The Two Princes

The never-ending research rabbit hole has bubbled up another story from the simmering cauldron of the archive. A story of royalty, migration, Henry Ford, and the horse trainer to the emperor. None of these subjects would seem connected on the surface, but a few newspaper mentions opened up a new slant of history in the Detroit area, intertwining the fate of two princes and a man who found a new life in America working at an auto assembly plant – his true identity shrouded in mystery. The past is patient.

Prince Wilhelm Frederick Von Hohenzollern (1906-1940) and his younger brother Prince Louis Ferdinand Von Hohenzollern (1907-1994) started life in the cradle of Germanic royalty. Grandsons of the infamous Kaiser Wilhelm II, sons of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, their ordained futures changed dramatically in 1918, when the throne of the House of Hohenzollern was abolished after the German revolution.

The collapse of the royal household brought unexpected change and hardship to the many people that served the family. Among those was the imperial horse trainer for the Royal stables, Fredrich Hofmann. He brought his family to the United States in November 1921 via the SS America, shortly after Adolph Hitler came to power in Germany as leader of the Nazis. Mr. Hoffman was accompanied by his wife Mary, son Henry, and family friend Fritz Williman. The family immigrated from Leipzig via Bremen to New York. Fredrich’s name was anglicized to Frederick Hoffman. The men became a part of the automotive industry, their previous lives just a memory, an occasional late-night story of unimaginable wealth and pedigree horses.

Fred Hoffman 1884-1969

The Princes were educated in Berlin and found new life outside the traditional expectations of royalty. Prince Louis read Philosophy and History at the Humboldt University in Berlin. He was awarded a Doctorate in 1929 for his thesis on the theory of immigration and its application to Argentina. He traveled extensively and lived for some time in Detroit. He stayed at the Ford estate Fair Lane in Dearborn and counted among his acquaintances Henry Ford and FDR. Louis’ focus was on engineering, and he took an active part on the Ford assembly line in Buenos Aires in 1930. Henry Ford was pressing him to take over representation of Ford in Europe as the next frontier of expansion for the company. Louis took flying lessons in California and romanced Lily Damita, Errol Flynn’s first wife.

Prince Louis Ferdinand Von Hohenzollern (1907-1994)

Prince Wilhelm studied at the universities of Konisgberg, Munich and Bonn. As the family heir, he joined the Borussia Corps as a student, continuing a family tradition that followed the footsteps of his father, grandfather and other members of the Prussian royal family. He joined his brother in the States during 1932.

Prince Wilhelm Frederick Von Hohenzollern (1906-1940)

The Northville Record of August 5, 1932 mentions the Princes staying at the Ford Estate in Dearborn, and visiting local resident Frederick Hoffman on River Street. The former trainer of horses for the Emperor’s stables welcomed his friends from their home country with traditional German food after a morning riding in the hills around the village.

The young men returned in September, touring the Ford plant managed by HG Harburger. They were accompanied by William Donesson of Detroit and Fred Williman of Switzerland. This visit brought a larger party to ride in the hills followed by the traditional German feast prepared by Mrs. Hoffman. The riding group turned into a hunting party in October, bagging many ducks for the celebratory dinner, beginning a local tradition in Northville.

Prince Wilhem was recalled to Germany in 1933, where he renounced his rights to the throne in order to marry Dorothea von Salviati, thus making Louis next in line as the future head of the House of Hohenzollern, after his father Crown Prince Wilhelm. During the Weimar Republic the Wilhelm attended military maneuvers in the old uniform of the imperial First Foot Guards without government approval. The Oster conspiracy of 1938 sought to restore him to the throne.

As World War II began, Prince Wilhelm and a number of princes from the former German monarchies enlisted in the Wehrmacht. Wilhelm took part in the invasion of France, was wounded at Valenciennes and died in a field hospital in Nivelles, 1940. His death brought about the Princes’ Decree barring all members of the former German Royal Houses from service in active military operations.

Prince Louis served in the German Air Force but retreated to his estates after the Princes’ Decree. He maintained close contact with the German underground movement, where he was seriously considered as a possible future head of state in the event the coup against Hitler, planned for July 20, 1944, succeeded. Louis eventually fled from the family’s estates in the East to West Germany. He was a firm believer in democracy however he never renounced his right to the throne, passing away in 1994. He expected to be addressed as Imperial Highness, and leading political figures of the times did honor that request.

Thank you for taking this ride back in time with me where I share these vignettes of life in Michigan, the local news, and the international stage. I have included some choice images from the Hoffman naturalization papers that give an interesting view of immigration and oaths in connection with citizenship.

Cheers!