Ferdinand Schulz (18 December 1892 – 16 June 1929) was a German aviator and glider pilot who broke a contemporary record by gliding and staying aloft for 14 hours and 7 minutes. He popularized hang-gliding in Germany. He was called the ''"Icarus of East Prussia"''.

Life and work

Schulz was born in Pissau, East Prussia, the eldest child of school teacher Ferdinand and Rosi née Scharnick. He studied at a Catholic school in Pissau where his father was the sole teacher. In 1904 he went to

Braunsberg Braniewo () (german: Braunsberg in Ostpreußen, la, Brunsberga, Old Prussian: ''Brus'', lt, Prūsa), is a town in northern Poland, in Warmia, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, with a population of 16,907 as of June 2021. It is the capital of ...

, staying with his aunt and attending the grammar school. In 1905 he went to Rössel and in 1911 went to the teacher training college in

Thorn Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to: Botany * Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants * ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species Comics and literature * Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...

. He served in the Danzig Infantry Regiment No. 128 and then in the 3rd Battalion in Danzig-Langfuhr. He was wounded during World War I and received a medal for bravery on the front. He then transferred to the air force in 1917 and flew

Halberstadt Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bombi ...

fighter planes. He began to teach in a Catholic elementary school in Jehlenz from 1919. 1924-05-11_Ferdinand_Schulz_F

He identified the dunes on Rossiten as being ideal for gliding due to the updrafts from the sea and began a gliding school. In 1922 he set up a workshop for constructing glides in

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...

. He trained several others in gliding including

Günther Groenhoff Günther, Guenther, Ginther, Gunther, and the variants Günter, Guenter, Guenther, Ginter Ginter is a both a given name and surname of German origin,https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=ginter derived from the name Günther. Notable people ...

. One of his glider's came to be called the "broomstick box" because the control handles were made from broomsticks. He competed in various events and received awards both for motorized gliders and for hang-gliders. On May 3, 1927, he glided at Rossiten for 14 hours and 7 minutes, breaking his own earlier records. He was to inaugurate a war memorial over the

Stuhm Sztum () (; formerly german: Stuhm) is a town in northern Poland in the region, located in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the capital of Sztum County, with some 10,141 inhabitants (2004). History Signs of settlement dating back to the Roman ...

market square by dropping a wreath from the air on 16 June 1929 but a strut of the wing of the aircraft that he was flying broke bringing the plane crashing and killing him and his co-pilot Bruno Kaiser. His grave is in

Lidzbark Warmiński Lidzbark Warmiński (; german: Heilsberg, ), often shortened to Lidzbark, is a historical town located within the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is the capital of Lidzbark County. Lidzbark Warmiński was once the capital of ...

(Heilsberg). A monument was also erected in Nida (Lithuania) in 1998.

References

External links

Memorial at Nida flying school
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schulz, Ferdinand 1892 births 1929 deaths German aviators