Christian Zulus

Dear Belaruski, well, and the "State for the People" fits to the term "social state" in the constitution of Belarus . Socialism as a "republican movement" sounds very interesting. When will your Belarus-book be published? I think, that you will sell some copies among GMIC-members . Best regards Christian

Dear Kevin, my respect: Very wise, clever and scientific words . "Prior to 1936 - 45 there was perceived to be only two choices for the people of Europe, Communist or Fascist" - that's the point . Historians have to analyze the events in their concrete context of their time. So it is quite insane - in our profession - to tell (dealing with the years 1936 - 1945), that Communism had severe shortcomings (it had of course) and to put it at the same level of evil as Fascism. The undisputed historic fact is, that Communism had been the lesser evil choice for the people (not only for Jews, Serbs and other Slavonic people!), than Fascism at that period of time - AND you had only the choice between these two forms of society at continental Europe !!!! The following period of the "Cold War" - West vs. East - had been an authentic war by very special means. History doesn't know one war, where it had been easy and free for anyone to cross the frontlines. So much to "Iron Curtain", "Berlin Wall", activities of state security & secret services in East AND West, etc., etc. Coming back to the commentaries of Mr. Pluribus: It sounds not very educated to state, that "Communism is going to be proclaimed as ideology against humanity". What is Communism? The early Christian communities in the Middle East, the Christian Jesuit State of Paraquay in the 17th & 18th century, etc., etc. - that's Communism in the very pure form. To tell to the internationally renowed US-Universityprofessor for History, Edward Haynes, that a "Lenin were amongst the utmost criminals" is a very strong offense, in my opinion. In Europe - at least in Germany & Austria - it is hughe legal difference, if you say: "Communism or Socialism is fine" or "Nazism or Fascism is fine". The first statement is your scientific and/or ethic/religious point of view and you are free to state this where ever you want. The second statement means prison: In Austria up to 10 years jail and in Germany around 2 years jail. So, it is in fact a gigantic legal and constitutional difference, if Prof. Haynes adresses GMIC-members of the Communist-section with "Comrades" and shows a historic poster of Lenin & Stalin at the 1st of may, or another one adresses GMIC-members of the Communist-section with "Volksgenossen" and shows a historic poster of Adolf Hitler with a swastika. I think that Mr. Pluribus might fit better into some other collectors platforms in the www . GMIC-members are interested to do some research about decorations & militaria in their historic context - at least in the sections, where I am active: Soviet & Communist Era Militaria & Awards and Austria-Hungary -, to have some fun & suspense at Christophe's quiz and to have every now and then a discussion among Gentlemen about a historic event. The inputs of Mr. Pluribus to "Soviet & Communist Era Militaria & Awards" had been - so far - neither educated, nor fruitful, but only nasty and offensive . Best regards Christian BTW: Dear Ed, many thanks for your May Day Greetings .

Dear Christophe, thanks a lot for the other cover with the photograph . The "Reichstag-pictures" got expensive .... Well, I think that the others for just USD 800,- are still in a very, very moderate price range in comparison to other famous photographs of let me say French or US photographers. Best regards Christian

Dear Dan, many thanks my friend for your fantastic explaination . In my youth I collected butterflies in such wooden cases with glass top. My daughter has them now . BTW: The "Homeland" would be the perfect item for your collection: hughe, heavy & impressive . Alexi http://home.netcom.com/~merezhko/orders.html still offers the 3cl for mere USD 350,-. But the tragic fact is, that for the bucks to spent for a decent Motherland 3cl + 2cl, you could almost acquire a large and rather comprehensive collection of the most important YU-Awards . Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, many thanks for showing the French Khaldei-book . Please could you sent me via e-mail a good scan of the cover . It's always fine to have photographs of one's collection at book covers . I have the German Khaldei-book (1st editon), which you can buy now as a special editon for a bargain-price: http://www.parthasverlag.de/berlin/?bid=83 Best regards Christian

