A Nameless Prussian Wearing Some INCREDIBLY Rare Awards #1

[W McSwiggan]

Here we see a nice—but typically—anonymous cabinet card photo of a distinguished older gentleman with an extremely interesting

and as it turns out

unique combination of decorations.

Clues? Taken in Wiesbaden, and obviously after 1898, since he is wearing the Prussian Red Cross Medal-3rd Class created in that year.

So…

Around his neck, the Prussian Wilhelm Order (GASP !!!) and a Saxe-Ernestine House Order-Commander 2nd Class (EH2b). His Frackspange consists of (top to bottom in this style of civilian fancy dress) a Prussian Red Eagle Order 3rd Class with Bow (RAO3mSchl), Prussian Crown Order 3rd Class (KO3) on statute ribbon, Crown Order 4th Class (KO4) with Red Cross on Commemorative Ribbon (for assistance with medical care during the Franco-Prussian War), 1870-71 War Medal in Steel on the Non-Combatant Ribbon (indicating that he served under enemy fire without bearing arms, doubtless as a medical volunteer given his KO4), Prussian Red Cross Medal 3rd Class (PrRKM3), and 1897 Wilhelm I Centenary Medal.

[W McSwiggan]

The combination certainly suggests someone like a medical doctor, doesn’t it?

But to verify this, we must delve deep into the Research Mines—and HOPE that he was both a) alive and b) vain enough to have paid to list himself in the vanity press 1908/09 German Orders Almanac.

Hours pass. But HE isn’t going anywhere, is he? MANY hours.

I do not know the final total of Wilhelm Orders awarded, but from this elaborate (and extremely peculiar) award’s creation in 1896 to the beginning of 1913, only

63

had been bestowed—21 of those to women! Of those ladies, 5 were Royals. Recipients were widows with literally no other award and State Ministers—quite an eclectic group… but a very SMALL one! Gerd Scharfenberg’s 1996 Deutsche Soldaten Jahrbuch article “Der Königlich Preußische Wilhelm-Orden zum 100. Jahrestag seiner Stiftung” gives 2 more awards to 28 August 1913 for 65 to that date.

The KO4mrKw6s—to give its official Rank List “abbreviation”—was awarded 1,783 times, only from 1872 to 1874.

Numbers by years awarded to January 1913 luckily at hand in the late Eric Ludvigsen’s posthumous statistical work “Prussian and Other Imperial German Award Statistics: Baden to Württemberg” ((2009).

To find the Distinguished Anonymous Gentleman, lists of those two Orders’ recipients had to be compared, the matches winnowed down, and then the Short List looked at for the OTHER Prussian decorations, with nothing else but an Ernestine. Luckily, after all of that, he was all alone—the only possible recipient!

Without the Research Collective’s combined resources, this would be beyond mortal hope. (Good luck to anyone going through the entire Orders Almanac on… hope!!!) But the team always comes together. A lot of Prussian Orders Lists there, some dabbling around in unusual period sources here and…

Voilà!--------

Fritz Kalle, Geheimer Regierungsrat, Professor, Dr. h.c. of Wiesbaden—born Paris 12 January 1837, died Wiesbaden 31 July 1915. Manufacturer, chemical industry manager, philanthropist. National Liberal Member of the Prussian Chamber of deputies. Honorary Doctorate from the University of Erlangen 1913. Married Anna Kerdyk, who died in 1921. Sons Oberstleutnant aD Arnold (b. 1873) and Dr.phil. Dr. Ing. E.h. Wilhelm (b. 1870).

Wiesbaden photo in civilian dress taken between January 1902 and December 1910 because:

Wilhelm-Orden 27 January 1902 (Stadtrat, Professor in Wiesbaden)

See below for Prussian Crown Order 2nd Class. Unfortunately his pre-1907 EH2b was not from Altenburg, the only state whose Rolls, thanks to the late Erhard Roth’s published work, I have on hand before 1911.

Frackspange—

Red Eagle Order 3rd Class with Bow 18 January 1901 (same as Wilhelm-Orden above and same below)

((Red Eagle Order 4th Class 26 September 1883 as Stadtrat, replaced by the above))

Crown Order 3rd 21 June 1893 (replaced by Crown Order 2nd 3 December 1910--? on retirement)

Crown Order 4th with Red Cross on Commemorative Ribbon 18 March 1872 (status as all other Orders!)

Franco-Prussian War Medal in Steel on Non-Combatant Ribbon

Prussian Red Cross Medal 3rd Class 11 October 1899 (also same—Stadtrat, Professor in Wiesbaden)

Kaiser Wilhelm I Centenary Medal 1897

And… how do we CONFIRM all that?

ABOVE: Dr. Kalle’s final entry in the Handbuch über den Königlich Preußischen Hof und Staat for 1910 (printed 1909) reveals him just before retiring.

[W McSwiggan]

BELOW: His entry in the Deutscher Ordens-Almanach 1908/09 (the last edition ever printed, alas) repeats these awards and his address.

But how about more biographical detail? Welllll….

Oddly enough, TWO of his sons AND a daughter in law (born 28.02. 1896) are listed in the 1935 edition of “Wer Ist’s?”—

…thus producing Data From beyond The Grave.

