Komtur

19 minutes ago, rabaduex said:

... described by German dealer as Sanitatsoffiziers Ordensschnalle ...

That is very unlikely, because it would be the wrong version of the Kriegsdenkmünze 1870/71. The vast majority of the Sanitätsoffiziere got the combattant medal (inscription Dem siegreichen Heere), as determinated for them in the statutes. Only the very few stay-at-home ones received the steel medal with Für Pflichttreue im Kriege on the combattant ribbon.

2 hours ago, Claudius said:

... the overlapping ribbons from right to left???? ...

Not as it should be, but sometimes to be seen.

97

role is in the Thüringisches Staatsarchiv Gotha 2-99-4004

Volle, Henning: Stiftungen und Erneuerungen von deutschen Orden und Ehrenzeichen im Ersten Weltkrieg

Unfortunately I have only the last name on this portrait in my archive. In direct comporison it seems not to be him

9 minutes ago, Glenn J said:

,,, Otto von Borcke ...

Could this be him in his younger age?

He seems to be one of the few, who got the Saxe Ernerstine House Order neck decoration with "Jahreszahlen"? So he could be found in Lundström/Krause by crosschecking the 33 recepients with the EK 1870.

Regards, Komtur.

... Rick would be glad.

Today I got this portrait, before belonging to Ricks collection. Note his handwritten marks of research beside the scan!

I have seen this guy before 

... and thanks to Daniel I know his name:

... and I have seen his late civil way mounted so called "Frackschnalle". Unfortunately until now I found no picture of him with that one 

Sorry, erst jetzt gesehen. Ja, ich kenne ihn.

Grüße, Komtur.

Obermusikmeister Theodor Scheer, Westfälisches Jägerbataillon Nr. 7, Bückeburg

Sorry, I could not find a Haverkamp in that source.

Regards, Komtur.

Konrad Zindler, 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß

I like this Saxon-Prussian connection:

Thanks to all for your interest and kind feedback.

Back to the headline of this thread, astonishingly there are only two passing mentions in Jüngers diary of his battalion commander Seeßelberg (October 26th and 30th 1916), whereas his regimental commander von Oppen is mentioned respectfully and often. They must have had some contacts after the war in the regimental organization (e.g. both wrote parts of a booklet printed in occasion of the dedication of the regimental memorial in 1928). Both had a similar intellectual and middle class background. But there was on the other hand a considerable distance in age. Seeßelberg, born in 1861, in 1893 already Leutnant der Reserve, was a famous architect, historian and professor on the Berlin technical college. He was very active in cultural politics in a national conservative direction. He founded in 1908 an association of artists and intellectuals to promote conservative, traditionell and German influence on art and society, the Werdandi-Bund. A splendid assembly of German writers, musicians, sculptors, painters and architects of the time joined this alliance managed by Seeßelberg. In the beginning of the war he was reactivated in the age of 53 as Oberleutnant der Landwehr. After he was wounded in 1916 he was deployed until 1918 in the war department for military scientific research. After the war he returned to the Berlin technical college and tried without success tu reactivate the Werdandi-Bund. He wrote a book about the static warfare widely noticed among experts. His political engagement was closely to National Socialism, but because of some trouble with an active party member and colleague his own entry in the NSDAP was in 1937 refused. So there could be some links between Friedrich Seeßelberg and Ernst Jünger even after the war. Unfortunately it is very laborious to search for the person of Seeßelberg in the extensive literary work of Ernst Jünger and its immense reflection by others.

Interestingly there is a significant gap between Seeßelbergs conservative cultural and political points of view and his own small number of own construcions, wich appears in a very modern style. So there is a distinct similarity of Seeßelbergs buildings from before the war to the later avantgarde and classical modern style of the Bauhaus tradtion.

In that special case the person who sold these things was a little child, when grandfather Friedrich Seeßelberg died in 1956. Later he wore grandpas military equipment when playing with his schoolmates in the wood. When he was a young guy needing some money he sold all the stuff in the 1970-ties on a flea market without much sentiments. We have to consider it was the make love not war generation and especially in Germany after two lost wars it was not common and political correct, to be proud of or interested in military decorations or uniforms of ones ancestors. The person of the Seeßelberg family whom I now gave the medal group back, was born in the 1970-ies. With this distance of time he is able to appreciate his grand-grandfathers life and works without prejudice.

Some more material he compiled until now in his family archive:

This is the question I was waiting for

When this group came on the marked in the end of 2014 offered by a well known dealer from Hamburg, I checked the bar and found out by different sources, that all the medals are traceable for Seeßelberg. But unfortunately, he got the Housorder of Hohenzollern knight with swords too. By statistical and scientific reasons, to difficult to explain with my simple English, there is no reason to believe, that there could be another person with that 8-part combination. Therefore I bought this group.

Now I aimed my researches on the question, why he NOT had his HOH3X on his bar. I came in contact to his grand-grandson and he passed me a portrait, wich gives the answer. Seeßelberg decided, to wear his highest wartime award as a single decoration! As it seems, not only with his miniature chain, I bought together with the bar shown above, but also when he has worn his bar.

The Seeßelberg descendant  collected material of his famous grand-grandfather for years. He told me, that his uncle in the 1970-ies sold uniform, sword, helmet and medals on a flea marked. We were not able to find out, on wich way the bar came to Hamburg. Some weeks ago he visited me and because of his request I sold the bar and chain back to the family.

In memory to Rick Lundström, thanks for teaching us, how to use the skills for these kind of researches. R.I.P.

Regards, Komtur.

Yes indeed. There were two similar memorials created by Seeßelberg, one in France and one in Hannover. He also wrote some parts of the regimental history.

Friedrich Seeßelberg (1861-1956), in 1916 battalion commander of Ernst Jünger.

But if this order comes with a blue ribbon, it was likely awarded to a non-Prussian officer.

Regards, Komtur.

I am quite sure to have shown this one before - but it also fits in this thread well.

Ribbons can glow under UV-light and be old an original. The reason for this optical phenomenon is fluorescence.  This can happen every time and everywhere, even in nature. It is only a question of special physicochemical behavior of some substances. There are chemical substances wich fluoresces and be used for colouring, also in the 19th century. In the 1950ies was created an industrial produced substance called Blancophor given to white paper and fabric, to make them brighter. Blancophor and related substances make modern ribbons, specially with white parts, glowing. But there are definitely old ribbons, escpecially with red or purple parts, wich glow under UV too.

Regards, Komtur.

... Excellent quality copies are in circulation and are being sold as originals with great regularity. They are finding their way into major european auktion houses and are slipping past the experts. Recent examples are Zeige and Kuenker. ...

May be it is of some use, to see an officer cross of the Oldenburg House Order without swords for comparison. I am quite sure, that this is an original awarded one.

Regards, Komtur.

Glasenapp

Oberst Hohnhorst

Red Eagle Order 2nd class without oak leaves on white ribbon with black stripes:

Only once awarded to Prof. August Gärtner on August 18th 1918. As it should be in silver gilded.

Regards, Komtur.

A nice and unusual medal bar, and an extremely helpful explanation on the WW Iron Cross... thanks Dave!

Indeed - Thanks Dave!