| Hansi Kraus | |
| Birth Name: | Jan Christoph Krause |
| Birth Place: | Gliwice, Silesia, Poland |
| Years Active: | 1964 - present |
| Occupation: | actor, photographer, author |
| Website: | http://www.hansikraus.de/ |
Jan Christoph Krause, known by his stage name Hansi Kraus or Hans Kraus (born 26 June 1952 in Gliwice, Silesia, Poland), is a German actor.
Hans Krause was only 12 years old when he was discovered by German film producer Franz Seitz, Jr. Hans Krause sounds too Prussian to play a character created by Bavarian author Ludwig Thoma, so Seitz decided to use the screenname "Hansi Kraus". His first role was playing the Bavarian boy "Ludwig" in a film adaption of Ludwig Thoma's autobiographical stories. Due to his success the film was followed by four installments.
Besides these and other films he also starred a series of seven feature films about a young prankster called "Pepe Nietnagel". Some 25 years later, he again assumed the role of the now grown-up Pepe Nietnagel in the TV series Ein Schloß am Wörthersee.
In his films as a child actor he worked already regularly with a great many stars (including for example Uschi Glas, Peter Alexander, Rudi Carrell and Theo Lingen) and he has worked successfully as an actor ever since. As an adult he worked in main as a stage and television actor.
He is the father of actress Miriam Krause.
Kraus' filmography includes: