BlackcowboyBS

Another medal bar with just one merit cross from Brunswick. The guy who earned all this was a Prussian. Anyone would like to find out his name, before I post it? Anyway this was his medal bar for his tailcoat.

Hi Cartaphilus, à la suite means, that you have the titel and the right to wear the uniform but do not have any real commanding power, it is a honorous title.

Hi Christophe, yes I know. The knightscross 2nd class with swords under the cross have been awarded 75 times. That's all, but the knights cross 2nd class with swords through the middle is even much more rarer, there have been just 5 awards of that one.

How about this beauty? Hope you like it!

In a nice hotel close to the airport of Munich there is a nice painting which showa Franz Dettenhofer, the former owner of this hotel. In the German French War of 1870 / 71 he recieved the iron cross the silver and the golden military merit medal of the kingdom of Bavaria. I love the fact, that the painter had put so much effort in the details of the medails, isn't it amazing. That the owner of this hotel still kept this painting on the wall is even better, not quite usual in Germany these days. Franz Dettenhofer was famous for the liberation and rescue of some bavarian row and capturing of their french guards on the 7th. of december 1870. He got his silver medal on 1st of september 1870 and his golden medal on 11th. of october 1870. So he was a brave nco before he was a hotel director and owner of that hotel.

Hey Aardvarkblue, I have never seen that before, but I am pretty sure, that this is no official medal from any German state. If it is from some regiment or so, it is for sure not from the imperial era, due to any missing crown. Might be helpfull if you could tell us more on the ribbon, it seems to be black, but is it pure black?

The idea for a badge for the veterans of the Deutsche Bundeswehr was born in 2013 but not brought to life before on 26.th of November 2018 the definition veteran and who could get this badge was published. Any veteran who served in the Deutsche Bundeswehr could apply for this badge and then would get a letter with the badge after some time. I like the design, but to my likings it could have been bigger, I think the prince size of an iron cross would have been wonderfull. But here it is, mine arrived today.

well normaly the line over a n indicates an u, but this time you are right!

Dear gentleman, this photo shows the granddad of my wife. He was working at customs from 1936 on and was stationed on the German-Polish border in 1939, after France was occupied he was staioned on the spanish french border, where he got wounded. He earned his iron cross 2nd class on the 8.th of September 1939! pretty early, but my mother in law doesn't know why. To her knowledge he was always serving at customs and border controll. But what about his cap, that he is wearing in this photo, can anybody say something about that? Many people are stonished to see this cap. Thanks for your coments.

I read: Liebe Sabrina: Habe ich doch noch das k... mit meinem ... Gefühl ? ... Ich glaube ich muss da noch ein bisschen enträtseln, aber hat Utgardloki gut übersetzt

Gentlemen, during my studies on the Napoleonic Wars in Spain, I found a short notice that the british parliament endowed a golden medal for merit for the conquest of the city of Salmanca in 1812. The medal was out of pure gold, had a diameter from 5 cm. On the avers side the sitting Britannia is shown with a leaf of laurels. The revers side should show the inscription: Salamanca. The medal was awarded only to the higher comanders who lead the allied troops in this battle. The medal was worn around the neck. This is all, what I found, does anybody has a photo or more information on this special medal? It is not the normal medal with the clasp Salamanca! Thanks in advance.

well my spanish has gotten a little bit rosty, but I would translate it into the following: (Dem) Buchhalter der interamerikanischen Luftexpedition zu Beginn (des) Colombria-Dienstes (im) September 1925. Der Gemeinderat von B. Quila A. Lombardi

A nice bar, I am allways fascinated about the history which stands behind these bars! This makes our hobby so much more fun, at least for me.

I searched for any article here on the life saving medal from the duchy of Brunswick, but didn't found any post. Well for me this is one of the most beautyfull medals that is. First of all it is awarded for the most noble cause, for saving a life of an other human being. The medal was founded on 25th of april 1836 by Duke Wilhelm on his 30. birthday. (many orders or decorations are founded / and or awarded on the birthdays of duke Wilhelm) Total there are 129 awards in the history of the Duchy of Brunswick, last one was in August 1918 to a soldier. The recipients started from being 16 years old, no awards given to any females. Funny thing is, that this decoration could have been awarded for rescuing the goods and property of strangers. So if a house burned and one guy saved the belongings of another guy, he might have the chance to get this medal. As far as I am aware this was never the case. Nearly every award was given to people who saved other people from drowning. Every story of these 129 decorations would be worth telling, maybe someday there will be a book on this topic. The medal shown here once belonged to my collection, I sold it 26 years ago and still regret it. Here you see the backside of that medal on a single medal bar. Funny thing is, that on most every medal bar, where you can find the life saving medal, this medal is mounted with the back side to be seen. Showing the Nike - the Greek Goddess of victory - holding a twig of a palm in her hand and stepping on a orge from the see or a lindworm. Here is the front side of the life saving medal, showing the W for Wilhelm on crowned plate and surrounded by flags and two lions. The date of the foundation is shown in latin capitels. The medal is made of silver and at least four jewellers produced them during the history of the duchy of Brunswick. I really think that collecting life saving medals would be a nice collection. So enjoy this beautyfull medal shown here.

