71
See also: Frank Abagnale 86–67 ■ The Tichborne Claimant 177aristocratic names and titles. In
1926, his life changed irrevocably
when one of these acts of deception
went awry. The story highlights
Germany’s obsession with royalty
in that era, and the gullibility of the
country’s wealthy, privileged elite.Charismatic chancer
When he was 20, Domela moved
to Hamburg, where he made some
money playing cards. He used it
to visit the historic university city
of Heidelberg where, adopting a
confident air, he masqueraded
for some weeks as Prince Lieven,
lieutenant of the Fourth Reichswehr
cavalry regiment, Potsdam. He
became friendly with members of
one of the exclusive, and snobbish,
student societies, which quickly
accepted him. He was entertained
lavishly, wined and dined, and
thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
However, Domela knew his
deception might be uncovered at
any time. Before that could happen,
he moved on to the city of Erfurt.
There, he selected one of the nicesthotels, checked in as Baron Korff
and demanded one of their top
suites. The hotel manager noticed
that the new guest with the grand
manners bore a striking
resemblance to young Wilhelm of
Hohenzollern, grandson of Kaiser
Wilhelm, the last German emperor.
The two men were around the
same age and of a similar build and
appearance. The hotel managerCON ARTISTS
Despite a humble background and
an impoverished present, Harry
Domela (far left) managed to convince
Heidelberg’s pro-monarchy elite that he
was the kaiser’s grandson (left).speculated that the prince might
be travelling incognito, using the
pseudonym Baron Korff. The
rumour started circulating around
Erfurt. Although the monarchy had
been abolished in 1918, many
aristocratic Germans were still
devoted to the deposed royal family,
the Hohenzollerns. Domela insisted
that he was not the prince, but he
was happy to subtly sustain the
illusion, especially as it meant he
did not have to pay his hotel bill.
Domela made a trip to Berlin,
but returned quickly to Erfurt when
all the staff at his hotel addressed
him as Your Majesty – word had
spread. Then one day, during a visit
by the mayor, he was asked to sign
a book; he caved in and wrote
“Wilhelm, Prince of Prussia”. For the
next few weeks, Domela fully
embraced his new royal persona
as the “son” of Crown Prince ❯❯The Real Harry Domela
Harry Domela was born in 1904
or 1905 into a humble but
respectable family in Kurland,
a duchy ceded to the Russians
in 1795 (now part of Latvia).
His parents were part of the
minority Baltic German
population. Domela’s father died
soon after his birth; he later
became estranged from his
mother and lost his brother in
World War I. At the age of 15, he
joined the German volunteer
corps that fought against the
Latvians. He later lost hiscitizenship, and joined
thousands of other destitute
people trying to survive in a
shattered postwar Germany.
Despite having no papers,
Domela managed to eke out a
meagre living, but soon became
an unemployed wanderer. When
a street contemporary drew his
attention to the huge number
of dispossessed aristocrats
around – Germany’s nobility
had recently been stripped of
their titles and status – Domela
developed the skills and
attributes necessary to pose
as one himself.070-073_Harry_Domela.indd 71 02/12/2016 14:41