Lifesaving Medals

[Paul R]

Yes it does!! It is one of those bars that I can see over and over again! Thank you for posting it! Are there any other lifesaving medals out there!

[Stogieman]

Some very nice bars Andreas! Mark snatched up the Prussian one I had in my last sale.......

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

Here is a Hannoverian first type (1845 - 47) lifesaving medal awarded to Lt., later General Major, Julius von Mertens; which although already posted on another thread, I think, could be included here.

Following this medal are two rather out of the ordinary items. The first is a W?rttemberg 1892 - 1918 silver merit medal mounted on the lifesaving ribbon. The second is a Prussian silver jubilee badge with the lifesaving ribbon.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[Wild Card]

W?rttemberg 1892 - 1918 silver merit medal mounted on the lifesaving ribbon

[Wild Card]

Prussian silver jubilee badge with the lifesaving ribbon.

[Paul R]

Thank you Wild Card!!

What colors are one the Hanover Ribbon?

Are the stripes on the W?rttemberg ribbon yellow or white?

Rick,

That was an awesome bar you had! Mark really scored with that one!

Paul

[Wild Card]

Hi Paul R.,

Below are two pictures of Hannoverian lifesaving medals. The first is the piece pictured above in post #28, showing the reverse with it?s ribbon. The second photo shows a type two (1847 - 1866) also with it?s ribbon. While you will notice a difference in the color of the two ribbons, which thanks to iPhoto and Photoshop are accurately reproduced here, I would like to point out that the first is 32.5 mm and the second is 42.5 mm. So, although badly faded, the second is the more accurate example of the two. At the same time, I would not discount the first as it has some redeeming factors. The orange/yellow color is more accurate in the first, and it is, IMO, very likely an original piece which reflects the ravages of several washings.

The ribbon on the W?rttemberg medal in post #29 is quite accurately reproduced in the picture - a very pale yellow. A curious piece isn?t it? So much so that I am surprised that here have not been any questions or clarifications about it.

Thank you for asking and if I can provide any further information, please let me know.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[Wild Card]

Type two with ribbon.

[Gerd Becker]

Absolutely outstanding Collection of Lifesaving Medals, Wild Card

All your rare medals even seem to have nice original ribbons, is that true?

Thanks again for posting your treasures

[Jacky]

Even the second type is really magnificient, with the very pronouncable beard and mustache!!!

Many of us might wish to have such a wonderfull and very well trimmed beard

But the size is really sorry, saving one's life might have saved a world,

and all one gets is just a plain small medal.... Well it's the thought beyond it.

And one doesn't save a life to get a medal.

[Paul C]

I gave a look in the Hessental and Screiber book and he covers most of the different life saving medals from individual German states.

[Wild Card]

Absolutely outstanding Collection of Lifesaving Medals, Wild Card

All your rare medals even seem to have nice original ribbons, is that true?

Thanks again for posting your treasures

Somehow I missed your question (above). Unfortunately, not all of my older, or even newer for that matter, medals have original ribbons. Of course, I try to get, or add on, original ribbon whenever possible; but, well... let?s call it another facet of our never ending quests that keeps things interesting.

Since I owe you one and am aware of your interest in minis, here is a little guy I pulled home for the occasion. It almost got by me that there is an error with regard to this mini. The inscription on the reverse should be ?Fur/Rettung/Aus/Lebens-/Gefahr? where the mini reads the more common phrase ?Fur/Rettung/Aus/Gefahr?. In spite of the incredible attention to detail in workmanship, such errors are not uncommon with minis; that is why I double checked.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

We seem to have overlooked Bavaria.

[Wild Card]

Reverse.

[Guest Rick Research]

Thanks to Steen Ammentorp for pointing out the Berlin Central and Provincial Library website, which has Berlin city directories for FOREVER

http://adressbuch.zlb.de/

I am working through and have already found that my heroic Herr Wustrow was not " a book dealer" (as in a shop owner selling books) but the publisher of Fichte Verlag. Here his entry from 1928:

In 1918, when he got his Prussian War Effort Cross, Wustrow was a partner with someone named Kassemeier. Wustrow was alive in 1934... and the year by year hunt will now go on!

[webr55]

Thanks to Steen Ammentorp for pointing out the Berlin Central and Provincial Library website, which has Berlin city directories for FOREVER

http://adressbuch.zlb.de/

Now that is a valuable research tool! Thanks for finding it!

Chris

[Humberto Corado]

hello all,

I know that this is an old thread but I always wondering the award criteria for Lifesaving Medals?? and how many were awarded until 1918??? was the same for all German states??? any info about the award process would be great!