Hi CRBeery, in case of Brunswick I can explain that. They had their own long service medals until 1886. In 1886 the troops of Brunswick joined the command structure of Prussia, because Brunswick joined the prussian military convention. After 1886 even soliers from the duchy of Brunswick got prussian long services. So if a NCO got an services award for 15 year in 1882 he got the one from Brunswick and he could get the next level from Prussia. Normally they should give their old decorations or lower level back, when they recieved their newer and higher one. But some cases are known, where these people wore both decorations, even if this was against the official rules. Maybe these people just put their medal bar together after they left the army and put their old decorations also on that bar to show that they have served in Brunswick and not in Prussia. The only German state who never joined the military convention with Prussia was the Kingdom of Bavaria, as far as I know. So what I explain above could also happen to people from other german states. But you are right, this was not the normal way and strictly gainst the rules.

Alfred Meyer-Waldeck got the comanders cross 2nd class of the Order Henry the Lion 1910 during a world tour of Herzogregent Johann Albrecht, while he was visiting Qingdao (Tsingtau for us Germans). Truppel got the cross 1st class on the same trip from the duke regent. While some local people got awards from the duke regent in Bangkok, Tokio and Russia, no local chinese got any decorations from Brunswick on this world tour. But down to the honor medals and merit crosses nearly all classes of the order of Henry the Lion were awarded in Tsingtau to Germans.

Well at least we all new one reciepent of an iron cross 1st class, who was born austrian and volunteered 1914 to fight in a bavarian regiment. He became Reichsdeutscher in 1932 in Brunswick and 1933 cancellor of the Third Reich. So why shouldn't a swiss guy couldn't get an iron cross and fight on the german side during WW1?

I can show you a very nice war merit cross 1st class from Brunswick from the roaring twenties of last century. It is made by Godet and in prince size. We have a similar discussion in the iron cross section. Is this an original or not. Well for sure it wasn't awarded by the duchy of Brunswick and handed out to the soldier, which should get decorated. As stated above many mor manufactores offered imperial orders duringthe republic of Weima and in the third Reich. If one of the former recipients got a war merit cross 1st cladd and wanted to buy a second or a new one, because his old one got lost, looks bad or he simply wanted to have a second one, then I would say it is an original piece, but not an officially awarded one. Godet for sure never made these durng the war. The war merit cross 1.st class was instituted in the last seven months of WW1. Shortage of nearly every metal forbid production of crosses like this one showing here. Even the official suppliers of Herman Jürgens had to ask for permission to use Tomback or Zinc for producing these crosses. The ministery of war in Berlin was the department, where the Brunswick ordens chancllerie had to ask for permission to use the metal to produce orders. If the war ministery said no, then they couldn't produce these medals. I am looking forward to hearing your opinion, what an original makes an original. PS: Photos taken out of the book: "Die Orden und Ehrenzeichen des Herzogtums Braunschweig von 1696 bis 1918" with permission of the publishing company.

A nice piece, to my understanding this one is not one which is awarded to the fighting soldiers. I would estimate that the recipeint bought this, to have a nice looking one. But when he did, I can't tell, maybe even after the war. Does this mean it is not an original? I wouldn't say so, if a reciepient was awarded with an iron cross 1st cass and bought one from an official supplier or order manufacterer, for me it counts as an original. As said I would bet, that this is not a piece which is awarded by the state, but bought by a soldier who can afford such a piece. I am looking forward to reading other opinions.