Dear Christophe, congratulations to your more than convincing victory . The photograph shows Dolmatovski (1915 - 1994) as a 30 years young Major of the Red Army. I think, that I bought his photograph just one year after his death. The Jewish photographer Yevgeny Khaldei http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Khaldei had just done a small series of some extra-fine photos by himself in Moscow. That's also the reason, why the quality of Khaldei prints of the 1990s is superiour to the same of the 1940s, which are usually used as illustration in the books. The composition of Khaldei's photograph is exceptionel: - the trophy in the arm of Dolmatovski (reminds me to some scenes in the course of the French Revolution ) - the Reichstag, ruined Berlin and military equipment in the background - and Dolmatovski's smiling face: "Nashe delo pravoe - my pobedili". So, the answering of the question had been partly a transatlantic French-French cooperation ..... It is a great scene in the movies, when Chuikov, Sokolov and Dolmatovski where sitting together and drinking. Suddendly General Krebs was announced. The generals said to our poet: "Stay, you belong to our general staff". And the official Nazi-Germany offered surrender also towards one of Russia's great poets: Auschwitz vs. poetry . It's an irony of history, that just Germany had been THE nation in world for poetry - but: "Der Tod ist ein Meister aus Deutschland". BTW: Did you already know Celan's "Die Todesfuge" and the connex to the "Red Star" covering about Majdanek? Paul Celan lived also for a rather long time in Paris. Listen to Celan's voice - it really goes under your skin. Question #109 is your question . Best regards Christian

Dear Gary, what are "riker mounts" ? Sorry ...., I am Austrian . For just to have dabbled in Soviet Orders a HSU, screwback Lenin, Motherland-Trio, etc. it's quite a lot . 1993 had been a good time for Soviet Awards: Low prices & and not so many (high-end) fakes at the market. Seems, that you made around 1000 % profit with your investment at least . Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, very fine example . I assume, that the reason, why the box is so hughe, is simply, that it is the 1st class of the order . Best regards Christian

Dear Gary, your Lenin looks fine to me . I improved your scan a bit via PHOTOSHOP: Best regards Christian

Dear Gary, also the Motherland 1cl looks convincing at the larger scans - except the number, which I haven't seen in that form before. You should ask GMIC-member Andrew "Mondvor" - he is the expert. The problem is, that not many people have had an 100 % genuine Motherland 1cl in their hands . Do you have further documentation and expertise about the Motherlands - receipient, etc.? Best regards Christian

Homeland - present market situation Gentlemen, for long years the Homeland was not very much sought after and called the "ugly crab". Now the situation changed and the "crabs" sell very, very fast - when you are looking into the "sales-sections" of the major collectors platforms - and the price level is getting higher. They are already rather hard to obtain - specially the 2nd class of that order. Recently in Helsinki at the auction a Homeland 2cl sold for USD 2.300,- (that's the price level of a Nevsky T2 !!!) and a (low numbered) Homeland 3cl sold for USD 920,-. I personally love the design of the Homeland, because it shows all elements of the Soviet Forces + a Hero Star . The "crab" is not only big & heavy, but it is great . Best regards Christian

Question #108: Gentlemen, another easy question and rather similar to Christophe's #107 . 1) Who am I? I did a rather similar job like comrade Grossman. 2) Where (exact location!) and when (exact date!) had this photograph been shot? 3) Who had been the photographer (a rather famous one )? 4) At the time, when the photograph had been shot, I had been together with a really famous Soviet General - who? 5) I also met an important German General for a talk (during the war and he had not been a POW!) and what did that German General offer to us? 6) With which famous Soviet composer did I work together (writing lyrics)? O.K., 6 easy pieces. Two extra hints: The comrade in question is also mentioned in the memoirs of that famous Soviet General and our talk with that German General had been a scene in many movies. The winner is, who answers ALL the six questions in a comprehensive way! BTW: I am the happy owner of that famous photograph . I got in the 1990s via Berlin an original gelatin silver print (8 1/4 x 6 1/2 in or 20,9 x 16,5 cm) with the signature of the artist at the rv. Had been a bargain and sells now at auctions for around USD 800,- . Best regards Christian

Dear Auke, I am trying to work faster, due to fact I already lost some points by working so slowly . No, I still haven't read Beevor's book, because I am waiting for the German edition. Beevor is a bestseller author and all his recent books had been translated into German. That's the link to Beevor/Grossman: http://www.amazon.com/Writer-War-Vasily-Gr...5/dp/0375424075 Some of the reporters had only Majors uniform, as you will see at my coming question . Photographers ranked lower. They usually got uniforms around Lieutenant. But both type of reporters had been authentic officers of the Red Army, but did not receive many orders or medals for their service at the front . O.K., in the run of their careers most of them got their HSL, Stalin-Prize, etc. . Best regards Christian

Dear Mike, no, I meant it's not the identical item, but a similar. Best regards Christian

Complete index & summary of all asked questions & topics at post #1 of the quiz-thread and Serbian translation of Paul Celan's famous poem "DIE TODESFUGE" (Fuga smrti) Gentlemen, at http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3144 you will find now the complete index & summary of all asked questions with some interesting topics dealing with Yugoslavia. Christophe had done this great work . At http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=172925 I posted a Serbian translation of the most famous poem of the 20th century: Paul Celan's "Die Todesfuge" (Fuga smrti), which deals with the horrars of Nazi-KZ Majdanek. Best regards Christian

