BERN ROSEMEYER (1909-1938) – German
Rosemeyer's official playing career began in the year 1931 victories on a flat track on a DKW motorcycle. However, the actual beginning was already in a year 1925 w Lingen, where sixteen-year-old Bernd, having obtained a driver's license, fueled fear among the honorable citizens of the city. Eventually 1934 the management of the Auto Union concern, to which also DKW belonged, decided, that Rosemeyer will be transferred to Grand Prix motor racing. It was a very good move. Rosemeyer won the first Grand Prix competition in Czechoslovakia, and the following year he became the European champion of Grand Prix circuit racing. W 1937 of the year he broke the speed record on the Frankfurt-Darmstadt circuit with the Auto Union car. He was the first to break the speed limit 400 km/h. It was during the rivalry between Mercedes and Auto Union. When in January 1938 Caracciola broke his record on a Mercedes, Bernd Rosemeyer did not hesitate for a moment. Despite the unfavorable weather conditions, he got into the closed one, a silvery 'coffin” and accelerated to speed 400 km/h. However, a strong gust of crosswind caused, that the car did not respond to steering movements and hit the flyover. His lightning-fast career ended just as quickly and unfortunately – tragic.