Interesting question, at least regarding the KVK of Brunswick, I can tell you something. First the rules changed during the war, at the beginning it was strict to the regulations and normaly only soldiers of Brunswick could get the cross from Brunswick. Exceptions were regiments were Duke Ernst August has personal ties to, so the 1. kgl schwere Reiter from Bavaria and the prussian Husars regiment Von Ziethen stationed in Rathenow. An other exception was the regiment 2. Leib-Husaren Königin Viktoria von Preußen. If Officers once served in a regiment from Brunswick, they also could get the KVK from Brunswick after they got other decorations for bravery in the field. If other regiments helped the forces from Brunswick during the battle and they rejoined their forces, these soldiers could also get the war merit cross from Brunswick for bravery. If a officier who led a regiment or mor, asked for the kvk from brunswick for some of his soldiers from 1916 on, they could get it, even if the recipients were not from Brunswick. At the end the decision who could get these decorations were allways depending on the free will of the duke. As Chris stated above, there are many reasons, why this happened. Interesting fact about all this is, that Prussia wasn't so happy about it, because the soldiers from the other states could get more medals than the normal prussian soldier who could only get the iron cross. They were many letters about this exchanged between the German states in WW1.

Great medalbar Claudio, as you may know the later Duke Ernst August of Brunswick served in the bavarian regiment 1. Kgl Schweren Reiter. When he climbed the throne in Brunswick in 1913 he awarded many orders to former comrades of this regiment on the ocasion of the 100 years jubilee of that regiment. Oskar and Franz Kress von Kressenstein, I believe that they were brothers both served in this regiment and both got the 4th class of the Henry the Lion order.

Wow great medal bar! I wonder why it is arranged this way, shouldn't the iron cross be on the first place, than the saxonian and then the war merit cross from Brunswick be in the 3rd place? Bu a real beauty. Congratulations on this one!

Number 4 is the Officers cross from Brunswick. Wilhelm v. Haxthausen recieved this decoration in 1914.

wow, even if the original post is 13 years old, I would like to say something about this medal bar and the photo! It is showing Max Gutkind, as stated above. Max Gutkind was born 1847 in Seesen, he was born jewish and converted to christianity later. He fought in the war 1870 / 71 and earned the iron cross 2nd class, he wasn't member of the contigent from brunswick, as didn't got any decorations from Brunswick at this time. He moved to Brunswick later. He was cofounder and the first president of the Braunschweiger Landwehr Verband and founded his own bank in 1879. He recieved the knights cross 2nd class of the order of Henry the Lion in 1890. Five years later he got the swords to it. This was pretty common in 1895. People who have fought in the war of 1870 / 71 and got decorated for bravery, did get a knighscross with swords for the 25 years jubilee, if they were awared wit a decoration from Brunswick. So Max Gutkind delivered his old knighcross 2nd class without swords back. In 1909 he was awarded the knights cross 1st class of the order of Henry the Lion. Due to the swords of his older 2nd class he got the new founded swords on the ring to it. He was the second guy who got this decoration, only one Freiherr von Mackensen got one earlier in 1908. Due to a article in the statutes of that order, he was allowed to keep his 2.nd class with swords! That is the reason while you can see both classes together on his bar! Extremly rare combination. The fourth cross on his bar is unbelievable!! As he wasn't an active soldier for 25 years in the corps of Brunswick, but was President and officer of the Landwehr this cross could be the extremely rare cross 1st class of the Landwehr. This was awarded only six times! Even if 13 pieces were produced. Strange thing is, that in the old Haus und Hof Staatshandbücher of the duchy of Brunswick until 1913 nothing of this decoration was mentioned behind the name of Max Gutkind. From 1914 on, you could read the following. They claimed, that he got the 25 years service cross for officers. That is hard to believe, but is the same in the books from 1915 and 1916. Still a mystery to be solved. The rest of his medalbar shows the Kriegsdenkmuenze with some clasps, the centenarmedal and the medal for china in steel! Max Gutkind lost his bank due to the oecnomic crash in 1929 and died 1931 in Brunswick as a honorable man. The wife of Max Gutkind earned herself the war merrit cross for woman and virgins and the red cross medal 3rd class in WW1. His son Walter Gutkind earned the iron cross 1st and 2,nd class in WW1, was tortued by the nazis and forced to emigrate to England in 1938. He died 1976 in England. Is it possible to get a digital copy of this photo in highest resolution for my archive? I would be really happy about it. I guess that this medal bar is lost due to the war or has anybody ever seen this beauty?

Hello, sadly but true, there plenty of copies of the KVK 1. class on the market. During WW1 Hermann Jürgens was the only supplier of these crosses for the ordens chancellorie. But he didn't produce them. There were 3 manufactores making theses decorations for him: 1: Münzprägeanstalt L. Chr. Lauer in Nuerenberg 2: Gustav Brehmer in Markneukirchen 3: Koch & Bergfeld in Bremen. None of these manurfactorers signed their pieces. At the end of the war, there was a shortage of nearly every material in Imperial Gemany, so the crosses were made from bronzed zinc. Much more information on the decorations from Braunschweig are to be found in book 2 of the 3 volumed book on the orders and medals of the duchy from Brunswick.