Richthofen's burial place

It is my understanding that the Red Baron's body was exhumed after the war and taken to Invaliden Cemetery in Berlin, then in more recent times again moved, to Wiesbaden. I've also read of a supposed portion of his remains (bones) that were not removed from his original grave as per Carisella's book. Can anyone clarify the circumstances and chronology of this and the actual resting place of the remains of the famed ace? Thanks.

[Rittm]

There is an account written by Bolko von Richthofen of taking Manfred's body back to Germany. It's actually rather heart felt, at least I thought so. It is in the translation of the Der Rote Kampfflieger translated by Peter Kilduff. He titled it The Red Baron.

Rittm

What do people think of Carisella's claim that some of MvR's remains were left at Bertangles.Is there any chance this is true,or is it a case of a guy just trying to sell some books?

[Rittm]

So far from what I have heard about this Carisella book is odd. I have not read the book, so it is hard for me to make a proper judgement, but the two things that I have heard about( the remains being left behind and the Leah Swartz thing) makes me kinda wonder about the author's....reliability.

Rittm

[Barrett]

Speaking of MvR's burial site, I just found the following web site with the text of a play called "The Warrior Son." It begins with vR's reburial in 1925 and (apparently) follows a stream of consciousness format alternating between Mama vR and Ltn Wenzel. The mysterious love interest is Katie Otersdorf (sp?).
Apparently the play was first performed in texas in '95.
This is not an endorsement. Please don't flame me if it's junque.
On the other hand, if it's terrific, chalk it up to my exceptional literary eye.

http://www.barcellos.com/TWSb.html

There are many stories about MvR's remains were buried by the Austrian's and his grave is being guarded by Austrian guards. Being kept from the Germans because of strong diplomatic "wars". But like I said this is only a story.

Hi All!
In answer to your quirey about Carisella and MvR's burial site......
Mr C went to Bertangles in 69 and called in to see an old friend, a Mr Marcel Cavillon, a farmer. He was there in 1925 when the Germans came and exhumed MvR's body. His testimony claims that the Germans did not remove the coffin, but only took off the lid and removed the skull, placing it in a small square box. They then threw the lid back in the hole and filled it in.
Mr C felt confident that this had to be wrong. At this time he was after the plaque that was on the coffin. He obtained an order to exhume the grave. This he did on Sat. April 26th, 1969.
He did'nt find the plaque, but he claims to have found the body of MvR! Minus the head, of course.
These he took to the German consulate in Paris and handed them over to the German military attache, asking that they be forwarded to Bolko von Richthofen.
For anyone who cares to follow it up here is a list of the people involved.....

Mr. Marcel Cavillon French farmer, Bertangles area
Mr. Clermont Tonnerre Mayor of Bertangles 1969
Michele Destomles Grave digger
Mr. Etienne Legagneur Public works offical 1969
Luftwaffe colonel, Military Air Attache, Paris 1969.

Hope this helps.
Les

Thanks for the details, Les. Sounds like something of a mystery. I wonder if Bolko ever did get those bones via the attache in Paris. I have seen photos of Richthofen's bullet-marked gravestone in Berlin, as the Invaliden Cemetery was nearby the infamous Wall....at some point Bolko must have managed to have his brother's remains (at least the portions buried in Berlin) moved to Wiesbaden. I wonder what became of the large tombstone, as I don't think it was relocated. As for the original burial site that Carisella opened up -- I wonder, if the account is valid, if perhaps the bones might not have been R's, that the grave was used to inter some local person at a later date, as those country cemeteries often "recycle" graves over time. As I say, something of a mystery.

[Rittm]

There is something uncomforting about this topic. First the death is highly contentious, then what happened to the body afterwards, then the constant reburial of the body. The whole thing makes me feel uncomfortable for some reason. It really shouldn't matter though. Should it?

Uncomfortably Yours,
Rittm

It was summer in 1925 when the head was removed from it's first grave. Decomposed bodies in the summer are not very pleasent to handle I'am sure. That is why only the skull was taken. I do hope that the remains that were left in the grave were returned to the family, and reunited with the skull.
Jeni