In 1970, he appeared in the American film Something for Everyone, starring Angela Lansbury.
His final film role was as Grandpa George (Charlie Bucket's grandfather) in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
By this time, Ziegler's health was deteriorating, and he was legally blind, partly as a result of being gassed during the First World War.
He died of emphysema in April 1974, in West Berlin, aged 79.
This article about a German film actor is a stub.