Portly German character actor, the son of a journalist. Trained at the acting academy of the Deutschen Theater in Berlin and later under Louise Dumont, he began on stage in 1902 with touring companies in East Prussia and Silesia. Schaeffers enjoyed a successful career in Berlin cabaret during the period leading up to World War I. Following military service, he appeared in operettas and musical comedies on the Berlin stage. He played supporting roles on screen, usually essaying self-important or supercilious types. From 1939-44, he worked as director of the Kabarett der Komiker in Berlin.