Bruno von Kayser

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Bruno-Heinz von Kayser (b. 10 January 1904 in Bromberg,[1] Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire; d. 25 August 1982 in Düsseldorf,[2] North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany) was a German champion dancer and in WWII war correspondent (Kriegsberichterstatter) as well as officer of the Luftwaffe.

Life

Benito Mussolini leaves the Hotel Campo Imperatore. Over his left shoulder Otto Schwerdt. To the right of him General Ferdinando Soleti (over the shoulder), then Generalinspector of the Carabinieri Giuseppe Gueli (in civilian), and Karl Radl (with suitcase). Picture by Kriegsberichter Bruno von Kayser.

Bruno-Heinz was the son of Hugo Max von Kayser (1873–1949), a Lieutenant Colonel of the Imperial German Army, later General der Kavallerie of the Reichswehr, and his first wife, Ilse, née Brinkmann. His older brother was Edwin Georg (b. 1899), an engineer, veteran of WWI and officer of the reserves, his older sister was Margarete Annie (b. 1901).

Even in his young years, he dreamed of becoming a very famous dancer. Together with his fiancée and future wife, Melitta Johanna Sophie Ryssen (b. 9 December 1907 in Düsseldrof), whom he would marry on 3 April 1928 in Düsseldorf, Bruno formed the famous dancer couple in the 1920s and 1930s. They danced successfully in the amateur camp until 1926, and in 1927 they founded their own dance school. Bruno and Melitta were the first German professional ballroom dancers. They won the German championship in 1929, and the European championship from 1929 until 1937. In the spring of 1931, Bruno and Melitta von Kayser took over the training at the "Boston-Club" ind Düsseldorf and were known internationally as the pioneers of professional competition dancing. Their daughter Olga-Ilse "Carola" von Kayser was born on 9 July 1939 in Düsseldorf and would become an actress in post-war West Germany.

In WWII, he became a Kriegsberichter attached to the Wehrmacht. He was engaged in the "Operation Weserübung" in 1940 as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Sturzkampfgeschwader 1, as well as the Western Campaign. He worked for the "Berliner Illustrierte Nachtausgabe" by this time. As far as is known, his participation with the Fallschirmtruppe (1. Fallschirmjäger-Division) started by the jump on Corinth, in 1941. Then, Crete (Operation Merkur), Russia (Operation Barbarossa) and Italy (Sicily, Ortona, Monte Cassino). He became well known from the "Gran Sasso" action on 12 September 1943. 2nd Lieutenant von Kayser, together with another war correspondant, Oberjäger Toni Schneiders, took the photos and filmed the liberation of Mussolini carried out by Fallschirmjäger (Operation Oak).

A cargo glider with a pilot and nine paratroopers made a crash landing. All were injured, but not life-threateningly. After the successful operation, the injured comrades were brought four and a half kilometers into the valley on the first cable car secured by Major Mors' troops. One of many pictures by Bruno von Kayser from this day shows Dr. Otto Brunner treating the men before they are transported to a military hospital.

Von Kayser was then also working for the newspaper "Illustrierter Beobachter". He was part of the group, led by 1st Lieutenant Georg Freiherr von Berlepsch, which landed on the plateau of Campo Imperatore. He also, now a 1st Lieutenant, participated in the Operation Stößer (Unternehmen „Stößer“) during the Battle of the Bulge. He was promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) in 1945 and became a POW of the English army.

He returned to Germany in late 1945. After the Second World War, the "Boston-Club's" dancing operations were resumed on 1 October 1948 with 150 members. One of the first students was Günter Rudack. The new tournament department was set up in the kitchen of the von Kayser couple's destroyed dance school. In 1949, the first amateur dance tournament was held in the Rhine Terraces. Despite all odds, the event was a complete success. Thus the dance competition “The International” was born and became the tournament for top pairs on the second Saturday in December.

Bruno von Kayser lived his passion and was one of the founders of the "International Council of Ballroom Dancing", whose head office was located in London. Bruno played in a film called "Der erste Ball" (1955) and appeared with his wife in the television show "Fünf Minuten mit Adalbert Dickhut" (NWDR) which aired live on 19 October 1955.

Awards and decorations

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der adeligen Häuser, Teil B, 1931, p. 350
  2. ↑ Bruno von Kayser was buried at the Nordfriedhof in Düsseldorf.
  3. ↑ Kayser, von, Bruno (Kriegsberichter)
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