- When he finished his study at the Staatliche Akademie für Kirchen- und Schulmusik in Berlin he worked as a bandmaster from 1924.
- When he retired from the film business he worked as a lecturer at different universities and he set words of famous writers like Erich Kästner und Bertold Brecht to music.
- He continued his career as a filmcomposer after World War II.
- From 1959 to 1971 he withdrew from film popular music to lecture at the Max Reinhardt Theatre and privately compose difficult atonal music.
- He joined UFA as a silent film music conductor in 1928, and became head composer by 1931.
- From 1937 to 1951 he collaborated on a series of films with Veit Harlan.
- He became the head of the "Department Musi" of the Deutsche Filmakademie" and during World War II he composed the soundtrack for "Der grosse König" (1942), "Die goldene Stadt" (1942), "Diesel" (1943), "Junge Adler" (1944) and "Opfergang" (1944).
- In 1938 he composed a Großdeutsche Hymne for Schirach which coincided with the Anschluss of Austria.
- He wrote first compositions for the stage and when Hans Otto Borgmann was busy as a bandmaster for some cinemas he came in touch with the film business.
- A melody he had composed for a documentary on Svalbard island and had become well known was taken up by Hitler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach who wrote new lyrics as "Our flag flutters before us", becoming one of the Hitler Youth's anthems.
- He wrote Tango notturno in the film of the same name. The role originally for Marlene Dietrich was given to Pola Negri who popularised Borgmann's song.
- From 1932 he wrote regularly the music for well-known movies, among them "Mensch ohne Namen" (1932), "Quick" (1932), "Hitlerjunge Quex" (1933), "Barcarole" (19 35) and Ein hoffnungsloser Fall" (1939).
- The filmcomposer Hans Otto Borgmann already played instruments like piano, organ and violine at a young age and he made first experiences as a musician as an organist from 1917.
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