▁tw enti eth ▁century . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁▁ ▁Hans ▁Al bers ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Hamburg , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁but cher , ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁district ▁of ▁St . ▁Georg . ▁He ▁was ▁seriously ▁interested ▁in ▁acting ▁by ▁his ▁late ▁te ens ▁and ▁took ▁acting ▁classes ▁without ▁the ▁knowledge ▁of ▁his ▁parents . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁Al bers ▁was ▁draft ed ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁Army ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁but ▁was ▁wounded ▁early ▁on . ▁After ▁his ▁release ▁from ▁the ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Wies b aden ▁where ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁treated , ▁he ▁performed ▁in ▁the ▁local ▁Res iden z the ater ▁in ▁com ed ies , ▁ant ics ▁and ▁oper ett as . ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁Al bers ▁moved ▁to ▁Berlin , ▁where ▁he ▁found ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁com edic ▁actor ▁in ▁various ▁We imar - E ra ▁Berlin ▁the at res . ▁His ▁break through ▁performance ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁wait er ▁in ▁the ▁play ▁Ver bre cher ▁( C rim inals ). ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁in ▁Berlin ▁that ▁Al bers ▁began ▁a ▁long - term ▁relationship ▁with ▁Jewish ▁actress ▁Hans i ▁Burg ▁( 1 8 9 8 – 1 9 7 5 ). ▁The ▁relationship ▁ended ▁only ▁when ▁he ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁ ▁After ▁roles ▁in ▁over ▁one ▁hundred ▁silent ▁films , ▁Al bers ▁star red ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁German ▁talk ie ▁Die ▁Nach t ▁gehört ▁uns ▁( The ▁Night ▁Bel ongs ▁to ▁Us ) ▁in