Complex sentence: Ewald von Demandowsky was executed by the Russians on October 7th 1946 but before that, he secured for Knef the protection of the well-known character actor Viktor de Kowa in Berlin.
Split into simpler sentences: Ewald von Demandowsky was executed by the Russians on October 7th 1946. But before that, he helped Knef to get protection from the well-known character actor Viktor de Kowa in Berlin.