Georg Paul Morgenstern was born in Vienna in 1886, and as Paul Morgan was one of the biggest stars of Weimar-era Berlin.

By the 1920s, he was a well-known Conferencier, or MC, on the Berlin cabaret circuit and in 1924, together with Kurt Robitschek and Max Hansen, founded the KadeKo – Berlin’s famous Cabaret of Comedians.

Between 1919 and 1933 he acted in over 50 films, before fleeing Germany for the US in 1933. Returning to Europe later that year, he tried out the cabaret scene in Switzerland but ultimately settled in an increasingly dangerous Vienna. His film career was virtually finished but he continued to perform and write.

After the annexation of Austria in March 1938 he was arrested and sent to Dachau, an internment camp for political prisoners. Soon afterwards he was transferred to Buchenwald concentration camp, where he participated in informal cabaret shows put on by the other prisoners. This was often without the permission of the guards.

After a prolonged series of ‘punishment exercises’ in the bitter cold of December 10th 1938, he collapsed and died of exhaustion. He was 52.