‘Now about my youth. The old man was in Breslau with the Leibkürasseren 1 when I was born on 2 May 1892. We lived in Kleinburg.’

"This picture shows Manfred von Richthofen as a child, about two or three years old."

"This picture shows Manfred von Richthofen as a child, around the age of seven. He is wearing a sailor suit, which was very fashionable at the tim...

"Because from the earliest days of his youth, Manfred had already shown samples of unusual energy. As an eight-year-old boy, my parents were expec...

"An easily terrified mother is a great obstacle to the physical development of children,' Mrs von Richthofen said. 'When Manfred was a little boy,...

"When he was eight years old, he climbed the largest apple trees on the estate, which hardly anyone else could reach. But then he didn't let himse...

The family has to sell Schloss Romberg due to financial troubles.

"I had private lessons until I was nine years old."

"then a year of school in Schweidnitz",

‘I later became a cadet in Wahlstatt. But the people of Schweidnitz regard me as a child of Schweidnitz. The cadet corps prepared me for my curr...

‘I joined the cadet corps as a young sixth-former. I wasn't overly keen on being a cadet, but it was my father's wish and so I wasn't asked for ...

"That's how Manfred got through his time as a cadet, even though this type of education and youthful treatment didn't suit him too well. But he gr...

"„Rittmeister Freiherr von Richthofen ist nicht zurückgekehrt.“ So meldet es kurz und hart der Heeresbericht. Also doch! Das, woran niemand z...

"Manfred only caused my parents serious concern once. He had suffered a serious knee injury in the cadet corps. A piece of cartilage in his knee h...

"Twelve years ago, Manfred had travelled this route and I had visited him many times. I really liked the spirit of the school. The boys had to stud...

"Manfred was extremely truthful. Even today, my mother cannot praise the extent to which my parents could always rely on him. He gave precise and ...

"He didn't underestimate the danger, but it didn't play a role in his life. That was the case from an early age. The girls claimed that the manor ...

‘I liked it a lot better in Lichterfelde. I was no longer so cut off from the world and began to live a little more as a person. My favourite me...

"Dem königl. preuß. Kadetten Herrn Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen wird hierdurch der Wahrheit gemäß bescheinigt, daß selbiger in Gegenwart v...

‘Of course, I could hardly wait to join the army. That's why I went to the front after my midshipman's examination and joined the Uhlan Regiment...

‘A memory came back to me. Even when Manfred was attending war college in Gdansk, he had hunted in East Prussia, and something happened at that ...

‘About a year later at the regiment, my Rittmeister v. Tr., who was very fond of sport, told me that he had bought a very chunky jumper. We were...

"MvR appointed Leutnant and in the 3rd squadron in Ostrowo"

‘I finally got the epaulettes. It was about the proudest feeling I've ever had to be called ‘Mr Lieutenant’ all at once. My father bought me...

"When Manfred was commissioned as a junior officer in the Ulan Regiment No. 1, Emperor Alexander III, he became even more passionate about equestr...

"Manfred has won many great prizes in show jumping competitions and cross-country rides. Most recently in the Kaiserpreisritt in 1913."

"On becoming a Lieutenant in 1912, Manfred's father gave him a fine mare which he called Santuzza. The life of a young officer in a regiment of Uh...

"His ambition was to ride in big races in Breslau and in the capital of the Reich. For this purpose he had acquired a thoroughbred named Antithesi...

"It was a summer's day, as beautiful as it could be. The strong sun lay over the water. From the terrace of the beach hotel, over the burning red g...

"Thank God that this journey is behind us. The crowds at the station were life-threatening, the train unimaginably overcrowded. We jumped into the ...

‘There was nothing in all the newspapers but thick novels about the war. But we'd been used to the howls of war for a few months now. We had alr...

"On 2 August, the mobilisation order was followed by the declaration of war. Lothar returned from the war college in Danzig to his regiment, the 4t...

"Ostrowo, 2 August 1914. These are my last lines in great haste. My warmest greetings to you. Should we not meet again, please accept my heartfelt ...

‘We border cavalrymen were familiar with the word ‘war’. Everyone knew exactly what to do and what not to do. But no one had any real idea w...

"On 3 August we learned that the Uhlan Regiment 1 and the Infantry Regiment 155 had occupied Kalisch. The first battle - the first success. And: Ma...

"Today was a day that is still fresh in my mind, but which also moved me deeply. A field service was held for the entire garrison, the soldiers an...

"Liebe Mama!Wie mag es euch in diesen bewegten Zeiten ergehen? In Schweidnitz seid ihr ja ganz gewiß am sichersten. Ich bin nun schon die dritte ...

"Manfred wrote from Schelmce, on the other side of the border. The letter was dated 5 August, the day when the church service brought us together ...

"Today was Ilse's birthday. We didn't celebrate it (who would have the sense for that now!). We used the day to sew the clothes she needs as a Red ...

‘To France. We were now loaded in my garrison town. Where to? - No idea whether west, east, south or north. There were a lot of rumours, but mos...

‘We unloaded in Busendorf. It was so hot that our horses threatened to fall over. For the next few days, we marched north towards Luxembourg. In...

‘We marched and marched, the patrols far ahead, until one fine day we were at Arlon. I had a funny feeling as I crossed the border for the second...

"Habe leider selten und dann auch wenig Zeit zum Schreiben. Sorge dich also nicht, wenn Du mal acht bis vierzehn Tage keine Nachricht von mir beko...

"Dear Mum, I received your last letter in Ostrowo dated 4 August. The field post doesn't seem to be working very well. I write to you almost every ...

"The Hirschberg fighters have suffered heavy losses, 300 men are said to be dead or wounded. Manfred reported. In the afternoon news came of a grea...

‘I had the task of determining how strong the occupation of a large forest near Virton might be. I rode out with fifteen Uhlans and realised tha...

"It was on August 21st, in the little Belgian village of Etalle, twenty miles from the frontier, that Richthofen received orders to make a mounted...

‘The battle of Virton was underway. My comrade Loen and I once again had to patrol to find out where the enemy had gone. We rode after the enemy...

"Liebe Mama!Ich will dir mal kurz schildern, was ich hier im Westen erlebt habe. – Bevor der Aufmarsch der Armee beendet war, war es natürlich ...

"On September 1, 1914, he was transferred as an intelligence officer to the 4th Army, which at that time was stationed in front of Verdun."

"I received a card from Manfred. He is well and cheerful. I had to think about him a lot, but now I'm reassured and happy again. We had a war servi...

"Thank you very much for your last two cards dated 21st and 24th. The post arrives very irregularly. I received the card dated 24th eight days bef...

"We had news of both sons. Lothar is already on his way to Paris with the cavalry division. Manfred is outside Verdun. He's already been through a ...

"Liebe Mama!Ich kann dir eine frohe Botschaft verkünden. Gestern Abend erhielt ich das Eiserne Kreuz. Wie steht es denn mit Lemberg? Ich gebe Euc...

"...The war has taken its toll on our sons. I have to thank God that they are still alive. Lothar was wounded on a patrol ride by Nebermann and Bor...