Dear Mike, yes, that's the same one . Best regards Christian

Dear Kevin, o.k., than it's a badge . Isn't there something written on the crown - there are letters ? I have the strong feeling, that the item might be from the 1st Republic before 1933 . Sorry, I am not an expert in Austrian stuff - I only live there. Best regards Christian

Grossman & world's most famous poem of the 20th century: Paul Celan: DIE TODESFUGE Gentlemen, Wasily Grossman and Konstantin Simonov http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Simonov worked both for the "Red Star" in 1944 and both reported about the Nazi-KZ Majdanek http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majdanek after the liberation by the Red Army. It had been the first time, that the world saw the ultimate horror of a German Concentration Camp. Grossman & Simonov wrote their impression in several articles in the "Red Star". In a study about the origins of Paul Celan's - Jewish-Austrian poet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Celan - poems I found evidence, that Celan had access in the Romanian labour camp to the "Red Star" and got from there informations about the now liberated Majdanek (1944) and how that "Symbol of German Culture" worked. He wrote his most famous poem "DIE TODESFUGE". So there is an exact 50:50 chance, that Grossman (or Simonov) had been THE source of the world's most famous poem of the 20th century . That's Paul Celan's poem (first German, then the English translation and the Serbian one): Schwarze Milch der Fr?he wir trinken sie abends wir trinken sie mittags und morgens wir trinken sie nachts wir trinken und trinken wir schaufeln ein Grab in den L?ften da liegt man nicht eng Ein Mann wohnt im Haus der spielt mit den Schlangen der schreibt der schreibt wenn es dunkelt nach Deutschland dein goldenes Haar Margarete er schreibt es und tritt vor das Haus und es blitzen die Sterne er pfeift seine R?den herbei er pfeift seine Juden hervor l??t schaufeln ein Grab in der Erde er befiehlt uns spielt auf nun zum Tanz Schwarze Milch der Fr?he wir trinken dich nachts wir trinken dich morgens und mittags wir trinken dich abends wir trinken und trinken Ein Mann wohnt im Haus der spielt mit den Schlangen der schreibt der schreibt wenn es dunkelt nach Deutschland dein goldenes Haar Margarete Dein aschenes Haar Sulamith wir schaufeln ein Grab in den L?ften da liegt man nicht eng Er ruft stecht tiefer ins Erdreich ihr einen ihr andern singet und spielt er greift nach dem Eisen im Gurt er schwingts seine Augen sind blau stecht tiefer die Spaten ihr einen ihr andern spielt weiter zum Tanz auf Schwarze Milch der Fr?he wir trinken dich nachts wir trinken dich mittags und morgens wir trinken dich abends wir trinken und trinken ein Mann wohnt im Haus dein goldenes Haar Margarete dein aschenes Haar Sulamith er spielt mit den Schlangen Er ruft spielt s??er den Tod der Tod ist ein Meister aus Deutschland er ruft streicht dunkler die Geigen dann steigt ihr als Rauch in die Luft dann habt ihr ein Grab in den Wolken da liegt man nicht eng Schwarze Milch der Fr?he wir trinken dich nachts wir trinken dich mittags der Tod ist ein Meister aus Deutschland wir trinken dich abends und morgens wir trinken und trinken der Tod ist ein Meister aus Deutschland sein Auge ist blau er trifft dich mit bleierner Kugel er trifft dich genau ein Mann wohnt im Haus dein goldenes Haar Margarete er hetzt seine R?den auf uns er schenkt uns ein Grab in der Luft er spielt mit den Schlangen und tr?umet der Tod ist ein Meister aus Deutschland dein goldenes Haar Margarete dein aschenes Haar Sulamith ENGLISH: Black milk of daybreak we drink it at evening we drink it at midday and morning we drink it at night we drink and we drink we shovel a grave in the air there you won't lie too cramped A man lives in the house he plays with his vipers he writes he writes when it grows dark to Deutschland your golden hair Margareta he writes it and steps out of doors and the stars are all sparkling, he whistles his hounds to come close he whistles his Jews into rows has them shovel a grave in the ground he commands us to play up for the dance. Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night we drink you at morning and midday we drink you at evening we drink and we drink A man lives in the house he plays with his vipers he writes he writes when it grows dark to Deutschland your golden hair Margareta Your ashen hair Shulamith we shovel a grave in the air there you won't lie too cramped He shouts jab the earth deeper you lot there you others sing up and play he grabs for the rod in his belt he swings it his eyes are so blue jab your spades deeper you lot there you others play on for the dancing Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night we drink you at midday and morning we drink you at evening we drink and we drink a man lives in the house your goldenes Haar Margareta your aschenes Haar Shulamith he plays his vipers He shouts play death more sweetly this Death is a master from Deutschland he shouts scrape your strings darker you'll rise then as smoke to the sky you'll have a grave then in the clouds there you won't lie too cramped Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night we drink you at midday Death is a master aus Deutschland we drink you at evening and morning we drink and we drink this Death is ein Meister aus Deutschland his eye it is blue he shoots you with shot made of lead shoots you level and true a man lives in the house your goldenes Haar Margarete he looses his hounds on us grants us a grave in the air he plays with his vipers and daydreams der Tod ist ein Meister aus Deutschland dein goldenes Haar Margarete dein aschenes Haar Shulamith SRPSKI: Fuga smrti Crno mleko zore pijemo ga uveče pijemo ga u podne i izjutra pijemo ga noću pijemo i pijemo kopamo grob u vazduhu tu nije tesno. U kući ?ivi čovek sa zmijama se igra pi?e on pi?e kad se smrači u Nemačku tvoja kosa od zlata Margareto to pi?e i izlazi pred kuću i svetlucaju zvezde zvi?di svojim psima da priđu on zvi?di Jevrejima da izađu hajde kopajte grob u zemlji naređuje nam a sad muziku za ples Crno mleko zore pijemo te noću pijemo te izjutra i u podne pijemo te uveče pijemo i pijemo U kući ?ivi čovek sa zmijama se igra pi?e on pi?e kad se smrači u Nemačku tvoja kosa od zlata Margareto Tvoja kosa od pepela Sulamko kopamo grob u vazduhu tu nije tesno On viče zabodite dublje u zemlju a vi drugi pevajte i svirajte hvata se za gvo?đe u opasaču vitla njime njegove oči su plave zabodite dublje a?ove vi drugi dalje muziku za ples Crno mleko zore pijemo te noću pijemo te u podne i izjutra pijemo te uveče pijemo i pijemo u kući ?ivi čovek tvoja kosa od zlata Margareto tvoja kosa od pepela Sulamko sa zmijama se igra On viče svirajte umilnije tu smrt smrt je majstor iz Nemačke on viče zagudite dublje na violinama pa ćete se vinuti u vazduh kao dim pa ćete imati grob u oblacima tamo vam neće biti tesno Crno mleko zore pijemo te noću pijemo te u podne smrt je majstor iz Nemačke pijemo te uveče i izjutra pijemo i pijemo smrt je majstor iz Nemačke njegovo oko je plavo olovnim zrnom te pogađa zanavek te pogađa u kući ?ivi čovek tvoja kosa od zlata Margareto hu?ka svoje pse na nas poklanja nam u vazduhu grob sa zmijama se igra i snatri smrt je majstor iz Nemačke tvoja kosa od zlata Margareto tvoja kosa od pepela Sulamko Here you can listen to Paul Celan reading the poem by himself - don't miss to listen to his extraordinary voice, even if your German is very bad : http://www.lyrikline.org/index.php?id=162&...Hash=1a525fc7cb Gentlemen, what's your opinon about that poem? Best regards Christian

