"Maps 6 & 9. The Origami Maps (Dresden, 1914-1918)

These maps, or objects, represent the sole known instance of an attempt at creativity by the Margrave. Like so many Europeans of his generation, von Willebrand was enthralled by Japanese art, and he developed a particular fascination with origami – a set of techniques with ancestral origins in Japan whose basic principles influenced the “folds of truth, folds of life and folds of beauty” ideas of German pedagogue Friedrich Fröbel.
Tragically, von Willebrand brought his newfound creativity to bear on the problems of cryptography – the Margrave was ever mindful of his duty to the Fatherland. von Willebrand’s work on the tactical applications of origami in the battlefield somehow managed to pique the interest of the Kaiser’s father, Frederick III, during his brief 99-day reign. When Frederick died, his relationship with the Margrave ultimately led his son Kaiser Wilhelm II to authorize a field test of the origami system during the Third Battle of Ypres. As a result, an entire German reconnaissance platoon was picked off one by one by a perplexed British sniper as they tried to fold paper while wearing full anti-gas gear."

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