Paul Graetz Biographie

Youth 1875 - 1895

24.07.1875 born as Friedrich Paul Graetz in Zittau (Oberlausitz), he grew up on his grandfather’s manor in Reichenau.
1895 – Matriculation and decision to take up an officer career.

Time as officer 1895- 1907

29.06.1896: commissioned second lieutenant
04.04.1902: Lieutenant of the 7th Infantry Regiment "Prinz Georg" Nr. 106; after his retirement from the Royal Saxon Army he is employed as commissioned lieutenant in the German colonial troops “Schutztruppe” as of 29.06.1896

East Africa 1902 - 1904

1902 - employed at the road construction of Garrison Lindi in the south together with the 3rd Schutztruppen Company and 2000 coloured workers – construction of a 600km long road.
30.09.1904: Graetz retires from the Schutztruppe as he re-joins the Royal Saxon Military. At his farewell he receives a storming bronze Sudanese firgure on an ebony pedestal engraved with his name and rank.
1904 – Promotion to first lieutenant, Military Academy.
1904 – Purchase of an automobile single cylinder Opel - Darracq.

Links and addresses:

If you would like to know more about the German colonial history:

Here you find exhibits from Paul Graetz' time at the Schutztruppe from 1902 - 1904: Waissansu – Collection, Kilimatinde Tansania:

By car through Africa 1907 - 1909

Detailed information regarding the Africa transit by automobile are available here: Crossing Africa by automobile

10.08.07: Start at the post office in Daressalam at 17:20 h, together with Theodor von Roeder and chauffeur
01.05.09: Arrival in Swakopmund

Detailed information regarding the Africa transit by motor boat are available here: Crossing Africa by motor boat

Links and addresses:

Here you will find exhibits and souvenirs of Paul Graetz' motor boat expedition: Watua-Collection, Lake Bangwelu, Zambia: Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Foundation for Prussian Culture)

Back in Germany

1914: preparation for the German – English – Dutch aeronautical (airship) land survey expedition to Papua New Guinea

Links:

1914/15 – First lieutenant commando officer of the military flight school and the Fokker aircraft plant in Schwerin

Links:

1915 -1918: founding of the predecessor company of Lufthansa
1920: An adventuourus India excursion.
From 1920: main residence in Langebrück close to Dresden.
11.01.1941: Wedding with Wally (nee Pods) his third wife
1942: Birth of daughter Uta Africana
1949: Escape from the Soviet Zone
1950: Preparations for the third Africa transit are discontinued after his wife’s accident.
1960: Travemünde: Federal government assist with the building of "Afrikaruh", Move-in in July
16.02.1968: Paul Graetz dies in Travemünde.
Tombstone: Cemetery Travemünde. Not existent anymore.
Inscription on stone: Paul Graetz africanus, Carpe Diem 25.07.1875 - 16.02.1968 with old German "born" and "died" signs before the dates.
Buried on 20.02.1968, field 6 row-graetz 7 no. 5, remove in June by the mason company Wolff from Lübeck

Posthumous

2002 - Der an der Sternwarte in Trebur entdeckte Asteroid Nr. 142562 discovred at the observatory in Trebur was named after Paul Graetz: NASA - 142562 Graetz (2002 TL69)

has always been the driving force that would convert brilliant ideas to reality.