Otto Wieprich

[Luftmensch]

[To be continued!]

[Luftmensch]

[Nov. 4, 2006]

Hello john

Please wait to the end of my story and only then I will give you permission to post it on the website.

About the golden watch from the soviet that you asked me about I cannot remember but I remember that he had an Ivory box for tobacco with rubies and gold. He had another Ivory box with delicate carvings for business cards.

Back to the story.

My grandparents received my mother with love and warm, and we lived in their house for a few months.

Than we moved to Berlin and my father was grounded worked in Lufthansa.

In 1927 Charles Lindberg flew from USA to Paris (the first flight over the Atlantic ocean from the west to the east). He wanted to fly from Paris to Berlin but he landed in a small airport near Cottlus, 100 Kilometers east of Berlin. My father was the flugleiter manager of that airport. ( I think he was the only employment in this airport). This story with photographs was published in the newspapers all over the world, and Otto Wieprich was again in the spotlight. He received a lot of presents that was meant to be given to Lindberg, and Lindberg gave him the first aid kit from his airplane with the USA flag on it.

Because of all the publicity he was sent to Berlin tempelhof as "nachtflugleiter"-the flight manager by night.

1928-9 he invented together with some pilots a system of landing in bad visibility conditions. It was named Z.Z.Vefahren (you can find it on google). The patent was Lufthansa's.

In 1933 after the election of Hitler the Luftwaffe was established and Otto became "Schwarmfuerer" which means captain. A special tailor sewed for him Lufthansa's uniforms for every event. He had in his closet suits that worth a lot of money. He wore one suit once, the boots gave him warts and he never wore it again.

1935 we moved to munich where he was the professional manager of the airport.

1936 he received an Olympic medal as a token of gratitude to his contribution to aviation in that time.

He participated in planning the new airport "munchenriem".

1938 we moved to Frankfurt am Main where he was given a higher job as a "streckenleiter"- in charge of a area which has multiple airports.

September 1939 Otto was drafted to the army and posted in the Fuehrerhauptquartier as a civilian worker. And there he was a "flugleiter der fuhrer und regierungsstaffel"- aviation manager of the fuhrer and the government staff. My mother and I barely saw him in that time.

1942 she was called by the Gestapo in Frankfurt am main. And commissar Nelen was handling her case. He told her that he knows that she is jewish. She answered that probably her husband wanted to get rid of her in a cheap and easy way, she will be sent to be killed in a camp. So, she told Nelen that she was the daughter of the Russian prince general Kornilov.

During the revolution in Russia she was afraid that she will get killed because of her father. The general Kornilov was murdered in 1918. (she took all thos facts from the encyclopedia and a history book). She ran away after her "father" was murdered and met on her way an old Jewish doctor, she was dying, her name was Sara Azarch, when Sara Azarch died she took her documents and her identity, and since than she was a Jew by the name of Sara Azarch. She didn't tell her husband because she was afraid that he'll send her back to Russia and she will be executed as an aristocrat. But she told this to Otto's father and to another acquaintance of Otto. They came to the Gestapo testified in her favor. The Gestapo investigated the witnesses and accepted her story, and because she got married in a false name they said that her marriage to Otto is not valid, and I am an illegal child and the grandchild of a Russian prince.

I attach a photograph.

Otto 2 years old in Halberstat at home.

Gruss

Heinz

[To be continued.]

[Luftmensch]

[My response on Nov. 5]

Dear Heinz and Nurit,

Thank you for the fascinating update. I would like to ask some questions to understand better that last paragraph which has so much information!

1942 she was called by the Gestapo in Frankfurt am main. And commissar Nelen was handling her case. He told her that he knows that she is jewish. She answered that probably her husband wanted to get rid of her in a cheap and easy way, she will be sent to be killed in a camp.

Are you saying Otto informed on her to get rid of her? If so, because he was scared? Or because he was tired of her?

