Guest Rick Research Posted July 12, 2007 This fancy (expensive! labour intensive!) style of ribbon bar is most commonly found being worn in Baden-Hohenzollern-W?rttemberg-Bavaria-- hence the usual name "South German style." It derives from the full sized medal bars preferred in those areas, with the same much older 19th century style ribbons on flat botttomed bars with hooks on back (or clips in front) which could be worn as either full dress medal bars or as super-sized ribbon bars (see Ribbon Bars in Wear Gallery "Convertible" etc etc) There was absolutely no regulation concerning these-- they are simply the personal fashion statement of the wearers. Examples can be found in the navy, and as far afield as East Prussia. But they are characteristic of the south German states. These two examples are from an as yet unidentified Bavarian nobleman with WW1 court service and interwars monarchist inclinations, being worn in WW2 but incorrectly with pre-1938 Anschluss precedence. This officer was probably a Captain in the First war and an overaged war's duration Major in the Second. The lower bar, despite looking like a Field Marshal's, is a good example of "too many ribbons" Austrian groups. This veteran was most likely a very junior NCO or private in the First war (two bravery medals, no long service awards), repeatedly wounded (and still wearing his Karl Wound Medal of 1918, not the post-1938 German 1918 type authorized for the new "Germans"), and loaded up with commemorative medals. His 1938 Austrian and Sudeten Anschluss medals absent any long service award probably indicate he was a Hansy-come-lately Nazi. The two Third Reich "Flowers Campaigns" medals should be ahead of the Hungarian and Bulgarian WW1 commemoratives-- but those often got lumped in as "German" awards.
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