Lost places, mythical events and legendary treasures such as the Amber Room or the Wałbrzych Gold Train have fascinated Dr. Niklas Napp since childhood. After graduating from the Katharineum in Lübeck, he studied history and archaeology at the Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg im Breisgau. During his studies, he specialized in the hitherto largely neglected history of German aviation at the beginning of the 20th century and finally, in 2015, presented his dissertation on the German air forces in the First World War, one of the first new works on this research topic.
Since this required extensive research in the military records of the Luftwaffe, Dr. Niklas Napp has already been working at the Federal Archives/Military Archives Freiburg since 2006. Since completing his doctorate, he has now continued this work as an official research service provider.
His own research continues to focus on aviation – especially military aviation – in the period 1900 to 1945. As a specialist with many years of experience on the subject complex of the World War era, early aviation and the use of the Luftwaffe, he is part of the circle of experts around the Military History Museum of the German Armed Forces – Gatow Air Base.
Dr. Niklas Napp is a member of the Military History Working Group, the Association of German Historians and the German War Graves Commission.