What's White and Black and Read All Over ?

[Guest Rick Research]

why, award paperwork for post-war noncombatant Iron Crosses on this Forum, of course.

This very nice example just arrived today:

This is to "Kaufmann" (is there ANY job title more maddeningly vague than this in German? ) Albert Koop in Bremen, from the Reichs Minister of Economics (printed "signature").

It states that the award was authorized by the Prussian State Government per 23 March 1920-- but this was actually typed out on 7 June. The actual award document that this enclosure letter of congratulations and-oh-please-return-the-enclosed-receipt probably born that March date. This indicates the sort of time delay that went into processing the 10,000 post-war "white black" Iron Cross awards. This letter was wrapped around the Besitzzeugnis and the Cross itself and popped into the mail... quite a change from more hopeful days.

What on earth did "businessman" Koop DO for th e former war effort? He was, literally, out of millions of soldiers and war workers, 1 of 13,000.

Something to live in hopeof finding out... and perhaps Some Bright Day if the Bremen Hanseatic rolls get done....

[VtwinVince]

That's a nice one. Interesting that it's on Ministry of Finance stationary.

[sambolini]

Hi,

How was it that the requirements to have received the many thousands of post war awards were verified (not just the Prussian EK, but other states and awards as well)? Did the receipients have to be "nominated by their old unit officers. Did affidavits have to be written by eyewitnesses to the act which earned the award? Just curious.

Regards,

Sam

[Guest Rick Research]

Don't know about these, only for Mecklenburg Strelitz, whose correspondence file I've just labored through typing out their WW1 award rolls.

Strelitz mAY have been peculiar in that literally anyone--including the potential recipient--could and did put in for one of their awards. From the staggering number of rejections there was some non statutory standard applied in making the now anonymous decision as to who got something. Neither royal birth nor rank swayed the Strelitz bureaucracy. Somebody's mommy was as likely to achieve success as a high ranking Baron in getting their nominee approved. It was also quite interesting there to see people applying as many as three times before wearing the paper pusherss down and getting a Cross.

I imagine the same sort of process must have applied here-- and so I'm sure that the better the recommendation, the more likely approval was.

This seems to have been issued at MINISTRY level--so perhaps Herr Koop was a lowly but centrally placed functionary. If his boss was high enough on the ladder and put him in for this, it would have skipped many of the levels along the way where an award might have hung up and ended in the "filed: no action" pile.

[sambolini]

Hi Rick,

Thanks for the reply. Although I knew awards were made post war, I never realized the sheer number that were. Also, for how long after the war they were continuing to be awarded. I believe I read in the F. Beyreiss book on Oldenburg decorations that in that state awards were made up to 1930! I know awards are often made years after the conclusion of a conflict, we often see that today with awards given to WWII vets, Vietnam vets, etc, but like I mentioned previously, it's the volume made that is striking to me as well as the sometimes arbitrary way they were handed out as you mentioned in post #4.

Thanks again,

Sam