1920 German Sieger
1922 Grand Victor
Ch. Erich v Grafenwerth SchH III

1922 GV Ch. Erich v Grafenwerth SchH III
SZ# 71141
Breeder:  H. Wildening; Koln Germany
Born July 28th, 1918
Imported by Hamilton Farms in 1921
Later owned by Giralda Farms

• 1925 Sgr. Ch. Klodo v. Boxberg
• V Dolf Margarentental
  
  "Structurally Erich was a grand specimen of the breed. He was noble in appearance, swift and sure in gait. Credit for his structural excellence can not be entirely given to his sire, Alex. Both male lines in the second generation are stopped by Hettel Uckermark, and of immeasurable importance is the tail-female line to Flora Berkemeyer. This lovely bitch was also a fortuitous mutant whose impact upon the genetic make-up of her line is felt to this day. She gave a beauty of form, an essence of refinement and quality that was mirrored in her grandson Erich."
  
  -Capt WM Goldbecker & Ernest H. Hart
  Authors of This is the German Shepherd

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  "Hettle Uckermark was a dog of excellent temperament, but Erich was not blessed with his double grandsire's character, inheriting instead a social unsureness from his sire Alex, his grandsire Roland and the lovely Flora Berkemeyer.  This slight character fault possessed by Erich led to employment by the Verein (SV) of more rigid temperament testing and a warning not to breed to Alex v Westfalheim because of the temperament taint.  Since the warning also extended to Erich, he was reluctantly offered for sale and was purchased by an American and brought to the United States.  Erich carried a slightly wave coat ... Erich, despite his temperament defect, was one of the greatest sires of his times; he influenced many of the generations that came after him."
  
  -Ernest H. Hart
  Author of The German Shepherd Dog

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  There is some suspicion that Erich might not have been as strong mentally as might have been expected from the heritage behind him. The working\herding people used Erich extensively. He is dominant in the pedigrees of the dogs the workers went on with
  
  Schealler puts a "?" in the slot for working character for this dog. Some of the most used dogs to come along at a later time were rated as low as a three for working character. Would a question mark be lower than that? Whatever weaknesses were considered to be in Erich, they were not enough to discourage breeding to him. Nor did it affect his high ratings at the dog shows. Still I look at what happened the year after he was Sieger, 1921, which was the year that Von Stephanitz made his dramatic upheaval of the system by introducing the gunfire test. If Erich was at the gunfire show he was gone from the country by the next year.
  
  Many of the progeny of these litters were reported as being weak in temperament. The breedings were put together in an effort to produce another Erich, but only one obtained the stature of Erich. Erich's most famous son, there were so many, was 1925 Sieger Klodo von Boxberg. Erich was also the cornerstone for many other kennels that went on to greatness. He and his progeny produced show winners and/or working dogs that excelled in their own disciplines."
  
  Gordon Garrett
  Author of German Shepherd Dog History