Christine Kaufmann was born in Lengdorf on January 11, 1945. The daughter of a civil engineer and a make-up artist, she grew up in Munich where she trained as a ballet dancer at a very young age.

Already in 1952, she made her screen debut in Willi Forst's "Im weissen Rössl". This was followed by appearances in films like "Salto mortale" (1953), "Der Klosterjäger" ("The Monastery's Hunter", 1953) und "Der schweigende Engel" (1954). Kaufmann's first leading role also marked her breakthrough as a popular child star: In Harald Reinl's "Rosen-Resli" ("Rose-Girl Resli", 1954), an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Johanna Spyri, she moved a mass audience with her portrayal of an orphan who has to overcome several dramatic obstacles before eventually finding a new home. The film was a box-office success, and from then on, the young audience favourite was a household name in Germany's popular post-war cinema: After appearing in "Wenn die Alpenrosen blüh'n" (1955), she starred in Reinl's "Ein Herz schlägt für Erika" (1956), the melodrama "Die Stimme der Sehnsucht" (1956) and the comedy "Witwer mit 5 Töchtern" (1957).

In 1958, Christine Kaufmann joined Romy Schneider and Lilli Palmer for a remake of "Mädchen in Uniform" ("Girls in Uniform"); in 1959, she starred opposite Peter Kraus in the musical comedy "Alle lieben Peter" ("Everybody loves Peter"). Gaining popularity beyond Germany, she was frequently cast in international co-productions from the late 1950s on. Following lead roles in the historical epic "Die letzten Tage von Pompeji" ("The Last Days of Pompeii", 1959) and the costume drama "Ein Thron für Christine" (1960), she starred alongside Kirk Douglas in "Stadt ohne Mitleid" ("Town Without Pity"). Her performance garnered Kaufmann the 1961 Golden Globe Award for Best Newcomer. She next had memorable roles in the literary adaptation "Via Mala" (1961) and Robert Siodmak's Cold War thriller "Tunnel 28" (1962).

In 1963, Christine Kaufmann was part of the all-star cast of the US-produced epic "Taras Bulba". During the shoot, she made the acquaintance of co-star Tony Curtis, whom she married the same year. Following the wedding, the busy young actress took an extended leave from filmmaking, and later gave birth to daughters Alexandra Theodora (born 1964) and Allegra (born 1966).

In 1968, she divorced Curtis and subsequently returned to Europe and on the big screen. During that second phase of her career, she became a prominent presence in New German Cinema. Director Werner Schroeter stylized Kaufmann as an almost ethereal beauty in "Der Tod der Maria Malibran" ("The Death of Maria Malibran", 1972) and "Willow Springs", and she also appeared in Hartmut Bitomsky's "Auf Biegen oder Brechen" ("By Hook or by Crook", 1975), as well as in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's "Lili Marleen" (1980) and "Lola" (1981).

In the 1970s, Kaufmann, who also began to star in TV productions, made her stage debut at the Deutsche Schauspielhaus in Hamburg. There, she starred in stage productions of Werner Schroeter, and in the mid-1980s, she was an ensemble member during Peter Zadek's famous run as director.

Playing against type and popular image, Christine Kaufmann gave one of her most memorable and lauded performances of the 1980s as a retainer-wearing wallflower in Helmut Dietl's legendary TV series "Monaco Franze" (1982). On the big screen, she was seen in Percy Adlon's comedy "Out of Rosenheim" ("Bagdad Cafe", 1987) and Peter Fleischmann's science–fiction epic "Es ist nicht leicht, ein Gott zu sein" ("Hard to Be a God", 1987-1989).

In addition to her acting career, Christine Kaufmann frequently moonlights as an author: Since the 1980s she has published several books, including guides on beauty and love. Moreover, she has developed her own line of wellness and beauty products, for which she has also appeared as a public spokesperson from the late 1990s on.

Christine Kaufmann died of leukemia in the night of March 27/28, 2017 in Munich, age 72.