I searched in a few related threads but I couldn't find this info.

Thanks in advance!

[Guest Rick Research]

Generally speaking, only rescues which were at the risk of the life saver's own life. Each of the Imperial German states had their own awards.

For Prussia, from the medal on ribbon's creation in 1833 to 1919 (WW1 years' numbers may not be complete) = 9,055

according to the late Eric Ludvigsen's annual statistical studies.

[Humberto Corado]

Generally speaking, only rescues which were at the risk of the life saver's own life. Each of the Imperial German states had their own awards.

For Prussia, from the medal on ribbon's creation in 1833 to 1919 (WW1 years' numbers may not be complete) = 9,055

according to the late Eric Ludvigsen's annual statistical studies.

Thank you Rick! I am wondering if the award criteria was the same for all the German states? and if was awarded for any rescue which were at the risk of the life saver's own life but not related just with be drowned?

thanks!

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes, any type of mortal danger--

drowning

fire

pulling people off railroad tracks about to be run over

being dragged by runaway horses

any accidental peril of those kinds where the rescuer was as likley to have been killed as succeeding in the rescue..

In Prussia, where quite oddly the non-wearable LOWER Class medallion is quite huge saving life but NOT at risk to the lifesaver got the lesser award. Sometimes only a cash present or something like a watch and the rescuer's name in the newspaper was a lesser reward. So somebody, say, who waded into water over a small child's head but only up to the rescuer's waist would get a lesser award since there was no danger to the Good Samaritan.

The only other citation reasons besides for Prussian awards that I have are from Lippe-Detmold, and are from 1830s-60s Merit Medals before there were separate Lifesaving Medals in Lippe:

those include saving a child who had been sucked into the water wheel of a mill (where BOTH could have been crushed and drowned), several awards to miners called in on a national appeal (!) who had saved a child who had fallen down a well and become trapped (they had to dig and then enter the hole, which could have fallen in on them too), and many rescues from fires and people swept away by floods. Several of these 19th century citations state that they were for unsuccessful ATTEMPTED rescues, where the attempt might also have killed the failed rescuer.

[Humberto Corado]

Yes, any type of mortal danger--

drowning

fire

pulling people off railroad tracks about to be run over

being dragged by runaway horses

any accidental peril of those kinds where the rescuer was as likley to have been killed as succeeding in the rescue..

In Prussia, where quite oddly the non-wearable LOWER Class medallion is quite huge saving life but NOT at risk to the lifesaver got the lesser award. Sometimes only a cash present or something like a watch and the rescuer's name in the newspaper was a lesser reward. So somebody, say, who waded into water over a small child's head but only up to the rescuer's waist would get a lesser award since there was no danger to the Good Samaritan.

The only other citation reasons besides for Prussian awards that I have are from Lippe-Detmold, and are from 1830s-60s Merit Medals before there were separate Lifesaving Medals in Lippe:

those include saving a child who had been sucked into the water wheel of a mill (where BOTH could have been crushed and drowned), several awards to miners called in on a national appeal (!) who had saved a child who had fallen down a well and become trapped (they had to dig and then enter the hole, which could have fallen in on them too), and many rescues from fires and people swept away by floods. Several of these 19th century citations state that they were for unsuccessful ATTEMPTED rescues, where the attempt might also have killed the failed rescuer.

very interesting Rick! I think that this medal does not have the atencion that deserves!

any chance to see an image of the non-wearable lower Class medallion ?? this was granted with an award document too???

I have never seen a medal of these in real but for which I can see in your medal bars images they are very small, could you please tell me the measures of these????

Thanks again!

[saschaw]

Humberto, this current ebay auction has pictures of both the big (~ 50mm) and small (~25mm) Prussian medal, hope this helps - I've got none, unfortunally. By the way, the Prussian ones are almost common, but any other imperial German LSM is actually rare, from Anhalt to W?rttemberg ...

[Humberto Corado]

Humberto, this current ebay auction has pictures of both the big (~ 50mm) and small (~25mm) Prussian medal, hope this helps - I've got none, unfortunally. By the way, the Prussian ones are almost common, but any other imperial German LSM is actually rare, from Anhalt to W?rttemberg ...

Thank you Saschaw, any idea if the big Prussian medal was awarded with a document too?

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes. The non-wearable medals came in a nice (big!) case, too.

[James Clark]

You guys might be interested in the latest "Neuerscheinungen" listed on J?rg Kalies' site (www.sammler-cabinett.de) which has a document group to a sailor which includes the Prussian Rettungsmedaille am Bande and also a very interesting ribbon bar.