Dieter Pfaff (2 October 1947 – 5 March 2013) was a German actor and director. The son of a police officer, Pfaff was best known as police officer Hans Sperling in the series Sperling. Sperling also appeared in two films about Swedish policeman Martin Beck, namely Flickan i jordkällaren and Den japanska shungamålningen. In 2002, he starred in Goebbels und Geduldig. Between 1984 and 1996, he played Otto Schatzschneider in the German krimi series Der Fahnder.