Alexander Granach

Alexander Granach (April 18, 1890 – March 14, 1945) was a prominent German actor renowned for his work in the 1920s and 1930s, before relocating to the United States in 1938. Born Jessaja Gronach in Werbowitz, part of Austrian Galicia (now Verbivtsi, Ukraine), he grew up in a Jewish family and quickly rose to fame at the Volksbühne theatre in Berlin.

Granach transitioned to film in 1922, gaining acclaim for his role as Knock in the iconic silent horror film *Nosferatu*, where he played the deranged counterpart to Renfield. He also starred in significant early German sound films, including *Kameradschaft* (1931). With the rise of the Nazi regime, Granach fled to the Soviet Union, but when conditions there became untenable, he ultimately found refuge in Hollywood. His American film debut came in Ernst Lubitsch's *Ninotchka* (1939) for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he portrayed the character Kopalski.

Throughout World War II, Granach became a versatile actor, adeptly embodying both fervent Nazis—like Julius Streicher in *The Hitler Gang* (1944)—and committed anti-fascists. One of his most notable performances was as Gestapo Inspector Alois Gruber in Fritz Lang's *Hangmen Also Die!* (1943). Granach's final film appearance was in MGM's *The Seventh Cross* (1944), which featured many prominent European refugees among its cast.