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Zellhausen‘s birthplace forest picture of Käthe Paulus: More than 700 balloon ascents and 165 jumps in 23 years. © hampe
The International Parachuting Museum in Chicago honors the Zellhausen aviation pioneer Käthe Paulus and inducts her into its Hall of Fame.
Chicago/Zellhausen – At the suggestion of the Berlin Aero Club, Katharina “Käthe” Paulus from Zellhausen was recently invited to the Chicago International Parachuting Museum Hall of Fame recorded. Käthchen Paulus made more than 700 balloon ascents and 165 jumps in 23 years.
Käthe Paulus, born on December 22, 1868 in Zellhausen, was the first German professional aeronaut and aerial acrobat. On July 23, 1893, she attempted her first parachute jump in Wuppertal-Elberfeld using the wrap-around parachute that was common at the time. Käthe Paulus invented what hundreds of thousands of skydivers all over the world use today because of the greater safety: the foldable parachute and the associated covers.
The invention of a parachute has a sad history
Like many of the inventions in parachuting, this one also has a sad history: On June 21, 1889, she met the balloonist Hermann Lattemann and was immediately hooked on airship travel. As a trained seamstress, she supported Lattermann in making balloons and parachutes and later became his life partner. On June 17, 1894, Käthe Paulus jumped with a parachute from a balloon piloted by Hermann Lattermann. The balloon was then supposed to turn into a parachute and allow Hermann Lattermann to slide to the ground. This went wrong and Käthe Paulus had to watch her life partner fall to his death not ten meters away.
Paul suffered a nervous breakdown and spent the following months depressed in bed. Whether it was the many encouraging letters from her fans or other motivation, Käthe Paulus overcame the difficult loss and built her existence as an aerial acrobat. Unfortunately, her son with Lattermann died the following year of diphtheria at the age of four.
Paul awarded the Cross of Merit for War Aid
At the beginning of the First World War, Käthe Paulus was considered the expert in Germany when it came to ballooning and parachuting. From the summer of 1916, she manufactured 7,000 rescue parachutes for balloon reconnaissance aircraft in Berlin-Reinickendorf for the Prussian War Ministry. In the Battle of Verdun alone, their invention saved over 20 people’s lives. For this she was awarded the Cross of Merit for War Aid in 1917.
After the war, the wealth they had earned was lost due to inflation and money invested in war bonds. Käthe Paulus died impoverished after a long period of cancer at the age of 66 on July 26, 1935 in Berlin and is buried in the Danksfriedhof in Berlin-Reinickendorf. Only a few mourners were present at her funeral, but the two aviation legends Elly Beinhorn and Hanna Reitsch paid their last respects to Käthe Paulus. They appreciated their pioneering work.
Induction of Käthe Paulus into the Hall of Fame: Jens Gronemeyer accepted the award. © p
300 guests of honor upon induction into the Hall of Fame
In Germany, various streets and the elementary school in her birthplace of Zellhausen are named after Käthe Paulus. The wall of her birthplace there is adorned with a large picture of Käthe Paulus and a captive balloon. The Frankfurt University Library is in possession of original posters and printed matter from Käthchen Paulus’ active time.
The award for Käthe Paulus in Chicago was accepted by German-American, IT and parachute sports entrepreneur Jens Gronemeyer, who emigrated to the USA in 2010 and grew up in Höxter (Westphalia). Regardless of why he was allowed to accept this honor from Käthe Paulus in front of 300 invited guests of honor at the Tinley Park Convention Center in Chicago, that will always remain a secret of the international parachuting museum. (mho)