Unfortunately from the sources I have at hand, am unable to determine when Dr. Kalle’s EH2b was awarded, since the Hof- und-Staats Handbücher did not always show awards. He himself would doubtless have had entries in pre-Great War editions of “Wer Ist’s?” and You Who Are Wise In The Ways Of Google may no doubt find much more on him from this internet-thingum.

My thanks to the photo’s Traveling Museum owner for allowing this to be shared with you all, and to my Known Associates In Research for adding data to this lonely nameless photos. Pharaohs spent fortunes to be immortal—

we of the Research Priesthood do this without temple offerings—MEMORY IS RESTORED !!!

Thanks to the Traveling Museum member who owns this for bravely visiting The Island one last time before Ice-In to allow you all to share this, and WEM for posting since I am not online. Rick Research

[RAO]

A great Pic!!!!!!

And it is.......

Fritz Kalle, Stadtrat and Professor in Wiesbaden! WO am 27.01.1902!

Regards Mike

[Paul R]

Thanks for sharing this photo! Tell Rick I said, "Hi".

What feats/accomplishments were those two neck orders awarded for?

[W McSwiggan]

I will give Rick your regards.

Please be advised that I messed up the posting. There is a continuation using the same subjuct with #2 on it that continues Rick's narrative - there he shows more information as well as an ID.

I asked a moderator to merge the two threads but hav no response so far - any help would be appreciated to fix my blunder.

In the mean time I will bring it "forward".

Edited December 11, 2010 by W McSwiggan

[Paul R]

I will give Rickk your regards.

I asked a moderator to merge the two threads but hav no response so far - any help would be appreciated to fix my blunder.

Thank you Col!! I really appreciate you doing that.

I fixed the thread.

[sambolini]

Hi,

Thanks for posting this photo and information from Rick. I especially enjoyed seeing the Prussian Wilhelm Order. It's the first I've ever seen. It is quite peculiar in design. The collar is really odd and the Order itself with the Kaiser Wilhelm image is quite modest (no enamel?). So very rare as well, has anyone here ever seen a real one in person?

Regards,

Sam

Edited December 11, 2010 by sambolini

[W McSwiggan]

Paul,

Nidely done - thanks & sorry for the trouble!

Stay tuned as he gave me several more to post over the coming days.

Wayne

Thank you Col!! I really appreciate you doing that.

I fixed the thread.

[W McSwiggan]

The Cross is that of Commander, Saxe-Ernestine House Order and was the means for the three duchies to recognize excellence or honor citizens or others. With swords or without in the customary manner.

The Wilhelm - I'm stretching here a bit - was for extreme recognition by Wilhelm for distinguished civil service.

What feats/accomplishments were those two neck orders awarded for?

[Paul R]

Hi Wayne,

I am glad that I was able to help. Thank you for the information on the awards. Often(in my experience anyway) I see awards, but have no ideas as to what the recipient would have done to have them awarded to them. I have noticed that many were awarded based upon the social status of the awardee, but others(like the Order of Glory of the Soviet Union) were awarded for pure valor. I just like to know what I am seeing... Thanks again.

[wilhelmorden]

I know this an older post, but I have some info to add.

The first image is from http://www.dhm.de/magazine/orden/abbs/002.htm Kat.-Nr.2 in the Deutsches Historisches Museum.

The Wilhelm-Orden was featured on the cover of Orden-Militaria-Magazin in 1996 which I picked up several years ago. Unfortunately, I do not read or speak german and connot read the article. I would be very interested in anyone who could translate the article. But there is a 15 page article with b/w photos of cloesups and a detailed write-up on the order. Included is information about the design and manufacture of the award, as well as a list of 15 recipients, and many other details. This thread suggests that there may have been as many as 63 awarded. Still a very rare item indeed.

What type of value would such an item command today?

From WikiPedia:

"

The Wilhelm-Orden (English "William-Order") was instituted on the 18th January 1896 by the Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia William II, and was dedicated to the memory of his grandfather Emperor William I "the Great". Like the civil class of Pour le Mérite, the Wilhelm-Orden was intended as a high award for service to science and the arts.

The insignia of the Order consisted of a golden medal with the portrait of William I, surrounded by a golden wreath and suspended from a heavy golden collar. This collar with a weight of 222 grams bore the words WIRKE IM ANDENKEN AN KAISER WILHELM DEN GROSSEN (English: "Work in the memory of Emperor William the Great") and was designed by the jewellers Emil Weigand en Otto Schultz.

The order was very exclusive. One of the first to be decorated was Otto von Bismarck. Also among the recipients was physician and Nobel laureate Robert Koch."

[wilhelmorden]

Of course, we must take Wikipedia's data with a grain of salt as often the data contained therein is lacking. For example, though wikipedia suggests "golden medal...golden wreath...golden collar" the fine metals used in this award were actually gilded silver according to the article in Orden-Militaria-Magazin.

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes, and the one I held in my paws many years ago in my late guru George Seymour's collection was silver-gilt. It's not actually that "exciting" a design, and the too small collar is just strange.

[wilhelmorden]

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_06_2014/post-15985-0-72917100-1402973800.jpgImages of one floating around in US. I think its quite impressive...

[Ulsterman]

Cool.