Werner Voss, Red Baron, Lothar von Richthofen

[ostprussenmann_new]

Someone asked me a question today at work and I did not have an answer. Does any museum own any of the WWI medals of German Fighter Aces, specifically Werner Voss, Red Baron, Lothar von Richthofen, etc.?

[Les]

Both of the Richtofen brothers medals were part of an in house museum created by their widowed mother after WWI and for a while during WWII. During the final months of WWII, their mother and sister left Schweidnitz shortly before the Russians arrived. They buried some family items in the backyard, and were forced to leave whatever they couldn't carry. When the Russians arrived in town, they immediately seized town hall and police records, and the Richtofen home was searched (with mine detectors that turned up the family silver in the backyard, etc). All of the relics and war trophies, medals, etc, were crated up and shipped east to Russia....where they still are. Although the family has been in contact with the "Russians" regarding the items being returned, there has been no joy in that regard. From what I've heard from a well-known aviation historian who knows the family, the feeling is getting the items returned will require high level state level discussions, and very likely a quid pro quo trade of very important Russian cultural artefacts, etc, to get the stuff back.

I'm not certain about all of Voss's medals. When he was shot down, it was on the British side of the lines, and whatever he was wearing was not returned. Whatever he wasn't wearing at the time, would have been returned to his family along with his personal effects.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Les

[Deruelle]

Hi,

Interresting story Les, so the negociation with russians is on the way. May be we will have the chance to see this

Christophe

[Les]

Christophe,

There are no current negotiations, nor have there been for quite some time. The family inquiries took the form of letters and attempts to meet one on one with Russian politicians and embassy types before the "wall" came down, and then again afterwards. The Russians replied saying they knew nothing and promised to look into the matter. Although the Richtofen family knows the materials did not vanish into thin air when the Russians captured Schweidnitz, the Russians have never even formally admitted having the items.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I imagine there is a fraction of a small % that is in any way documented.

Crates and Boxes must have been tossed into Govt wearhouses, laying there for decades, noone knowing what they had, not to mention stuff looted by individual soldiers... then even documented stuff sold to US and German dealers in the early 90s, out of the back door of museums.

I think the families request is just done out of principle, I think it is not realistic to imagine that these are laying documented, gathering dust in a vault.

[ostprussenmann_new]

Wow, that is a very interesting story. So in all actuality, someone could own something and not even know it. Thank you for sharing. I guess we will never know. Are there any German Aces who stuff is in a museum somewhere? I know at the Infantry Museum at FT Benning, GA, they have a hunting rifle given to Himmler and one of Goring's Reichmarshall Batons.

[Les]

Wow, that is a very interesting story. So in all actuality, someone could own something and not even know it. Thank you for sharing. I guess we will never know. Are there any German Aces who stuff is in a museum somewhere? I know at the Infantry Museum at FT Benning, GA, they have a hunting rifle given to Himmler and one of Goring's Reichmarshall Batons.

Yes, there are groupings in museums that belonged to former aces and less well known fliers.

The late Neil O'Connor, knew many former fliers from the WWI era, created an aviation history foundation to gather and preserve donated and purchased items. Much of what he acquired for the foundation was published in his series on Imperial era awards that went to members of the aviation service (Luftstreitskraefte). He died a few years ago, however, before his death he transferred ownership of the foundation's collection to the Transportation Museum in Berlin. O'Connor also had RAF items that went to Britain at the same time.

There is also a German military museum maintained and operated by the Luftwaffe.

[Deruelle]

It will be nice to visit this Museum .Now I have to plan a trip in Germany

Christophe