The Medal Bar of Oberst Hermann Bauer

[kunsho]

Hi,

in my possession is the medal bar of the Prussian Oberst Hermann Bauer.

The bar is in original state and represents the latter stood of his honor history. The missing decorations returned to the respective "Ordenskanzlei". So, and here my question: does somebody have coincidentally a picture of "my" Colonel (or knows something about his biography) ?

Hopeful

Matthias

[Guest Rick Research]

In the 1890 Rank List there are too many Majors Bauer, none with anything but PRUSSIAN awards, for me to tell which one he was then.

The 1908-09 Deutscher Ordens-Almanach shows him as

Oberst aD, last in the 7th Gendarmerie Brigade

EK2 1870, Red Eagle Order 3 with Bow, Crown Order 3, XXV, 1870, (1866 omitted-- quite common for these listings), 1897, Baden Z?hringen Lion-Knight 1st Class, and the Belgian Order.

He was born 15 June 1841 in Halberstadt, and in 1908/09 was living at Frankfurterstra?e 47, Marburg.

According to regulations concerning awards to be returned after death, he should also have had his XXV and the campagn medals returned, so perhaps his medal bar was stripped by a "collector" in the past after his heirs paid the fees to keep those Orders. The campaign medals were, quite oddly, supposed to be displayed in the dead wearer's local church!

[kunsho]

Thanks for researching Rick!

I own only (poor little collector) the 1904/05 Almanach and these issue is not so detailed than the 1908/09 issue.

After my knowledge of the "Ordenskanzlei" only the orders were called in (relatively high aquisition price lay behind here). In practice long service awards and campaign medals were not called in. Some of them called in "their" orders consequently still until 1945 (e.g. Wuerttemberg).

Thanks

Matthias

(How can I distinguish between the term "medal" and "order" in english?)

[Guest Rick Research]

We tend to use "Medals" for just meaning "many awards in a group." Not accurate, I know. We say Orders (Orden), Decorations (Ehrenzeichen/Auszeichnungen), and Medals (Medaillen) too.

In your Ordens-Almanach, you have by its editor Prof. Dr. Georg Epstein, his article "Die Vorschriften der deutschen Bundesstaaten ?ber die Trageweise und die R?ckgabe der Orden und Ehrenzeichen."

That shows that for Prussia, after death the next of kin were legally required to return (among other awards):

das Dienstauszeichnungskreuz (=XXV)

die drei Klassen der Dienstauszeichnung (then = XXI, XV, IX)

die Landwehr-Dienstauszeichnung erster Klasse (= XX)

and

"An das Kirchspiel, zu dem der Verstorbene geh?rt hat, sind abzuliefern:

das D?ppeler Sturmkreuz,

das Alsenkreuz,

und

das Erinnerungskreuz f?r 1866."

Weirdly, the 1864 and 1870 War Medals were NOT returned!

These rules had not changed in 1918, A.K.O. 30/5.13 & Gen. Ord. Komm. 24/10.13 still being in force then.

Oddly enough, although almost everything that was required to be returned could be kept-- if PAID for-- it was also possible to SELL BACK awards that did not NEED to be returned--

"Hilfsbed?rftige Witwen und Kinder verstorbener Inhaber" of the MEZ 1 could get RM 45 for sending one in, while next of kin of a deceased MEZ 2 holder could send it in for a payment back of RM 9 (a Red Eagle 4th was the same RM 9)! (A.K.O. 25/9.17)

and the A.K.O.s which applied that I have put in (....)s above are specified in rules I have from the last year of the World War.

The Obert's widow or children may have been able to afford buying his XXV and 1866, but if he died DURING the World War, chances are that the Orders Chancery wanted back every single REAL GOLD Order that they could get-- his RAO3aSchl and KO3 would have been REAL GOLD ones.

[Glenn J]

Matthias,

Oberst Hermann Bauer was a former infantry turned cavalry officer who entered the Kaiser-Alexander-Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 1 as a "One Year Volunteer" on the 1st of October 1861. He was transferred to Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 68 as an Avantageur (Aspirant officer) on the 23 of August 1862 in which regiment he was commissioned the following year. He saw service in the Austro-German War of 1866 and from the 23rd of June 1866 to the 2nd of February 1868 was the Adjutant of the F?silier Battalion of his regiment followed by his appointment as Regimental Adjutant until the 1st of April 1870. On the 1st of April 1870 until the 16th of July 1870 he was detached for service with Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 7 which was made permanent on the latter date. Initially promoted to Premierlieutenant on the 3rd of March 1871 his Patent was improved on the 7th of August 1873 on transfer to Husaren-Regiment Nr. 13 where he was apppointed as a Squadron Commander on the 18th of July 1874. On the 16th of April 1889 he was assigned as the second in command (Major beim Stabe) of Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 14 until leaving active service as an Oberstlieutenant z.D. on 28 July 1892 and assigned as the commander of the 7. Gendarmerie-Brigade. He retired on the 25th of May 1899 with the uniform of Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 7.

Secondelieutenant: 10.10.63

Premierlieutenant: 2.9.70

Rittmeister: 18.7.74

Major: 13.11.86 (Ohne Patent) 22.3.87 (Patent)

Oberstlieutenant: 18.6.92

Oberst: 4.5.98

Regards

Glenn

[Stogieman]

It's threads like this that really affirm for me what we're all doing. The study, investigation and preservation of history. Talk about "International Cooperation"!

[kunsho]

Wow! Glenn, thanks a lot!

You are right stogieman, amazingly how much information I got now within this short time (encourages me to look again in my "shelfs" to get out still another case like this)...

BUT I would be no collector if that already would be sufficient me... have somebody possibly a picture of Colonel Bauer?

Thanks Glenn + Rick (I will need your assistance still more frequently :-)

Matthias

PS: Rick, the return of the medals is a topic for itself...considering on valid regulations and their conversion in practice (by the way in the 1904 Almanach the Epstein article is missing, but no problem I have access of most regulations ).

[Stijn David]

Hello,

Very nice medal bar, and i just love the combination !!! , Germany in relation with Belgium.

That belgian order of Leopold I looks like a real gold piece and a older version IMHO, could you post a close up on this order ?

Cordial greetings,

[kunsho]

Hi Stijn,

the Leopold I is bronze gilded (fantastic fire gilding). Could you tell me what "IMHO" means? Here comes the close up...

[Mark M]

Matthias

IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

Mark