Utgardloki

I have this photograph in my collection.

On the Backside I read:  "Lt. Ferd. v Heider"  (Leutnant Ferdinand von Heider)

The dealer I bought in from assigned it to Feldartillerie-Regiment „König Karl“ (1. Württembergisches) Nr. 13

In the 1909 ranklist I found a v. Heider in this regiment:

(Side question: What do those letters beside the dates mean?)

In the 1914 ranklist it can be seen he transferred to the Lehr-Regiment of the Feldartellerie-Schießschule

In the Ehrenrangliste from 1926 one can read he was later at Generalstab des OK der Heeresgruppe Gallwitz and ended the war as Hauptmann außer Dienst?

I found also another v. Heider in the FAR Nr. 29 who might have been his brother?

Is there any more info that can be found out? I wonder what awards he received during the war and what he did later and if he maybe was reactivated in WW2?

Thanks for sharing, I did not have this auction at sight. What a beautiful piece. The craftmanship done in absolute perfection here.

I pretty sure it is "Lina Schultheiß"

Some things I found interesting on the pictures of Ernst August:

The gartered star - I remember his MMThO being sold at Thies, does anyone know something about this star?

What is this decoration - I don't think I have seen it before

I really like the ribbon bar he's wearing - especially the miniature devices on it, there seems to be a small Maria Therese cross to be on the first ribbon

Very nice ... I saw some british museum pieces of medals with all battle clasps ... but never a german one (or "the" german one, as I believe there isn't any german medal with a comparable number of clasps ) 

this clasp thing seems to be a british thing, any information about its origins?  Is it known if the 1870-71 medal was inspired by the british medal system?

On this website are some illustrations that might help...

http://www.kaisersbunker.com/gtp/

Thanks a lot for your effort. I am going to make a better scan soon. 

There are some rare CDVs or cabinet cards that can reach very high prices. I wondered if there are any evidences that such photos are being faked? I don't mean wrong descriptions or maybe wrong text on the backside, but completely new made fakes.

I recently acquired this photograph, I have some problems identifying all the medals. Any help would be appreciated.

absolutely stunning!!!

If you have only the highest classes what should you wear on your medal bar? ... I don't know how common it was (is?) in the UK to wear lower classes. George V did it as one can see in this thread discussed at the moment in the british section:

Thanks for Your replies and book recommendation... I remember seeing some photographs of veterans from the grand armée in uniform but not a single german one (in uniform)

I thought it could be a napoleonic veteran on a gatharing in 1851 (year written on backside)... the second picture you posted is easier to make out as an reenactor. The genuine photo is taken later and shows a contemporary Leib Husar (not an old veteran or reenactor).

Are there any known definitely genuine pictures of napoleonic veterans wearing their old uniforms... ?

anyone else observed this ebay offer? Incredible details in it...

https://www.ebay.at/itm/Foto-Leib-Husar-Offizier-Danzig-1851-Pelzmutze-Totenkopf-Leibhusaren-RARE/254698553127?hash=item3b4d377f27:g:8sgAAOSwMX1fQ~EO

Very interesting read, thanks for sharing! 

I am 95% sure it is "Großpapa",

On 14/08/2020 at 04:13, The Prussian said:

It´s a shame, that the "young" germans like me (52) didn´t learn the old scripts in school...

I am in my twenties and feel the same, I had to learn it myself...would be nice if at least it would be learned during art class.

The "o" can be open on top if not done neatly

Well written,

with saying the system is complicated, i did not mean it is anyhow "better" than any other one. I rather wanted to point out it is more inconsistent, with more irregularities.

Additionally to mention: Reichsfreiherr was never an official title. It was just used, as stated above, by houses lifted into the Freiherrenstand during the HRR, cause it was more prestigious than a later title. Officially they are also just Freiherrn.

You can also use the term Reichsfreiherrn when you talk about the group of Freiherrn which held a reichsunmittelbares (imperial immediate) territory (analog to Reichsfürsten, Reichsgrafen and Reichsritter) if you wish to distinguish them from the immediate imperial knights without the title Freiherr. 

I think fürstliche Häuser (princely houses) with "princes" as family members, despite the head are only those houses which held a "reichsunmittelbares" territory in the holy roman empire (which was more or less a sovereign state with only the emperor above him, who had only limited power over these territories)or stayed sovereign (Fürst von Lippe etc.). I think later created titular "Fürsten" (Britain for example has despite the prince of wales (?), Duchy of Cornwall(?) only titular titles?) aren't existing with family descendent as princes. I would be happy to hear of a counter example.

The german / holy roman rank system is very very complicated. I think you have to spend very much time into it to understand every facette. There were also the "Reichsritter" (imperial knights) and even Reichsdörfer (imperial villages) with super small semi-sovereign territories.

thanks for all Your input

Maybe the painter didn't bother about details too much, or made the painting based on a photograph and didn't know the colours. I think we can't assume every painter was a uniform expert.

It's a nice, decorative painting after all.

I recently acquired this nice picture of a MEZ 2nd class recipient. He appears to be a leutnant, oberleutnant or hauptmann. I wasn't able to read what's on the epauletts. It was taken in Frankfurt an der Oder.

He's wearing:

• MEZ 2nd class
• Red Eagle order 4th class (maybe 3rd)
• crown order 3rd class (maybe 4th)
• ? long service maybe?
• ???
• 1866 medal ???
• ???
• centenary

very interesting - thanks for sharing!

Wow, looks incredible....

Do you know the year of the first two pictures?