High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Erik Jan Hanussen, born Hermann Steinschneider (2 June 1889, Vienna - after 25 March 1933, Berlin), was an Austrian Jewish publicist and clairvoyant performer who lied about his origins. Acclaimed in his lifetime as a hypnotist, mentalist, occultist, and astrologer, Hanussen was active in Weimar Republic Germany and also at the beginning of Nazi Germany. He is known to have instructed Hitler in performance and the achievement of dramatic effect.