Heinrich Gunermann Album
Scope and Content
The Heinrich Gunermann Album, entitled “Aus meiner Fliegerzeit” (My Time Flying), features numerous black and white photographs of aircraft and parachute exhibitions that performed at air shows throughout Germany, primarily during the 1920s and early 1930s. Some of the photos detail the flight training Gunermann took at the end of World War I. Most of the photographs in the album are identified and dated, framed by descriptive captions. Gunermann identifies himself in photos with an “X” and sometimes abbreviates his name as “G.” The † symbol indicates someone who is deceased. The album also contains newspaper clippings covering the various air shows.
Dates
- Creation: 1918-1936
Creator
- Gunermann, Heinrich, 1899-1939 (Person)
Restrictions on Access
There are no restrictions on accessing materials in this collection.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Biography of Heinrich Gunermann
Heinrich “Heinz” Gunermann was born January 23, 1899, in Munich, Germany. He was the son of Josef Gunermann, a police officer, and Crescentea (Prepstel) Gunermann, a homemaker.
In January 1915, at just 16 years old, Gunermann joined the Bavarian infantry (Ersatztruppenteile der Infanterie Regimenter). He was later part of Infantry Regiment 18 and was with this unit when he was wounded shortly before November 30, 1916. Following his recovery, Gunermann served briefly with a Bavarian railroad reserve battalion (Eisenbahn-Ersatz-Bataillon).
Gunermann took pilot training towards the end of World War I, in August of 1918. He trained at Flugwerft Schleißheim and Flugwerft Milbertshofen, not far from Munich. Gunermann served with Aviator Replacement Division (Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung) 1 at Schleißheim.
After the war, Gunermann was employed as a parachute demonstrator (Fallschrimunternehmer), and he owned a parachute company with his partner Peter Bäumler. Gunermann and his associates performed at numerous air shows across Germany, Switzerland, and Holland throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s.
Gunermann was married (wife Apollonia) and had one child, Evelyn Isabelle Gunermann, born 1935 in Munich, Germany. Evelyn eventually moved to New York, sometime after her marriage.
Gunermann died in Czechoslovakia in early 1939 from a heart attack.
Extent
0.5 linear feet (1 scrapbook)
Language of Materials
German
Abstract
The collection consists of one photographic album that depicts Gunermann's early flying career, parachuting, flight school and barnstorming. It provides valuable insight on the aviation community in pre-Nazi and early Nazi Germany. Most of the photographs in the collection are identified and dated (1918-1936).
Statement of Arrangement
The collection is arranged into one series.
- Series I, Photograph Album
Acquisition Information
The album was acquired through purchase and accessioned on June 6, 1996.
Subject
- Gunermann, Heinrich, 1899-1939 (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Heinrich Gunermann Album (MS-274)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Aaron J. Buczkowski, 2008. Finding aid updated to DACS standards by Lisa P. Rickey, March 2016.
- Date
- 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2016: Originally, this collection was erroneously titled the “Georg Gunermann Collection,” after a misidentification of Gunermann’s first name. The name correction, as well as some of the biographical information was provided by Heinrich Gunermann’s distant relative, Thomas R. Gunerman of Cazenovia, New York, in 2015.
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
Wright State University Libraries
Special Collections and Archives
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton OH 45435-0001 USA
937-775-2092
library-archives@wright.edu