VASILY GROSSMAN Dear Christophe, that's Vasily Grossman (1905 - 1964) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Grossman and "Life and Fate" had been published 1980 (Switzerland) and 1988 (CCCP). He worked during the GPW for the "Red Star", still the offical daily of the Russian Forces: http://www.redstar.ru/ . Best regards Christian BTW: That had been really an easy one .

Dear Christophe, but it would be excellent propaganda for the quiz to have the summary also pinned . Best regards Christian

Dear Kevin, I have never seen such a mini before . Might be something like an unofficial commemorative miniature or something for veterans or a club-badge ? Best regards Christian

Dear David, you might try to get into contact with the ?GO http://www.ordenskunde.at/ . Or contact the phaleristic expert at the HGM http://www.hgm.or.at/ : Professor Vizeleutnant Walter A. Schwarz Heeresgeschichtliche Museum Wien Arsenal, Objekt 1 Tel.: +43 1 79561-60301 Fax: +43 1 5200-17707 Best regards Christian

Dear Doc, sorry ...., that was my mistake - I think, I need new glasses . Best regards Christian

That posting pinned at the top of the sub-section Dear Christophe, you have done a great, useful & scientific work - many thanks . Please could you ask Gerd Becker, our club host, to get a copy of your posting pinned at the top of the sub-section, so that it would be easy for anybody to find the informations. Best regards Christian

Dear Filip, many thanks for posting these beauties . The early date of 1993 and the Austrian-style ribbon is interesting . Maybe we might find some more RS-Orders & Medals ? Best regards Christian