Friedrich Schumann was born on February 1, 1893, in Spandau, which was part of the German Empire.

Friedrich Schumann committed his first murder in 1918 when he shot his 52-year-old neighbor, Wilhelm Nielbock. This was just one of many violent acts he would go on to commit. Over the next two years, Schumann was responsible for a total of seven murders. He also attempted to kill 15 other people during this time. His crimes included five cases of arson and numerous rapes, totaling eleven known victims.

On August 20, 1919, Schumann was arrested in Berlin. Following his arrest, a trial began on July 5, 1920. The court found him guilty of multiple charges of murder and rape. On July 13, 1920, Schumann was sentenced to seven death penalties, one life sentence, and ten years of hard labor.

He was executed on August 27, 1921, at Plötzensee Prison in Berlin. The execution was carried out by an executioner named Carl Gröpler, who used an axe to carry out the sentence. Schumann was just 28 years old at the time of his death.