Paulus (* 22 December 1868 in cell living with open brook; "† 16 July 1935 in Berlin), was the first German Berufsluftschifferin, air acrobat and Erfinderin of the fold upable parachute. "Air boat operators" at that time all involved ones to the lighters as ventilation engineering, thus also balloon driver, field air boat operator were e.g. called.

Life

Katharina Paulus originated from smallcivil, conditions. Her father, who as if forge, and as machine heaters worked sometimes, deceased 1887. This event welded and her nut/mother, Maria Paulus, so closely together that they lived time life together. was a pretty, life-merry girl with a dangerous slope to the Akrobatik. So she wanted to learn the rope dancing for example on a rope strained over the house yard.

learned the occupation of cutter, what should putting out itself later than ideally for its career.

Paulus and Hermann slat man - first of ascents and jumps

During a cure stay she became acquainted with the balloon driver Hermann slat man on 21 June 1889 and was inspired by its art. It wanted to become Luftschifferin at the side of this man. Their nut/mother however wanted to keep it away from him, since she regarded it as an incorrigible adventurer and "Homme femmes".

On desire, taught it slat man in the art of the balloon flight and the parachute jump. But before the desired first ascent had to only learn, how balloons and parachutes were manufactured. "In this way I was trusted with the technical aids, which must be made with the most embarrassing caution and care."

Soon was indispensable for slat man. It held its equipment in conditions and repaired the balloons often returning to Fetzen. Paulus and slat man did not co-operate, but were also privately a pair. To 7. March 1891 came into Frankfurt/Main its son, Willy Hermann Paulus, to the world. Due to the pregnancy and the birth had so far not ascended in the balloon.

On 19 July 1893 then the instant desired for a long time by it came: in Nuremberg slat man had a passenger, and possibly someone had to bring balloon and passenger intact to soil. knew not many more about the balloon driving than their passenger, and by a false manipulation of the valves she rose to 3500 m, before the balloon burst nearly and rushed downward then with high speed. Fortunately they and their passenger got over the almost disaster intactly. "I struck myself the head bloodily. But which did that everything in relation to proud consciousness that the thing had folded on the whole."

Slat man wanted not to let jump off only. It insisted however on it, and with pouring rain it dared its first jump in Elberfeld.

One year later died slat man with a fatal balloon experiment in Krefeld. On 17 June 1894 and Hermann wanted to together ascend in the balloon, them should jump off and slat man wanted afterwards the balloon into a parachute to transform and thus gently to the earth slide. After had jumped off and their screen had opened, slat man pulled on the line. The balloon reacted however not as planned, but turned together and fell hissing to the earth. Ten meters far away Paulus did not have to watch helplessly hanging on the parachute, how their loving fell to death. "I hung on the screen, without being able to help, while it in racing travel, which covering like a turned umbrella after-fluttering, into which depth fell. Everything was dull. When I landed, they had found him already dead in a road of Krefeld. It was very heavy."

First professional Luftschifferin Germany

Due to slat man death had Paulus a heavy shock as well as a Nervenzusammenbruch - today one would speak of post office trauma tables a collapse. It was for months bound to the bed. From completely Germany it received and aufmunternde letters, which finally made it for her possible to continue.

She bought four new balloons, with which she accomplished tours by all European large cities: London, Nice, Vienna, Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Danzig, Wiesbaden, Paris and Frankfurt.

Hardly one year after slat man death died the small Willy Hermann in July 1895 at Diphtherie. Paulus fell itself again into the work. 561-mal ascended it altogether in a balloon, 147-mal fell itself it with its parachute into the depth. Their ascents discovered an enormous interests of public: once it sold to nearly 20,000 tickets.

Paulus had a feeling for publicity and image. With its appearances it carried public-effectively a sailor suit, Pluderhosen, in addition confine lacquer lower jaws and black tying boots: Thus humans imagined a "air heroine". - its artist name was "measures Polly" - became within shortest time the most successful air acrobat of its time.

Their most spectacular feat was the double crash invented before it, with which it separated from the balloon, on which a first parachute came up, from which it again for some moments separated, until a second screen came up.

During its entire career Paulus - up to a leg break - did not have a serious accident.

Excursion into powered flight

Their life long was Paulus openly for the technical innovations in aviation. As it acquired a Flugmaschine and took flying hours with the well-known flight instructor Paul Engelhardt. When this died however with a crash, she did further training and without the flight license.

Not only the death of their teacher contributed to this decision. It seems, as if Paulus would have gotten accustomed so much to loudless sliding of the balloons that she felt the roaring engine noises of the flight machines as disturbing.

In July 1914 now the undertook its last balloon travel. Later the First World War broke few days off. Paulus handed its balloons and parachutes to the army administration over.

First world war and parachute production

From beginning of war Paulus turned again and again with improvements for parachutes to the German army administration. But only 1916 began themselves to interest the authorities at all in parachute questions.

Released by the death of slat man Paulus had been concerned during the many years of its career as Luftschifferin with the constant improvement of their parachutes. At present the 1. World war was considered it as Expertin Germany and the best Ratgeberin of the balloon reconnaissance aircraft troops.

Starting from summer 1916 it manufactures package parachutes invented of their and the pertinent coverings in its dwelling on behalf the Prussian war Ministry. Later, than production became larger, they cut the material and let the screens from home-worker inside sew. "In such a way I supplied about 7000 parachutes to end of war. Which work for this belong, come out from out, that I weekly approximately 125 parachute supply, for each week approximately 20,000 meter material cut must; because to implement, I left this work, in view of its importance, do not take myself."

After due to the war-conditioned lack economy no silk was more available, Paulus had to change over to other materials. Their parachutes saved the life to 1917 twenty balloon reconnaissance aircraft in April, when these were shot with Verdun. 1917 were honoured it with the Distinguished Service Cross for war assistance.

After the war

After end it the First World War became it calmly around Paulus. Up to the death of its nut/mother in the year 1922 it lived with it in their dwelling in Reinickendorf. You by the balloon travels compiled fortune were lost through the inflation.

When flies for German citizens became again possible, it often participated as Zuschauerin and an honour guest in flight days and flight looking. It donated personal like their jump clothes, its balloon car or its double parachute of the German aviation collection, which was furnished to 1932 on the airfield Johannistal.

Paulus died on 26 July 1935 after longer illness. With their funeral only few humans were present, among them however also the aviators Elly leg horn and Hanna Reitsch, which appreciated their pioneer interior work for flying women much.

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