Franz Hans Leopold Maria Wittelsbach, Prinz von Bayern (born March 10, 1919 – died October 24, 1999) pilot pioneer, leading pomologist, political prisoner and a humanitarian.

He was born in Bistritz am Hostein, (Bistrice pod Hostynem), the only son of Prince Georg of Bavaria and his life-long mistress Josepha Zapletal. Because he was born outside of wedlock, Franz Wittelsbach, Prinz von Bayern was required by law to use his mother’s last name for the first nine years of his life. In 1928, on the request of his father, and with the permission of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria, he was finally legitimized, receiving his father’s surname (Prinz von Bayern), which in reality, and under the laws of Czechoslovakia and Germany, did not convey any special social or noble status. In addition, because of his illegitimate birth Franz Wittelsbach, Prinz von Bayern and all his descendents are precluded from the Bavarian line of succession and as of today, have not been recognized as full members of the dynastic family. Georg Prinz von Bayern Georg Franz Joseph Luitpold Maria, Prinz von Bayern (born April 2, 1880 - died May 31, 1943). ... Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria or Crown Prince Rupert of Bavaria (German: Kronprinz Rupprecht von Bayern) (18 May 1869- 2 August 1955) Rupprecht was the son of Louis III, the last King of Bavaria. ...

Throughout his life, Franz Wittelsbach, Prinz von Bayern was fascinated by aviation. He started flying glider planes at the early age of 11. By early 1920’s he was widely recognized as one of the best young glider pilots in Europe and held several pilot licenses. Unfortunately, the outbreak of WWII dashed his dream of becoming a professional pilot. Although a strong objector to the Nazi ideology, he entered Wehrmacht in 1937 and studied at military academies in Potsdam, Munich and Wiener-Neustadt (under Erwin Rommel). In 1939 as a Second Lieutenant (Leutnant in German), he took part in the German invasion of Poland and a year later fought with distinction in Luxembourg, Belgium and France. Considered one of the best commanders in the 1. Panzer-Division, he reached the rank of First Lieutenant (Oberleutnant in German) and was decorated with the Iron Cross I-Class. During this time he also became a close personal friend of General Heinz Guderian and also of his son Heinz Günther Guderian. However, his promising military career abruptly ended in December 1940 when he refused to disclose the whereabouts of leading members of the Wittelsbach family to the Nazi secret police, the Gestapo. He was arrested, cashiered from the German armed forces and sent to the military prison at Dachau. Month later he was released and placed under a house of arrest, from where he escaped, spending rest of the war hiding on castle Johannesberg bei Jauernig, under the protection of Adolf Cardinal Bertram. In the postwar years, together with Bertram, Franz Wittelsbach, Prinz von Bayern worked tirelessly to save thousands of ethnic German families from the vengeful Czech population, helping them to flee the Sudetenland regions of Czechoslovakia and arranged safe passages to Germany, Austria, Italy and even the US and Canada. However, he himself was prevented from leaving Czechoslovakia and remained there, as de-facto a political prisoner, until the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Denied any role in the Czech society, he spent most of his time studying pomology, developing new varieties of apples and peaches. Franz Wittelsbach, Prinz von Bayern died in Freiwaldau (Jesenik), in 1999, loosing his final battle with Alzheimer's disease at the age of 80. He was buried on October 29, 1999 at the city cemetery in Jauernig, (Javornik). It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nazism. ... Wehrmacht â–¶ (help· info) was the name of the armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. ... Potsdam is the capital city of the state of Brandenburg in Germany. ... Munich and the Alps Munich (German: München (pronounced listen) is the capital of the German federal state of Bavaria. ... Wiener Neustadt is located south of Vienna in the state of Lower Austria. ... Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel or Rommel for short ( â–¶ (help· info)) (November 15, 1891 – October 14, 1944) was one of the most distinguished German Field Marshals, and perhaps one of the greatest military leaders of all time. ... The German 1st Panzer Division () was an armored division in the German Army during World War II. Its divisional insignia was a white oakleaf emblem. ... A stylized version of the Iron Cross, the logo of the German Armed Forces The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia, and later of Germany, which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... General Heinz Guderian Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (17 June 1888 - 14 May 1954) was a military theorist and innovative General of the German Army during the Second World War. ... Heinz Günther Guderian (August 23, 1914 - 2004) was an officer in the Wehrmacht and later a Major General and Inspector of Panzer Troops in the West German Bundeswehr and NATO. He was the son of the famous World War II General Heinz Guderian Guderian junior entered the German Army... The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria. ... The Deaths Head emblem similar to Skull and crossbones, often used as the insignia of the Gestapo The â–¶ (help· info) (acronym of Geheime Staatspolizei; secret state police) was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. ... This article is about Dachau town. ... Adolf Cardinal Bertram (born March 14, 1859 – died July 6, 1945) archbishop of Breslau and cardinal of the Roman-catholic church. ... Sudetenland (-German; Czech: Sudety) was the name used from 1938–45 for the region inhabited mostly by Sudeten Germans (German: Sudetendeutsche, Czech: SudetÅ¡tí NÄ›mci) in the various places of Bohemia, Moravia, and parts of Silesia. ... The Velvet Revolution (Czech: samatová revoluce, Slovak: nežná revolúcia) (November 16 - December 29, 1989) refers to a bloodless revolution in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the communist government there. ... Pomology (from Latin pomum (fruit) + -logy) is is branch of botany that studies and cultivates fruits. ... Jeseník is a city and district in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. ... Location of Javorník in the Czech Republic Javorník or Javornik u Jeseniku or Javornik ve Slezsku (Jauernig in German) is a town in the Freiwaldau, Jesenik District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. ...

Notes

He was a close friend of Knight's Cross winners Helmut Wick and Erbo Graf von Kageneck. During his stay in France in 1940, Franz often visited both of the Luftwaffe aces who were involved in the Battle of Britain. Wick had also a great respect for Franz’ piloting abilities and claimed that he never met more gifted natural flier than Franz. The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of Germany which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... Erbo Graf von Kageneck (born April 2, 1918 - died January 12, 1941) was born in Bonn, one of four sons of Generalmajor Karl Graf von Kageneck and Freiin Maria von Schorlemer, daughter of Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer, an Imperial Secretary of Agriculture. ... The â–¶ (help· info) (German: air arm, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Combatants British Royal Air Force and allies Nazi German Luftwaffe Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Strength approx 700 fighters (at the beginning) 1,260 bombers; 316 dive-bombers; 1,089 fighters Casualties 1,547 aircraft; Civilian: 27,450 dead, 32,138 wounded 1,887 aircraft A major campaign of...

• Related Web-page about the military career of Franz Wittelsbach, Prinz von Bayern [1]