John Gottowt

John Gottowt born Isidor Gesang 15 June 1881 29 August 1942 was an Austrian actor stage director and film director for theatres and silent movies Gottowt was born in Lemberg AustriaHungary presentday Lviv Ukraine into a Jewish family After his education in Vienna he joined the Deutsches Theater in Berlin in 1905 working for Max Reinhardt as an actor and director Gottowt was mainly active in different theatres in Berlin as a character actor and director His first silent film appearance was in Paul Wegeners Der Student von Prag The Student of Prague 1913 In 1920 he appeared in Robert Wienes Genuine and took the main role in the early science fiction film Algol In 1921 he played Professor Bulwer Abraham van Helsing in the classic silent film Nosferatu directed by FW Murnau Gottowt made also several films with his brotherinlaw Henrik Galeen but as a Jew was banned in 1933 from working as a professional actor After a few years in Denmark he moved to Kraków in Poland He was murdered in 1942 by an SS officer while in hiding in Wieliczka disguised as a Roman Catholic priest