During the revolution in Russia she was afraid that she will get killed because of her father. The general Kornilov was murdered in 1918. (she took all thos facts from the encyclopedia and a history book). She ran away after her "father" was murdered and met on her way an old Jewish doctor, she was dying, her name was Sara Azarch, when Sara Azarch died she took her documents and her identity, and since than she was a Jew by the name of Sara Azarch. She didn't tell her husband because she was afraid that he'll send her back to Russia and she will be executed as an ar istocrat.

So Otto did not know about her Jewish alias. But she did ever tell him she was Jewish?

Was she, in fact, Jewish?

Who was her real father?

Did she attend medical school and become a doctor or just masquerade as one. If the latter, I assume she never practiced medicine.

Lastly, Heinz, where and when were you born? What religion were you born? So if the Gestapo believed her story they did not consider you or her Jewish.

Next time, I look forward to learning what happened to your mother and what happened to you in the war.

Good night, and thank you for this instalment. These details are most interesting and will be kept with the rest of the papers I have and not forgotten.

[VtwinVince]

John, this thread just keeps getting better and better. What a story. And all possible through the wonders of the Internet. Keep us posted!

[Guest Rick Research]

This has got the epic sweep of "Doctor Zhivago" in REAL LIFE. And while everyone may not have lived happily ever after, given what could and did happen back in those times, it is nice to get the rest of this story and see that everyone DID survive.

Who knows...

Tashkent having been beyond the advance of the Wehrmacht (if not the ruthless grip of the NKVD)...

there may be yet ANOTHER branch of the family there still to be heard from!

[Luftmensch]

[A few brief emails...]

Hi john

This is Nurit now.

The story of that paragraph was the one she invented to rescue herself. My grandmother was born Jewish, her father name was Azarch, he was a Jew, she studied medicine in Moscow Univercity, we wrote about it earlier.

Otto knew that she was Jewish from the first moment. And yes she was Jewish and so are my father and the rest of our family. My father was born in Halbersttat in the house Otto was born and raised.

The story she told the Gestapo was prepared by her very carefully because she knew that she's in danger. She told that cover story to Otto's father and someone she knew will help her in need. Why Otto did it? Next time because it's a long story, and I don't want to spoil it.

If you have more questions , please feel free to ask.

Bye, Nurit

________________________________

Thank you, Nurit. I think I understand...desperate maneuvers for desperate times! Now I am really in suspense!

Best rgds

John

PS I asked before. If you don't not answer I will assume it is a sensitive question and not ask again. Are you in touch with Frau Tolmie? Is there something next in this story about Otto that has caused a rift in this family?

_________________________________

John

We don't know her, first time we saw her name was in your mail.

My father knew her name when his father married her mother, but there was no connection.

When you'll read the whole story you'll understand why.

My father tells about her mother later in the story.

Frau Tolmie was a young girl and not responsible, and I assume, didn't know what her mother had done.

I'll continue writing soon,

nurit

[Luftmensch]

[Nov. 25]

Hello john

Sorry it took me so long to continue my story.

Commissar Nelen demanded that I, Otto's son, had to volunteer to be an officer in the German army. My mother told me I had already volunteered to the air force to be a pilot and an officer. At the end of the meeting the commissar said to my mother that a man who does that kind of thing to his wife is a "Lump" means a rat.

She got new papers on the name of Yelena Karnilova with a new birth date and birth place. When she got back from the Gestapo she told me to go and volunteer immediately to the air force.

The Russian aristocracy in Europe received the news that princess Karnilova is in Germany and they appeared at our house and they wanted me to marry a Russian princess. I was drafted at 1943 and sent to 3 months of training with a shovel. Then I went to train in the air force. And then I went to the aviation academy in Dresden.

When I was in the academy my grandfather died.

Otto came to the funeral and we met there. (at that time, my father was going to marry the "good German girl"). When we met at the funeral Otto admit that he handed us over to the Gestapo but he was blackmailed to do it. He was afraid so he did it.

