The burial

"The funeral took place on the afternoon of 20 November. The masses of people began to gather at lunchtime. Then came Reich President von Hindenburg, whom my mother and I greeted. He was accompanied by the Reich Chancellor Luther, the Reichswehr Minister Dr Geßler, General von Seeckt at the head of the entire Berlin generalship and Admiral Zenker with the officers of the navy. The ceremony in the church was dignified and brief. Then eight airmen, knights of the Order Pour le mérite, lifted the coffin onto the gun carriage provided by the 2nd Prussian Artillery Regiment. A company of the guard regiment led the way, and the procession made its way along the street lined with countless clubs to the Invalids' Cemetery to the sound of muffled drums. A former regimental comrade, now a Reichswehr officer, preceded the coffin carrying the wealth of war decorations that had been awarded to Manfred during his life. Planes with black pennants circled over the cemetery and the honour company fired the final salute three times. While the Reichswehr band played the song of the good comrade, the coffin sank into the depths. The Reichswehr Minister spoke the words: ‘When we return Manfred von Ricthofen's mortal remains to the earth, we also pledge that we belong in faith and hope to our fatherland, for which he fell.’ There will have been no one among the countless participants in this funeral service who would not have agreed with these words from the bottom of their hearts. Manfred thus found his final, lasting resting place in the centre of the capital of the Reich. But how much his memory lives on in the hearts of the people is shown by the thousands and thousands of fellow citizens who visit his grave year in, year out, especially on Sundays and public holidays, even today in undiminished numbers, mourning and reflecting, but at the same time filled with patriotic pride, bowing in spirit before the manes of the chivalrous German hero of the skies."