Von Luckner: a Reassessment

When Felix von Luckner arrived in New Zealand in 1917 as a prisoner of war, anti-German sentiment was rife. Yet his gentlemanly conduct towards crews captured in his raiding activities, along with his audacious escape from Motuihe Island, made him a folk hero, and he was certainly treated as one by many New Zealanders on his return in 1938. A number of controversies surround him and his activities, however. Archival documents have now become available in both Germany and New Zealand which clarify various matters that have remained unresolved for many years.