The Polish Relatives of The Red Baron: Discovering the Forgotten Line of the von Richthofen Family

In this book the author chronicles the history of a German-Polish family spanning over seven generations and two centuries. The Polish nation’s fate, division, resistance, world wars, occupation and oppression, and exile imposed by its neighboring countries are the backdrop of this epic family history. For centuries the Richthofen family grew in number, power, and privilege in Germany. The best known member of the von Richthofen family in the 20th century is Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen, aka the Red Baron, the World War I pilot whose courage and exceptional skills made him a legendary figure in the history of aviation. The storybook romance and marriage of Baron Wilhelm von Richthofen to beautiful Paulina Objezierska in 1826 founded the new Polish branch of the Richthofens. The couple travelled frequently around Europe and enjoyed months of aristocratic living in Italy and France. In Rome, Baroness von Richthofen’s home was a who’s who gathering place for the upper class, artists, and writers. In Paris, their son, Henryk von Richthofen, fell in love with and then married Maria Wielogłowska. This union firmly established the identity of the new Polish branch of the Richthofens. The German origin and patriotic attachment to Poland of her ancestors were a source of inspiration to the author as she wrote this passionate family saga. Unique never-before published documents and photos guarded by the author’s family over two turbulent centuries were an invaluable source of information for this book. Anecdotes about the Polish von Richthofen family passed to the author by her grandmother and mother supplemented the family story. As a member of the von Richthofen family, the author had exclusive access to German documents that included insightful information about her ancestors. Thanks to the modern technology and digitalization of documents, the author was able to access the records of various archives that are available on the Internet. Extensive archival research and assessment of the carefully collected and studied documents allowed the author to draw a family portrait of great authenticity and tangibility for the reader.

Ivona Tarko was born in Krakow, Poland, and graduated from the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin with the MS degree in history. She moved to the United States 25 years ago and lives in West Lafayette, Indiana. Ivona likes traveling, reading, and gardening.