Komtur

Nice topic

The gold layer on the gilded versions is simply often nearly complete faded. The order on the bar of Generalarzt Dr. Brecht is defenitely a silver gilded 3rd class with crown awarded on 5th of January 1918.

Unfortunately Clemens Frhr. v. Schorlemer-Lieser (Landwirtschaftsminister) decided not to rearrange his prewar medal bar with his Iron Cross 2nd class on white ribbon, but was wearing his 1st class.

Looks like the GODET version.

The typical and correct combination of a medical officer (Sanitätsoffizier). Before 1868 the military medicals were military officials. Therfore they got the noncombatand versions of the campaign medals in 1848, 1864 and 1866. In 1868 in Prussia the "Sanitätsoffizierskorps" was created. Afterwards the military medics count as officers. In the war of 1871 per statutes they were awarded the Iron Cross on the white ribbon, but they ALWAYS got in 1871 the combatand campaign medal. So a bid odd is the combatand medal for 1864 on this bar. But this is not impossible. The later medical officers had to serve in a basic military training. In this part of their education they had normal men ranks and therefore count as combatands. So it may be, the person we are talking about was in that initial stage of his qualification in the war against Denmark.

Some earlier bars:

The medal was given with the Hohenzollern ribbon only once. On the occasion of release of the Stabswache des Großen Hauptquartiers (Guard of the Great Headquarter) on April the 29th 1871 all men and officers of the Stabswache received the Red Eagle Medal on this ribbon. In July 1870 the Infanterie-Stabswache was formed from men of the Lehr-Infanterie-Bataillon and the Kavallerie-Stabswache from troops of the Militär-Reit-Institut. The Lehr-Infanterie-Bataillon, affiliated to the 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß, was established in 1819 to improve the equability of service and training in the Prussian regiments. Every year the regiments had to send a few men and NCO to this training unit. From 1868 on the contingents of the German states, belonging to the Norddeutscher Bund (North German League) also sent men to the Lehr-Infanterie-Bataillon. Therefore we find medal bars of Prussians, but also of persons from other states of the Norddeutscher Bund, such as Mecklenburger or Saxon with the Red Eagle Medal on the Hohenzollern ribbon. The authorised strength of the Lehr-Infanterie-Bataillon in July 1870 was 656 men and NCO. Half of these formed the Infanterie-Stabswache, the other half were sent back to there units. So we can estimate, that about 330 infanterymen got this special combination. Even if it is not clear, how many cavalryman from the Militär-Reit-Institut were used to form the Kavallerie-Stabswache, we can assume, that altogether not more then about 500 Red Eagle Medals on the Hohenzollern ribbon were awarded. Regards, Komtur.

According to the Kgl. Pr. Ordensliste 1905, 8. Nachtrag (pg. 324) on 12th of September 1912 the Royal Prussian Cross of Merit in Gold was awarded to Heinrich Berger.

This cross with swords on a bar:

Unfortunately not.

1. It is awarded for service in the war zone with swords. For any other merit before AND after 1914 without swords. So I (!) could not say, if it is handed out before or after 1914. With detailed pictures of the order some Baden specialists could give an indication when it was made by the maker or style. If the golden parts are gilded silver (as it seems for the oak leaves), the order should be made after 1910. 2. So it could have been given to a miliary person AND a civil one. 3. Civil servant is the most likely owner, Police and any medic is possible, but unlikely. 4. See 1. and 2. 5. Not uncommon, but most of the awarded decorations after 1914 were given with swords.

Numbers awarded 1866 to 1918: 1.452. I can´t find a reason, why the order should be awarded after 1914. The non combattant ribbon of the Iron Cross in World War 1 is typical for the person I mentioned above. It is not impossible, that civil doctors or kind of male nurses got on. But they represent only a small part of the people, awarded with this decoration. Therfore it is for me unlikely, that somebody from the medical field was the owner of this bar, even if it can´t be excluded.

Nice one! He was most likely a kind of civil servant or/and active in public welfare.

Hm, but it was sold as a part of it:

Yes, the attribution seems to be wrong, that´s what I noticed too in comparison with the picture Andreas showed.

Yes. Thies auction 23rd of April 2005:

Oberstabsarzt der Reserve Dr. Karl Schmohl

Me too!

Right, from Thies. Unfortunately I am searching for such a picture too. And yes, sorry

BTW he is listed in the Prussian Rank List of 1914 with the Elephant Order (= DE). May be his medalbar is of some interest too.

I am quite sure it is Albert, because he wrote a few words on the back of this postcard in 1938. The person of this picture looks also similar to Prinz Albert on other portraits.

Yes, as regulated in the statutes. The Black Eagle Order was never given with swords. As by promotion in the Red Eagle Order was determined too, decorations with crown or/and swords awarded before, were worn furthermore by getting the Black Eagle Order, but then on the neck (see portrait of General von Wittich). If someone get the Black Eagle Order and had a lower class of the Red Eagle Order with swords than the Grand Cross before, he was allowed to wear the Grand Cross with swords on the ring.

I don´t think so. The knights of the Black Eagle Order got automatically the Grandcross of the Red Eagle Order to wear this sash decoration as a neck decoration. That is the reason, why sometimes Grandcrosses of the Red Eagle Order are to be found in a single box (without the star, normaly gone with it). Regards, Komtur.

Yep! That´s the direction I agree with