Bodenschatz Diaries

November 1, 1937

Invaliden Cemetery Berlin

Richthofen’s former gravesite in the Invaliden Cemetery in Berlin following the dedication of the huge granite marker in November, 1937. The large wreath in fro...

January 1, 1928

Gedächtnissstätte für MvR

The Richthofen memorial erected in the park across the street from his parent’s home in Schweidnitz (Old Postcard via Sue Hayes Fisher). Today the Richthofen me...

Richthofen’s quarters at Lechelle airfield. If you look closely, you can see Moritz lying on the stacked material in front of the windows. (Original book).

A newspaper photo of Richthofen’s memorial service on Thursday, 2 May 1918 in the old Garrison Church in Berlin. Four machine guns and an airplane propellor adorned the catafalque on which rested a black pillow (ordenskissen) displaying von Richthofen’s many medals. An honor guard of airmen stood to either side, between four towering columns, each one topped by a bronze urn in which a flame burned. A fitting farewell to Germany’s greatest airman (University of Maine – Floyd Gibbons Collection).

Four views of the Richthofen museum (Sue Hayes Fisher).

Four views of the Richthofen museum (Sue Hayes Fisher).

The Richthofen memorial erected in the park across the street from his parent’s home in Schweidnitz (Old Postcard via Sue Hayes Fisher). Today the Richthofen memorial is crumbling away, and the bronze plaque has long since disappeared (Author).

The Richthofen memorial erected in the park across the street from his parent’s home in Schweidnitz (Old Postcard via Sue Hayes Fisher). Today the Richthofen memorial is crumbling away, and the bronze plaque has long since disappeared (Author).

Close-up view of the plaque. The inscription reads: ‘Memorial for Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen. Born 2 May 1892. Fell on 21 April 1918. (Left) To the most successful combat pilot of the World War. (Right) To the undefeated victor of 80 aerial combats. (Below) Erected in the year 1928 from contrib-utions of his grateful homeland’ (Old Postcard).