Horst von der Goltz

Born Franz Wachendorf in Koblenz in 1884, Horst von der Goltz is remembered as a German counterintelligence agent during World War I who later wrote about his experiences under the name Horst von der Goltz. His best-known book, My Adventures as a German Secret Service Agent, brought his wartime story to readers in the late 1910s.

His life drew attention not only because of espionage work, but also because he became a public figure during the war years in the United States. Sources also note that he appeared as himself in the propaganda film The Prussian Cur, adding another unusual chapter to an already dramatic life.

For modern readers, his writing offers a mix of memoir, wartime atmosphere, and firsthand self-portrait. Even with some details of his later life remaining hard to confirm, his name endures through this vivid account of secrecy, danger, and performance.