Graf Harra von Zeppelin

About Graf Harra von Zeppelin

Graf Harra von Zeppelin (born Heinrich von Zeppelin) was a German volunteer who fought alongside the Boer forces during the Second Anglo-Boer War. A relative of the famous airship pioneer Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, he was killed in action at the Battle of Elandslaagte on 21 October 1899. His remains are interred in the Kloof Cemetery (also known as the Heidelberg Kloof Cemetery) in Heidelberg. He served with the German Corps (Deutsches Korps) under Colonel Schiel. During the Battle of Elandslaagte, he was severely wounded—reportedly receiving a gunshot to the head and further injuries from a sabre and lance during a cavalry charge—and died the following day. His name is inscribed on a memorial in the cemetery that honours the fallen comrades of the Heidelberg Commando. His grave is often noted for its simplicity and the historical "secret" it holds as the resting place of a member of the prominent Zeppelin family.