Peter von Zahn (29 January 1913 – 26 July 2001) was a German author, film maker, and journalist. Born in Chemnitz as a son of an officer, he grew up in Dresden and studied law, history, and philosophy. He was drafted at the beginning of World War II. After the war, he was one of the founders of the Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR). For three years, he managed the NWDR Studio in Düsseldorf where he introduced Anglo-Saxon style journalism with self-critical irony. He died in Hamburg aged 88.