Paul König

Paul Liebrecht König (March 20, 1867 – September 9, 1933) was a sailor and business executive. The son of a clergyman, married to an English wife from whom he separated for the duration of the war, he is most known for two visits he made to the United States in 1916 as captain of the merchant submarine U-Deutschland.[1]

For the Scout leader, see Paul König (Scouting).
Paul Liebrecht König
Paul König.
BornMarch 20, 1867
Rohr, Province of Saxony, Kingdom of Prussia
DiedSeptember 9, 1933
Gnadau, Province of Saxony, Free State of Prussia
AllegianceGerman Empire
Service/branchImperial German Navy
RankKapitänleutnant
Commands heldGerman submarine Deutschland, 1916 – 1917
Battles/warsU-boat Campaign (World War I)
AwardsIron Cross 1st class

König was a captain in the German merchant navy. In 1916 during World War I, he became a reserve Kapitänleutnant in the Imperial German Navy.

Later in 1916, König became commanding officer of the merchant submarine Deutschland. He took it on two patrols to the United States for commercial purposes. He arrived at Baltimore on July 10, 1916, with a cargo of dyestuffs. While in the United States he was interviewed by newspapermen, was even the recipient of vaudeville offers, was welcomed by mayor of Baltimore and officials. On August 2 he sailed on the return voyage, later making a second voyage and putting in at New London, Connecticut.[2]

He received the Iron Cross 1st class the same year. Following his return after the second journey, König wrote a book called Voyage of the Deutschland, which was heavily publicized, as it was intended to be used as propaganda.[3]

König then became commanding officer of a Sperrbrechergruppe (group of blockade runners; 1917), and later was an executive at Norddeutscher Lloyd (1919–1931). He died at Gnadau, on September 9, 1933, where he is buried.

Awards and decorations
  • Iron Cross, 2nd class (1915 ) and 1st class (1916)
  • Hohenzollern House Order (1916)
  • Honorary Doctorate from the University of Halle (Saale), Dr.med.hc (1916)

Notes
  1. Jasper Copping (2 February 2014). "The German sailor, his English wife and WW1 voyage that won him the Iron Cross". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  2.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Reynolds, Francis J., ed. (1921). "Koenig, Paul" . Collier's New Encyclopedia. New York: P. F. Collier & Son Company.
  3. Directed Readings on the U-Boat War Archived 2007-03-26 at the Wayback Machine - Blake, Sam, East Carolina University, April 2003.

References

The New York Times
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