Deutschritter

Very nice picture, Christophe! Hans von Gronau

Thanks so much, Andy! Many greetings, Andreas P.S.: Do you happen to know, if Hans von Gronau was promoted to Portepee-Fähnrich and when?

Gentlemen, this is what I have for Johann "Hans" Karl Hermann von Gronau, any additions or corrections very welcome. I am surely missing some (several?) WWI decorations. Can anyone help me out? Does someone have this picture (see below), but larger and in better quality? Thanks! P.S.: For some reason, I can neither find him in the Rangliste 1917 nor 1918. 13.4.1869 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate) 21.11.1869 Portepee-Fähnrich (Officer Cadet) -- thank you, Andy (arb) 21.9.1870 Seconde-Lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant) 15.8.1878 Premier-Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant) 23.12.1882 Hauptmann (Captain) 15.10.1888 Major 27.1.1894 Oberst-Lieutenant (Lieutenant Colonel) 22.3.1897 Oberst (Colonel) 18.4.1900 Generalmajor (Major General) 29.10.1903 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) 27.1.1908 Charakter als General der Artillerie (Honorary General of the Artillery) 31.8.1914 (another source states 2.9.1914???) General der Artillerie (active) Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class War Commemorative Medal of 1870–1871 (Kaiserliche Kriegsdenkmünze 1870/71; KD70/71) with five battle clasps Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class Prussian Order of the Crown (Preußischer Kronenorden), 3rd Class Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz) Order of the Crown (Württemberg), Knight's Cross (WK3b) Anniversary Oak Leaves "25" 1870/1895 to his Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class Prussian Centenary Medal 1897 (Zentenarmedaille) Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow Order of the Iron Crown (Austria), 2nd Class (ÖEK2) Insignia of the Lions to his Order of the Crown (Württemberg) Knight's Cross (WK3mL) Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves Prussian Order of the Crown, 2nd Class Star to his Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Oak Leaves Prussian Order of the Crown, 1st Class Red Eagle Order, 1st Class with Oak Leaves Repetition Clasp 1914 to the Iron Cross 1870, 2nd Class Iron Cross (1914), 1st Class Pour le Mérite with Oak Leaves ... Pour le Mérite on 4 October 1916 ... Oak Leaves on 6 August 1918 Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 with Swords

Gentlemen, does anyone have the exact promotion dates for Seconde-Lieutenant and Premier-Lieutenant? Thanks!

What a great collection, thanks for that. Does anyone have an exact death date and place?

Nice, thank you!

Gentlemen, here is what I have for Ulrich Friedrich Johann Gottlieb von Barner, any additions or corrections welcome: 1800 Junker (Officer Candidate) 4 Juli 1801 Kornett (later known as Fähnrich; Officer Cadet) 8 December 1803 Seconde-Lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant) 8 July 1811 Premier-Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant) with Patent from 16 July 1811 9 March 1812 Charakter als Stabs-Rittmeister (Honorary Captain 2nd Class) 17 August 1813 Stabs-Rittmeister (Captain 2nd Class) November 1813 Rittmeister 8 September 1814 Major 30 March 1824 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) 30 March 1829 Oberst (Colonel) with Patent from 13 April 1829 30 March 1836 Generalmajor (Major General) 30 March 1844 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) Russian Order of Saint Vladimir, 4th Class (RW4) in 1814 Iron Cross (1813), 2nd Class Prussian War Commemorative Medal for the Wars of Liberation Knight of the Johanniter-Orden (PStJO) on 18 January 1824 Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz; DA) Russian Order of Saint Vladimir, 3rd Class (RW3) Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 3rd Class (PRAO3/PrA3) ... as of rank list 1833 classified as 3rd Class with the Bow (mit der Schleife) Russian Order of Saint Anna (St.-Annen-Orden), II. Class (RA2) Imperial Russian Sankt-Stanislaus-Orden, II. Class (RSt2) Diamonds to his Russian Order of Saint Anna II. Class (RA2m.Br/RA2mBr) on 26 November 1834 Snuff box with Diamonds in 1835 from Emperor Nicholas I of Russia Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves Imperial Russian Sankt-Stanislaus-Orden, I. Class (RSt1) War Commemorative Medal for the Royal German Legion in 1841 Star to his Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Oak Leave son 19 January 1845

No problem ... I know how you feel. 🙂 Yes, his first wife was Carin Axelina Hulda, divorced Freifrau von Kantzow, née Freiin von Fock, his second of course the well-known Emma Johanna Henny „Emmy“ Sonnemann.

