Uncategorised Most unusual award on a bar ?

[Kekoa Dettloff]

15 hours ago, Claudius said:

Hello Kekoa Dettloff;

Welcome to GMIC.  To answer your question, No it's not too late to add to this thread, or any other thread here.  Thank you for posting this unusual medal bar!

You mentioned you are researching Captain Henry Berger.  Is there a reason for your research?  A relative or you collected some of his possessions?  Just curious.  What can you tell us about him.  There may be some on this forum that have more information on him.

 

I always found him as a fascinating figure in Hawaiian history, and I always loved hearing his compositions.

Captain Heinrich (Henry) Berger (1844-1929)

A member of the royal Prussian army music corps he was a non-combatant veteran of the Danish-Prussian, Austro-Prussian, and Franco-Prussian wars, he eventually became the bandmaster for the elite 2nd foot guards Infantry Regiment.

In 1872,at the request of King Lot Kamehameha V for assistance at reorganizing the then new King’s Band  Berger was chosen, and sent to the remote Island nation shortly after.

Following a several month journey both my boat and rail with little stop to reach Hawaiʻi, Henri Berger would conduct the band at the base of is now known as Punch bowl crater not two days after arrival, it would become the first of over 38,000 consorts that he would conduct as the band’s head over a period of nearly 45 years.

Officially on only a four year contract between the Kingdoms of Prussia and Hawaiʻi, Berger returned to active duty in Germany in 1876, but soon returned back to the Kingdom of Hawai'i, and shortly afterwards became a naturalized citizen as the permanent head of the Royal Hawaiian Band.

Sharing a close interest in music, he eventually became close to many of the royals in the Kalākaua dynasty, working long hours into the night working with Kings, Queens, and Princes alike; and in doing so, would help with composing for many of the most well known songs and marches of the First Hawaiian Renaissance including that of King Kalākaua’s long worked on project, the national anthem Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī.

With the overthrow despite a number of instances against him by supporters of the movement, including one where a number of men broke into his home and cut the crowned buttons off his uniform; he continued to lead the royal band under the Provisional Government, Republic of Hawai’i, and the Territory of Hawai’i under the United States of America.

 

A holder of the companions crosses to the orders of Kamehameha and the crown of Hawai’i, and the commander’s to the order of Kapiolani, along with an unspecified gold medal awarded by Kaiser Wilhelm II during a visit by Berger to the country of his birth in 1912 for services overseas.

Edited November 1, 2016 by Kekoa Dettloff

[Claudius]

Hello Kekoa Dettloff;

This is amazing stuff on his life.  It could be it's own thread.  It should be it's own thread on Captain Heinrich Berger.  I would collect this guy in a heartbeat! 

Thank you for sharing.

[Kekoa Dettloff]

Thanks, there's one website that covered him in good detail, but unfortunately, you just can't beat hard print.

http://www.german-way.com/a-prussian-in-hawaii-heinrich-berger-and-the-royal-hawaiian-band/

http://www.german-way.com/the-german-austrian-hawaii-connection/

[Eric Stahlhut]

On 10/31/2016 at 23:09, Kekoa Dettloff said:

... cut the crowned buttons off his uniform...

here's an item i posted way back in november of 2008

 

 

Edited November 3, 2016 by Eric Stahlhut

[Komtur]

According to the Kgl. Pr. Ordensliste 1905, 8. Nachtrag (pg. 324) on 12th of September 1912 the Royal Prussian Cross of Merit in Gold was awarded to Heinrich Berger.

[Kekoa Dettloff]

14 hours ago, Komtur said:

According to the Kgl. Pr. Ordensliste 1905, 8. Nachtrag (pg. 324) on 12th of September 1912 the Royal Prussian Cross of Merit in Gold was awarded to Heinrich Berger.

 

21 hours ago, Eric Stahlhut said:

here's an item i posted way back in november of 2008

Nice! I was able to relocate the URL with his collection, and it does show the cross of merit you have there. Along with a number of different buttons from throughout the Kingdom and Republican era.

http://www.royalhawaiianband.com/the-friends-of-the-royal/projects-of-the-friends/photo-albums/frhb-henry-berger-and-rhb/

 

Edited November 4, 2016 by Kekoa Dettloff

[Kekoa Dettloff]

Was able to find a photo containing the preserved medal bar during his lifetime, along with what appears to be the Prussian Merit Cross hanging below. Apparently it was taken during his birthday on August 4th, 1914 with the First World War barely a week old. 

Sitting in front of him are former President Sanford B. Dole, former Monarch Liliuokalani, and Present US Governor Lucius E. Pinkham. With the history between the first two; the fact that both of them would have set their differences aside long enough to attend the event shows the high esteem Berger held in Hawaii, even at that time.

Edited November 4, 2016 by Kekoa Dettloff

[1812 Overture]

Great topic! Allow me to continue. .
Post a badge bar that is not in my collection.

Medal of Isabella of the Kingdom of Spain. . I have only seen silver, does copper really exist?

Carol I of the Kingdom of Romania for 40 years in power. It is strange that this group of bars does not have a centenary of William I

Vatican Pilgrim Cross Medal (issued during 1900-1950)

Memorial medal for the Messina earthquake in Italy in 1908. Most of the winners were navies and participated in rescue operations.

This group of bars is in the hands of the Austrian auctioneer, does it rule out that it is Imperial fakes?

I have reason to think that the number of medals in the middle is Wurttemberg Brave Medal

[Paul R]

Moroccan order of Mendhi. 

[BalkanCollector]

2 hours ago, Paul R said:

Incredible bar! Why are there swords on the ribbon bar for Spanish and Morrocan medal if there aren't swords on them in full size.

[Paul R]

That’s a good question. I dont know.