Peter Kürten, later infamous as the “Vampire of Düsseldorf,” was born on 05-26-1883 in Cologne-Mülheim, Germany, into an impoverished and violently unstable household that left deep marks on his development. His father was an alcoholic with a long criminal record who routinely abused his wife and children, and the household environment exposed Kürten early to brutality, neglect, and sexual chaos, including witnessing violence at close range.