Hermann Göring? Sorry, but I do not know of a Rantzau he married.

Gentlemen, here is what I have for Hermann Karl Dietrich von Rantzau, any additions or corrections welcome: 5 August 1833 Seconde-Lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant) 13 April 1847 Premier-Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant) 22 June 1852 Rittmeister (Captain) 15 June 1858 Charakter als Major (Honorary Major) ... 18 January 1859 received Patent as Major 17 March 1863 Oberst-Lieutenant (Lieutenant Colonel) 8 June 1866 Oberst (Colonel) 26 July 1870 General-Major (Major General) 26 November 1887 Charakter als Generalleutnant z. D. (Honorary Lieutenant General at disposal) Military Commemorative Medal of 1849 (Baden) Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion (Orden vom Zähringer Löwen), Knight's Cross (GBZL3/BZL3) ... later classified as Knight's Cross I. Class with Oak Leaves (BZL3a/BZ3a) Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class with Swords (PRAO4⚔/PrA4⚔) Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz; DA) Imperial Russian Sankt-Stanislaus-Orden, II. Class (RSt2) Order of the White Falcon (Hausorden vom Weißen Falken), Knight's Cross 1st Class (GSF3a) Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow (Schleife) and Swords on Ring War Commemorative Medal of 1864 (Kriegs-Denkmünze für 1864; KD64) Knight of Honour (Ehrenritter) of the Johanniter-Orden (PStJO) Prussian Order of the Crown (Preußischer Kronenorden), 3rd Class with Swords Princely Schaumburg Lippe Military Merit Medal (SLVM/SLMV) Commemorative Cross for the Campaign of 1866 (Erinnerungs-Kreuz für den Feldzug von 1866) Order of Saint Michael (Bavaria), Commander (BStMV2b/BM2b) Iron Cross (1870), 2nd Class Grand Ducal Hessian Military Merit Cross for 1870/71 (GHMV) War Commemorative Medal of 1870–1871 (Kaiserliche Kriegsdenkmünze 1870/71; KD70/71) Grand Ducal Hessian Ludwig (Ludewig) Order, Commander's Cross 1st Class (GHL2a/HL2a) on 14 December 1871 Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves and Swords on Ring on 15 August 1872 Knight of Justice (Rechtsritter) of the Johanniter-Orden in 1878

Great, thank you, Christophe! If you have anything else on his career, please let me know. Freikorps? Retired c. 1920? Maybe then Polizei?

Thank you, Christophe! Do you happen to know, in which unit he served? Leutnant der Reserve?

Thank you for this picture. Is this the later Flak-Oberst (1896-1963) in WWII? If yes, do you happen to have a complete list of decorations? At least for WWI? Freikorps? Retired c. 1920? Anything you have would be great! Thank you, Andreas

Hello, Dave! Do you happen to have any information on his father Generalmajor Konrad (Conrad?) Liebmann (1846–1917)? Thanks, Andreas P.S.: Was Curt Liebmann married?

What great work, absolutely phantastic! Small correction, if I may: Deutschen mit der Finnische Freiheitz kreuz in 1918 = Deutsche Empfänger des Finnischen Freiheitskreuzes im Jahre 1918

Thanks so much!

True, but the last one (RK-Träger) served in the 1980s ... I was once an officer there ... The Bundeswehr as of the mid-1990s is woke, weak and multicultural ... a joke!

