Horst Ebersberg

Biography

Horst Ebersberg (born May 8, 1935, in Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria, died April 18, 2023), was an Austrian-born character actor, who is mainly remembered for playing German soldiers in American films and television shows of the 1960s, including three episodes of the 1960s sitcom, Hogan's Heroes.

Austrian-born actor, photographer and champion Alpine skier. Horst Ebersberg was born in Kitzbühel to physician Dr. Lothar Ebersberg and his wife Annette. Both parents were skilled alpinists. Annette was also a close acquaintance of film maker Leni Riefenstahl. It had been intended that their son would follow his father into the medical profession. However, Horst (a close friend of the legendary Toni Sailer) excelled in sports at the Stella Matutina Jesuit School in Feldkirch, twice becoming Alpine Ski Master in 1955. With some assistance from the renowned Austrian mountaineer and explorer Heinrich Harrer, Horst was able to obtain a sports scholarship from the University of Denver in Colorado. As a sideline, he worked as a journalist and photographer for the Denver Post. Between 1963 and 1969, he featured as a supporting actor in many American films and TV series, often typecast as German soldiers. He made recurring appearances as different characters in 12 O'Clock High (1964), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964), Combat! (1962), Hogan's Heroes (1965) and Mission: Impossible (1966).

Upon his return to Europe, Horst did further journalistic work for the illustrated magazines 'Quick' and 'Bunte'. He retired to his home town Kitzbühel in 1990. From 2007 to 2011, he published his own paper, the 'Kitzbüheler Beobachter'. Horst was twice married. He had two daughters (Hannah and Miriam Ebersberg) with his second wife Sabine (née Opperer)