Fighter Pilot and Hereditary Estate Farmer

To the inner circle of the flying aces which Hermann had to leave behind belonged among others Lieutenant Ernst Udet (1896 -1941), who had also joined the Richthofen fighter unit, and the artillery reconnaissance pilot and later writer Carl Zuckmayer (1896 – 1977).

Hermann received the Iron Cross for his brave aerial assignments, He did not take part in the last battle of his unit on 5 November 1918, nor the humiliating order to demobilize on 8 November 1918. Two days later Commodore Hermann Göring reluctantly announced the disbandment of the airforce.

In 1919 Hermann, halfway restored, took on an agricultural administrative post near Lobsenz, County of Wirsitz (today Polish: Luchowo near Lobznica). The area suitable for agricultural use amounted to about 2398 ha. Hermann’s workplace was reportedly on the adjacent Prussian state property. In 1920, the County of Wirsitz, as dictated by the Versailles Separation Treaty, became part of Poland. The now German-Polish state boundary was running barely four km west of Loblenz. The property was transferred over to the Polish authorities.

In August or September of the same year, Hermann, now forced into a new line of work turned to his 22-year-old sister Meta (1898 – 1984). She lived at the time on the Julia Steuer property “Neu Rosow, Post Colbitzow, County of Stettin.” The pond with no more than six little houses lies only about 300 m east of the new border with Poland since 1945. Sister Julia Steuer offered to the awesome former flying ace a preliminary rescue anchor. In 1922/23 he met with his brother Ferdinand, who found himself in a similar predicament, in the brick and mortar factory of Diensdorf at the Scharmützel Lake. Here both were able to find temporary employment and income.

In 1923 Hermann Klopp married Marianne (née Michael), who grew up in Lauten, County of Guhrau, Silisia). In Kupfermühle near Meseritz (border town Posen – West Prussia, today Polish: Kuznik near Miedzyrzecz) he had taken an administrative position advertised  by the German Settlers’ Society (deutsche Sieldlungsgesellschaft).

To be continued …