Let me add a little something, if I may: Karl Wilhelm Eduard Emil von Cölln (b. 21 July 1828 in Grebenstein; d. 12 February 1912) was the son of Kurhessischer Major a. D. Ernst Christian Wilhelm von Cölln (1802-1882) and his wife Christiane, née Münster (1806-1880). He was given the Charakter als Oberstleutnant upon retiring. He was married twice. He had two daughters from his first marriage and one son from his second, but little Ernst Friedrich Wilhelm (b. 3 September 1862 in Rinteln; d. 7 March 1863 ibid.) died soon after birth. Sources: https://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/periodical/pageview/1198390 https://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/periodical/pageview/1232577

You're welcome! Yes, Rangliste 1874.

I wished, I could read Sütterlin ... maybe you will find the time and write things out. The Rangliste strangely has him as "von Coelln" ... he received the CHW3, the EK II for 1870/71, the War Commemorative Medal of 1870–1871 (KD70/71) in Bronze and the Dienstauszeichnungskreuz for 25 years. He might have received the RAO4 when retiring (1874?). If he was still alive in 1895 (death date?), he would have received the Anniversary Oak Leaves to his EK II.

Gentlemen, does anyone know anything about Hauptmann Paul Zachariae(-Lingenthal), b. 1878, possibly from the 4. Hannoversches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 164? HOH3X according to Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser'', Teil B, 1942. In 1923, he was serving as a Major in the 9. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment of the Reichswehr. In 1941, he was serving as a Lieutenant Colonel with the Luftwaffe. Thanks!

Around 40,000 non-commissioned officers and officers from the Imperial Army, the Freikorps, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht built up the Bundeswehr. 714 (some sources state between 674 and 805) of them were holders of the Knight's Cross and its higher levels and 117 of them alone reached the highest military ranks and were generals and admirals. They had lived the virtues, loyal service and bravery enshrined in the Bundeswehr oath in the most difficult times. They were the ones who made the unprecedented build-up of the Bundeswehr from zero to 300,000 men in just five years possible and brought in the urgently needed, diverse experience. Of course, very few of them were able to repeat their outstanding individual military deeds in peacetime in any other way. But it turned out that the highest award for war and bravery continued to have an impact and that an obligation remained indissoluble. They became role models for numerous young soldiers. Until the 1960s, there was hardly a combat battalion, Luftwaffe wing or brigade that was not headed by a Knight's Cross recipient. In particular, the elite units were exclusively in the hands of Knight's Cross holders, for example the first paratroopers under Major (later Colonel) Alfred Genz, Lieutenant Colonel (later Colonel) Gerhart Schirmer and Colonel (later Major General) Johann Oskar Walter Bern von Baer. In schools, as teachers, they passed on their knowledge to the younger ones. When the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic, Konrad Adenauer, was buried in 1967, Bundeswehr generals and admirals, all of whom had been awarded the Knight's Cross, escorted the coffin to Cologne Cathedral. Until the end of the 1970s, Knight's Cross recipients led defense districts, brigades, divisions and corps, held the positions of inspectors and inspectors general or were deployed in the highest NATO positions. Just over 40 German Knight's Cross recipients built up the Austrian Armed Forces after 1955.

Presumably the transition period, when the regulations were still interpreted liberally.

Thank you, Jason! If you could upload page 2, I would appreciate it very much! P.S. On 31 May 1941 in Berlin-Nikolassee, "Oberstleutnant a. D." Zachariae wrote to Fritz Sauckel, the Reich Governor (''Reichsstatthalter'') in Thuringia, and asked him for support for the military history collection at the Wachsenburg. This means, as the telephone book 1940 shows, he must have received the Charakter als Oberstleutnant when he retired from the Preliminary Reichswehr in spring 1920. Do you maybe have an exact date?

His first-born son, Major Hans Heinz Zachariae, died shortly later on 14 August 1941 in Peredovik, main dressing station (Hauptverbandsplatz), Sanitäts-Kompanie (Sanko) 2/81