During all the time he protected us by forging documents for us and moving us from one city to another so we won't get caught as Jews.

My father was not Don Juan but he had an old love from the days before ww1. she was a dressmaker and her name was Gertrud Singer.

In the year of 1936 or 1937 my mother received a phone call from a dentist in the name of DR. HUBER. He told her that Otto has a love affair with his wife ("the good German girl") and he is on his way to kill Otto.

My mother told him to wait, she will fly immediately to Stuttgart, where Otto was with his wife. When she arrived they where gone. My mother met the dentist and he took her back to the airport to fly home.

This woman was the one Otto married in 1944. this was the mother of frau Tolmie, (I think, Frau Tolmie knew nothing about it).

I was a flying cadet in Neukuren in eastern Prussia and than in Elbing and after that in Stolp, and than I was a pilot in Fighter squadron. At that time the army had no gasoline, so we didn't fly.

After ww2 my mother became jewish and a doctor (medic.) again, formally. She took tests to practice medicine in Germany, Switzerland and Israel.

Otto came to visit us after the ww2 about 3 times.

My mother was afraid that the Nazism will rise again and she asked the American military government permit to immigrate to the u.s.a , with me of course. I as a German could get a visa in two weeks, but my mother had to wait 10 years because she was born in Russia. So, she asked for a visa from Russia, and they promised her professorship and a job for me as a pilot, and they wanted that Otto will join us. Later we heard that they want to send us to Siberia.

At that time my mother practiced medicine in the university clinic in Frankfurt and in the displace persons camp for Jewish people. Than we decided to go to Israel.

That the end of my story.

Otto Wieprich in 1938.

[Luftmensch]

[Latest email--Dec. 2]

Hello, John

You have the permission to post my emails on the GMIC forum.

I'll answer your questions. first

My profession in Israel was practical engineer.

Otto himself paid a price because of the need to hide his wife religion he couldn't get into the NSDAP (the Nazi party).

One who wanted to become a party member hade to declare and bring proof to his pure race at least 4 generations back, and the same for his wife. He couldn't do it and that is the reason that he wasn't a party member.

It was in 1933/4 he saw all his friends become generals and he was only a major in the reserve of the Luftwaffe.

He wasn't promoted and couldn't be an active officer.

After the war when my mother wanted to return to Russia, Otto wanted to join us. It didn't happen because my mother heard that we will be sent to Sibiria. My mother and I decided to immigrate to Israel.

I don't know what were his last thoughts, I wasn't there, I believe he was thinking of us. An old German friend of mine told me , many years later, that at 1950 my grandmother-Otto's mother where searching for us in Germany and in Israel but she didn't find us.

I'll be pleased to get what Frau Tolmie sent you.

Gruesse aus Israel.

Heinz.

[gor]

Hello John,

It’s really most amazing story of Otto Wieprich. I think it could make a nice article in the magazine that I publish here in Moscow. It’s a monthly with emphasis on faleristics, both research and collecting, and it receives quite favorable reference from Russian readers who tell us it’s the leading magazine on collecting in Russia. It’s published under patronage of the Russian Ministry of Culture, the name is ANTIQUES. ITEMS OF ART & COLLECTIBLES, and its site www.antik.ru.

What do you think? We could use your posts as the base for the text. Could you send me photos of the items described, big enough to be published in a magazine? I am sure the history behind the group will be of great interest for many people here. Certainly I will send you copies of the magazine with the article.

Looking forward to your reply.

All the best,

Igor

[Guest Rick Research]

This is a very OLD thread. Please note the posting dates.

The entire group was sold some years ago at Andreas Thies auctions. :catjava:

[Luftmensch]

Yes, it has been repatriated to Russia. I don't know who owns the images at this point, and I would also suggest permission be asked from any letter writers before quoting them. Rgds