Erich von Stroheim was an AustrianAmerican director, actor and producer, most notable as being a film star of the silent era, subsequently noted as an auteur for his directorial work.
Stroheim was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1885 as Erich Oswald Stroheim, the son of Benno Stroheim, a middleclass hatmaker, and Johanna Bondy, both of whom were observant Jews.
Source: Wikipedia