From 1934 to 1937 he studied ethnology in Cologne and Baltimore, USA, as well as acting, under Swiss actor Adolf Manz and at the "Studio of Dramatic Art".
Before the Second World War broke out, he made several overseas trips, among them was an expedition to the Tibesti Mountains in French Chad in 1938.
Between 1941 and 1942, he was in the elite 1st Parachute Division, which was part of Army Group South, during the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Among the roles that he played were Ruprecht in The Broken Jug, Leander in Franz Grillparzer's Des Meeres und der Liebe Wellen ("Waves of the Sea and of Love"), Eilif in Mother Courage and Her Children, Jim in The Glass Menagerie, John Rand in Gerhart Hauptmann's Schluck and Jau and Professor Higgins in Pygmalion.
In the second part of Fritz Umgelter's classic television series Am grünen Strand der Spree, entitled "Der General", he is seen alongside Wolfgang Büttner, Hans Pössenbacher and Anneli Granget as Major Illing, stationed as part of a divisional staff in northern Norway.
Beginning in 1972, Kiwe worked as a theatre director and staged, among other plays, The Broken Jug, Pygmalion, Volpone and Finden Sie, dass Konstanze sich richtig verhält?
From 1956 onwards, he was to be seen on television and played, among other roles, Superintendent Peters, alongside Josef Dahmen, in the crime series Hafenpolizei in 1963 for 39 episodes.
He also wrote a few teleplays and screenplays, among them Auf den Wegen nach Rom (1959), Stahlschrank SG 3 (1966) and Flut über Polesine (1967).