Ernst Friedrich Löhndorff

Ernst Friedrich Löhndorff was a German sailor, adventurer, and writer. He was born in Frankfurt am Main on 13 March 1899 and died in 1976 in Laufenburg, Switzerland.

In 1913, at the age of 14, Löhndorff ran away from his home with the intent to become a sailor and get to know the world. He travelled the world as a sailor and adventurer until 1927. His first of over 30 novels, “Bestie Ich in Mexiko” (engl. “I, Beast, in Mexico” ), was published in 1927. His novels were translated in a dozen languages and were quite popular until after the Second World War. While his books are currently not in print they are still popular among collectors.[1]

Biography

Childhood and youth

Löhndorff was the youngest child of the merchant Robert Löhndorff and his wife Paulina Augusta Raabe. Born in Frankfurt on the 13th of March 1899 he was baptized on 27 August 1899. In 1902 his family moved to Vienna. His father was often absent due to business travels and later left the family. Consequently, Löhndorff practically grew up without a father.

Starting 16 September 1905 Löhndorff attended the Volksschule (elementary school) in Hietzing and later the public Realschule (secondary modern school). In 1912 he had to repeat the class due to excessive absence.[1]

Seamanship

In spring 1913 Löhndorff ran away from home to become a sailor. In Hamburg he signed on to a Dutch sailing ship as cabin boy. When he returned to the harbor of Delfzijl, the Netherlands, from a journey to Finland and Russia, his father and local police were already expecting him.

After a discussion Löhndorff's father agreed to let him pursue his way as a sailor. He hired on the four-masted barque “Thielbek” that was sailing to Mexico. At the end of September 1914 the ship reached his destination, where it was seized because of the beginning of First World War. Being greatly bored on the seized vessel, Löhndorff fled and went on to many adventures in Mexico.[1]

First World War

Löhndorff fled from the seized vessel after a short time because he was bored and wanted to pursue his quest for adventures. He worked in diverse jobs, including as coastal sailor.

After a shipwreck he hoped for help from the German consul in Guaymas. But as he couldn't provide documents, and his family resided in Austria, the consul did not believe him that he was German. After leaving the consulate Löhndorff met a Yaqui of the Revolutionary Force and signed in with the Forces. He was promoted soon, because, among other things, he was able to translate English text to his superiors. He met the revolutionary Pancho Villa.[2]

Löhndorff was not interested in the political issues behind the revolution. In January 1916 he witnessed how revolutionary troops fetched 17 US-American civilists out of a train and, under order from Pancho Villa, executed them on the spot. This changed Löhndorff's mind. But because he was present at the site and part of the situation, the US put a bounty on his head. A punitive expedition under general John Pershing remained unfinished because the troops were ordered back in 1917 when the US entered the First World War.[2]

War captivity

Löhndorff tried to get away from Mexico. Together with deserted sailors he captured the vessel “Alexander Agassiz”. They sailed under the German flag but were themselves captured by the US Marine after only four weeks. Löhndorff was arrested and put into prison in Los Angeles in February 1918. From there he was transferred to the War Barracks III in Fort Utah (Utah) as prisoner of war no. 638. During this imprisonment Löhndorff met captain Conrad Sörensen whose sailor classes he attended. After the end of war Löhndorff managed to receive provisional documents through the Swiss embassy. They enabled him to eventually leave the United States and return to Europe. On 11 July 1919 Löhndorff arrived in Rotterdam harbor as passenger of the sailor “Martha Washington”. German authorities expecting him there and, after several interrogations, allowed him to enter Germany, travelling to Karlsruhe, where his family had settled during war times.

French Foreign Legion

In post war years Löhndorff joined the French Foreign Legion. Why he did so remains unclear. He may have done so due to financial problems or simply to follow his urge for adventures. On 13 November 1920 he signed in for five years in Saarbrücken, using the false name “Ernesto de Naca e Villaverde” and false birthplace Veracruz, but giving his real birth date of 13 March 1899.[3]

He seems to have been in Algeria but deserted after only two months and fled the country. His book “Afrika weint - Tagebuch eines Legionärs” (engl. Africa cries - Diary of a Legionnaire) reflects his experiences in the Foreign Legion in Africa. But, as nearly all his books, this adventure novel mixes real events with fiction. His autobiographic style often gives the impression that Löhndorff reports his own adventures. But in many cases this is not the case. However, his travels and adventures were a strong source of inspiration for his stories.

Publications

Books

The following bibliography lists the first editions of his novels as they are given in the Catalogue of the German National Library.[4] Some of the crime novels he published under the pseudonym of Peter Dando were later republished under his real name.

Translations

Many of Löhndorffs novels were translated to—all in all—at least 12 different languages: Danish, English, French, Flemish (Belgium), Italian, Serbo-Croatian, Dutch, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Czech, Hungarian.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hubert Matt-Willmatt: Das Abenteuer im Leben und Werk von Ernst Friedrich Löhndorff (1899–1976). Schillinger Verlag, Freiburg 1999. (German biography; online)
  2. 1 2 Hubert Matt-Willmatt: Das Abenteuer im Leben und Werk von Ernst Friedrich Löhndorff (1899 - 1976). Schillinger Verlag, Freiburg 1999. pp 41 - 63. (online)
  3. ↑ "État signalétique et des services", Légion Étrangère, quoted in Matt-Willmatt, 1999
  4. ↑ Ergebnis der Suche nach: Woe=11715119X; (PND für Ernst Friedrich Löhndorff) im Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek
  5. ↑ Hubert Matt-Willmatt: Das Abenteuer im Leben und Werk von Ernst Friedrich Löhndorff (1899–1976). Schillinger Verlag, Freiburg 1999. p 207. (online)
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