Peter Curtin, aka the Vampire of Dusseldorf, and the Dusseldorf monster.

He was a German serial killer who committed a series of murders and sexual assaults between February and November of 1929 in the city of Dusseldorf.

In the years before these assaults and murders, Curtin had amassed a lengthy criminal record for offenses, including arson and attempted murder. He became known as the vampire of Dusseldorf because he made attempts toable true crime. My name is Joe. I'm the host, and thank you for joining the podcast today. Of all of the one million

true crime podcasts that you could be listening to right now, you chose mine and trust me, that's not

lost on me. I know that you could be doing a million other things, not only listening to podcasts,

but going on about your day and doing whatever it is that you do, you could be doing that,

but you're listening to me right now and you could be doing that while you're listening to me. I listen to podcasts while I clean the kitchen, mop the floors, that kind of thing. So you could be doing that right now, but I want you to know that I do appreciate the fact that you take time out of your day to download and listen to this podcast. I love you for it, and it means a lot to me.

And in doing the research for this podcast, I often find stories like the one we're going to talk about

today of people that grow up to be just absolute monsters, serial killers, just vicious,

despicable people. They often grew up in a really crappy situation at home. And because of that,

I'm hyper fixated on the kind of parent that I am. I try to be the best parent that I can be

and make the best decisions that I can make. And recently I had a conversation with my kiddo.

He's in high school, by the way. And it made me remember to back when I was his age and younger. I was raised to respect adults. Yes, ma'am, no, sir. I don't talk back and that kind of thing. You just assume, as a kid, adults know what's going on. They have all the answers. Grownups are problem solvers. And then you become an adult and you realize that a lot of us are idiots.

My son asked how I learned how to be a parent and I told them the truth.

I had good parents, so I kind of just copy what they did when I was growing up.

Plus, I make it up as I go.

As a lot of us are, I'm just kind of winging it here as a dad in 2023.

We're in uncharted waters. We have no idea what's going on with this world and we're just kind of winging it here as a dad in 2023. We're in uncharted waters.

We have no idea what's going on with this world, and we're just kind of doing the best that we can do. And I think that you are a good parent, if you can genuinely say that you are doing the best that you can do. But as you will hear in the story we're going to talk about today, that is definitely not the case. Before we get going with your story today, this is your official reminder to subscribe wherever you'd like to listen to podcasts and connect with 10 minute murder on social media.

Links are in the show notes of this episode, as well as at 10 minute murder.com. Now to today's story. Peter Curtin was born into a poverty-stricken abusive family in Mulheim, Germany.

On the 26th of May, 1883, the oldest of 13 children.

Curtin's parents were both alcoholics who lived in a one-bedroom apartment, and with

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