Horst Ebersberg

Horst Ebersberg (May 8, 1935 – April 18, 2023) was an Austrian character actor, photographer, and accomplished Alpine skier, best known for his portrayals of German soldiers in American films and television during the 1960s. Born in Kitzbühel, Tyrol, to Dr. Lothar Ebersberg, a physician, and his wife Annette, Ebersberg was immersed in a family of skilled alpinists, with his mother being a friend of renowned filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. Although initially expected to pursue a medical career, Horst's athletic prowess shone through at the Stella Matutina Jesuit School in Feldkirch, where he twice earned the title of Alpine Ski Master in 1955.

With the help of famed mountaineer Heinrich Harrer, he secured a sports scholarship to the University of Denver, where he also worked as a journalist and photographer for the Denver Post. Between 1963 and 1969, he made a name for himself in Hollywood, frequently cast as German military figures in notable television series such as 12 O'Clock High, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Combat!, Hogan's Heroes, and Mission: Impossible.

After returning to Europe, Ebersberg continued his journalism career with publications like 'Quick' and 'Bunte.' He settled back in Kitzbühel in 1990 and later launched his own newspaper, the 'Kitzbüheler Beobachter,' which he ran from 2007 to 2011. Ebersberg was married twice and is survived by two daughters, Hannah and Miriam, from his second marriage to Sabine Opperer.