Adrian Hoven, born Wilhelm Arpad Peter Hofkircher (Wöllersdorf, May 18, 1922 – Tegernsee, April 28, 1981), was an Austrian actor, film director, and producer. Rising to prominence in post-war cinema, he became one of the most popular faces of German-language cinema in the 1950s, specializing in roles as a charming young man in comedies, dramas, and "Heimatfilme." He appeared in over one hundred films, including "Canaris" (1954) and "The Young Queen Victoria" (1954) alongside Romy Schneider. For his performance in "Canaris," he received the prestigious Filmband in Gold in 1957 for Best Young Actor. From the late 1960s, his career took a radical turn: he moved behind the camera, distinguishing himself as a director and producer of genre films, particularly horror and exploitation. His best-known and most controversial work as a director is "Mark of the Devil" (Hexen bis aufs Blut gequält, 1970), a genre cult classic. This dual trajectory establishes him as a multifaceted and atypical figure in the European cinematic landscape.