same year, he stabbed 3 people on the same day, but separated. 2 days later, august 23rd he murdered 2 sisters at the age of 5 and 14. 1 day later he stabbed another woman. In September he raped and killed by brutally beating a girl with a hammer in a wood just outside of Düsseldorf. In October he attacked 2 women with a hammer. And on November 7 he killed again, this time it was a 5 year old girl by strangling her and stabbing her 36 times with a scissors.