Richard Römer (soldier)

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Christian Wilhelm Richard Römer (born May 21, 1888 in Hohenlimburg , † 1929 in Kork near Kehl am Rhein) was a German soldier . He is referred to as the "father of the DLRG ".

Life

Römer came from Hohenlimburg in Westphalia and was a soldier in the Guard Machine Gun Department No. 2 in Groß-Lichterfelde near Berlin . In 1912 he had the rank of sergeant .

Misfortune on Rügen

On July 28, 1912, Römer was on an unauthorized (“black”) weekend vacation in Binz on the island of Rügen , when over 1000 bathers and day trippers crowded the 560 meter long pier and awaited the arrival of the bathing steamer Crown Prince Wilhelm . Suddenly the jetty at the bridgehead collapsed like a funnel. Over 100 people fell in the Baltic Sea . According to eyewitness accounts, Römer jumped into the water and saved a total of twelve people. He tried so hard that he had to be saved from drowning himself. However, help came too late for 16 people, including two children. In the meantime, the ships of a maneuver taking place there had come to the rescue and, in particular, sailors from the SMS Prussia rescued another 27 people.

These events remained in the public's consciousness and were the reason to issue the call for the establishment of the DLRG on June 5, 1913.

Commemorative plaque in memory of the accident in Binz

Award

"Following my decision to forgive me on December 1. Js. I determine the submitted application lists: The Guard Machine Gun Department No. 2 occasionally receives the Sergant Römer from the collapse of the bridge in Binz on July 28th for his outstanding involvement in the rescue of drowning people, which was associated with his own risk of death. v. Js. awarded the rescue medal on ribbon . The decoration is attached. "

- Kaiser Wilhelm

Honor

A street in the Reher Heide development area in Hohenlimburg was named after Römer in September 1998, Richard-Römer-Straße . A lifeboat was christened Richard Römer by the DLRG group in Kehl . In addition, on July 27, 2012, the Hohenlimburg branch of the DLRG planted an oak tree in the “Lennepark” and placed a plaque for Richard Römer. In October 2013, on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the DLRG, the Hohenlimburg Lennebad was renamed Richard-Römer-Lennebad .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Note in: Westfälische Rundschau. Local edition Hohenlimburg, August 25, 2012.
  2. ^ Note from the DLRG local group with a picture of the tree , accessed on March 4, 2013
  3. ↑ Lokalkompass.de: Lennebad is now called Richard-Römer-Lennebad , accessed on May 5, 2014
personal data
SURNAME Romans, Richard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German soldier, "father of the DLRG"
DATE OF BIRTH May 21, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Hohenlimburg
DATE OF DEATH 1929
Place of death Cork at Kehl