Komtur

Dr. Alphons Schäfer got the Reuß Cross of Honor 3rd class on 10th of November 1915. This was the birthday of Prince Heinrich XXVII. Reuß j. L. The decoration with crown was awarded mainly to individuals, connected to the reigning house. I suppose, that Dr. Schäfer as specialist and director of the not far located lunatic asylum in Roda was also responsible for the treatment of the because of mental illness incapable of reigning Prince Heinrich XXIV ä. L. Regards, Komtur.

This half side enameled orders were used for constructing medal bars. The owner of the original awarded decoration could buy them for this purpose. The Godet company is known for producing them. Regards, Komtur.

yupp, only a small confusion of german letters: Bruststern

It seems, that these terms were only used for the later 3rd model. But the in 1914 awarded decoration (therefore a 2nd model 3rd class) on the Kinzel bar was identic to the later Knight class.

2nd model 3rd class (1911-1924)

page number 61

There are two person with this order: 28.11.1915 Bischoff, KP Major (Stab IR 166) 21.5.1916 Bischoff, Oskar, Major z.D. Regards, Komtur.

Generalleutnant Prinz Karl Anton von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Fürst Wilhelm von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

There seems to be indeed no primary source. The secondary source Nimmergut (mentioned above) quotes in the case of the Hausorden von Hohenzollern with swords is Hans Möller-Witten. He is the author of Geschichte der Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite im Weltkrieg from 1935. In 1965 Möller-Witten published a short article in the Zeitschrift für Heereskunde about the Hausorden von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern. I add this article in the re-published version of 1980 (from Orden & Militaria Magazin). Another exception for receiving a pour le mérite without a Hausorden von Hohenzollern Ritterkreuz mit Schwertern before is General der Infanterie Roderich von Schöler.

Very cute indeed

Because of its thickness I have no problem with this very nice cross. There were some different jewelers making this cross over the years: 1852-1859 Hossauer / Berlin, he sold his company to Sy & Wagner in 1859 1859-1887 Sy & Wagner / Berlin, they were to expensive, therefore the princly Hohezollern changed to: 1887-1892 S. Friedeberg Söhne / Berlin, company sold to Gebr. Friedländer in 1892 1892-1910 Gebr. Friedländer / Berlin, they were to expensive, therefore the princly Hohezollern changed to: 1910-???? J.G. Zimmerer Sohn / Sigmaringen, probable they did not produce the order by themthelves, but bought them from the company Zimmermann / Pforzheim ????-???? J. Godet & Sohn / Berlin, late producers, probably as recently as after 1918 ????-???? Gebr. Hemmerle / München, late producers, probably as recently as after 1918 Even if we can assume, that Hossauer gave his tools to Sy&Wagner in 1859 and S. Friedeberg did the same to Gebr. Friedländer in 1892, there should be at least five different versions of this order over the time. There are documents indicating, that very often returned decorations were repaired and awarded again. Therefore we must also expect chimaeras between different versions. Source (very recommendable): Link, Eva and Gauggel, Heinz: Fürstlich Hohenzollernsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen. Fridingen 1985. Regards, Komtur. PS: So please, before smashing it, send it back to old Germany

Yes, that´s the one I own and had a cursory glance on it just now looking out for a supect person. But without luck and I am afraid, that he most of his decorations got later than 1907. But you are perfectly right, that is the only source we can use until now for that case.

It should be a person in service for the Duchy Saxe-Coburg and Gotha because of position 2, 4 and 5 of the bar. Additionaly there is a tight connection to Bulgaria via Zar Ferdinand from the catholic tribe of this family. Therefore the linked Court and State book from the Grandduchy Saxe (-Weimar) in post 13 will not be of much use. Unfortunately there seem to be no later Court and State book of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha then 1907. I am afraid that the person we are looking for got most of his decorations after 1907, so we will have no luck with this source. He was a NCO for some years, but after this he must be in a higher civil rank, may be in personel connection with the ducal family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. They gave their familiy order as well after 1918 till the early 1930-ies. May be he got the knight 2nd class of the house order in that time.

They cared for Thailand princes until their military education in Germany, e.g. Arthur Freiherr von Eschwege did in 1902 for Prince Paribatra.

Hauptmann Simpson

Konsistorialrat Wilhelm Kuhlgatz got besides the Schaumburg-Lippe Ehrenkreuz 2. Klasse and the Sachsen-Weimar Falkenorden Komturkreuz the until 1890 from the principalities Lippe-Detmold and Schaumburg-Lippe (conjointly awarded) Ehrenkreuz 4. Klasse.

Very fine and I am happy, that you got this one . It was the only lot, I would be interested in, but I was saturated for this year. Because of this before the auction I only had an unsuccessful glance on the lists. But I think, the former owner of this bar should be traceable. A navy medical officer is very likely.

Nice bar He got the "stay-at-home" version of the KDM: non-combatant medal on combatant ribbon. That means he was in active military service during the war, but never crossed the border to France.

As stated before by Andreas this person is wearing on the second position the Red Eagle Order Medal on the ribbon of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern. The medal was given with this ribbon only to the members of the Stabswache des Großen Hauptquartiers after the campaign against France in 1870/71 directly from the king on the 29th of April 1871. The Stabswache was formed by the beginning of the war from the personnel of the then dissolved Lehr-Infanterie-Bataillon. There is no doubt, that this person is a medical officer in the rank of an Assistenzarzt, posing in Berlin for this photo before the Kriegsdenkmünze for this war was issued first in mid June 1871 on the victory parade in Berlin. Therefore the picture originate from May 1871 to the point he got his commemorative medal for this war some weeks or month later. Before the personnel of the Lehr-Infanterie-Bataillons partly was used to built up the Stabswache, there was a Assistenzarzt Gustav Schweder detached to this unit. He got the Iron Cross 2nd class on the white ribbon and is listed for the war in the Sanitätsdetachement Nr. 3 of the Gardekorps. Every German Armeekorps had three of these Sanitätsdetachements, Nr. 3 was always responible for the service of the Commander. It is very likely, that Dr. Schweder was responsible for the medical supply of the Stabswache and therefore got the Red Eagle Order Medal on the ribbon of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern and ordered this picture back in Berlin in summer 1871.

Here is the same combination, where wie only find a Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer instead the both inofficial decorations in the end.

Could you please tell me, how to recognize a Zimmermann made cross and what time of farbrication exactly means early? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for that substantial comment to the available sources about recipients of Serbian decorations. So we are missing Serbian periodicals, like staats almanacs, court calendars or order lists. So it seems to be really hard to find especially foreign persons among the recipients. In the past I often successfull researched medal bars or decorated persons on portrait fotographs of my own collection and for other collectors too. Therefore I know the expenditure of time one need for this kind of work. Thats the reason I really appreciate your help .

In between I got the hint of the Greek Wikipedia biografie of Ioannis Metaxas. In the second part of his biographie about his military career there is mentioned, that he got in 1913 that order! Until now I can verify five of seven decoration on this bar for Metaxas (position 1, 2, 4, 5, 6). Because of his activities for the military convention with Serbia I assume, Metaxas could have gotten a Serbian order after May 1913, when this convention was signed. Could this information be of use, to search again in your sources for a possible award of the Serbian White Eagle Order to Major or Lieutenant-Colonel Metaxas? Many thanks in advance!

Here you are.