DDR Question on the Order of Blücher

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Does somebody know if the DDR's Order of Blücher was ever awarded to someone? I know it was considered to be a "war order," not to be bestowed in peacetime, and although established as early as in 1965, its existence was kept secret and it was not even listed on any order of precedence list until the very end of DDR. Still, perhaps someone has a record of someone being awarded.

[aubagne98]

Hi Lukasz,

acoording to wikipedia http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bl%C3%BCcher-Orden it was never arwarded.

"Der Blücher-Orden wurde nie verliehen, da die DDR nie aktiv an Kriegshandlungen teilnahm." The Blücher-Orden never was awarded, because the DDR never took part activ in war"

Michael

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

The reason why I am asking is that I recently found a photo, which I date (based on the medals) on ca. 1986, depicting Polish gen. Jaruzelski (in a suit) greeting Soviet marshal Viktor Kulikov.

On the carpet of ribbons on Kulikov's chest there are two groups of DDR's ribbons. The questioned ribbon (marked with a red oval) is in the upper group, between the Order of Scharnhorst and Order of Merit for People and Fatherland. I initially thought it was the silver Medal for Merit to NVA, but a gold one (marked blue) is clearly seen in the other DDR group, four rows below. Logically, if the Marshal had both, they should be grouped together and the gold medal should precede the silver. The ribbons are too small to see the details, but looking closer, it seems that the mysterious ribbon is violet rather than red, with a white stripe in the centre. The exact color of the side stripes is unfortunately difficult to determine. Considering its placement among other DDR orders rather than medals, is it possible that it could be the silver class of the Order of Blücher? If not, what else can it be?

[speedytop]

Hi Lukasz,

it can not be the Blücher-Orden.

It is a very unusual combination on this ribbon bar. It seems, that someone had included some DDR ribbons without knowledge.

What you call Blücher-Orden could be the DDR "Verdienstmedaille der NVA" in silver and gold, both wrong placed. And another ribbon could be the DDR "Medaille für treue Dienste in der NVA" (marked green), complete wrong.

Correct are the yellow marked ribbons:

- Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold (1981)

- Scharnhorst Order (the first from 1972)

- Kampforden "For Service to the Motherland and the People" in Gold (1970)

Please see here a later ribbon bar with very different ribbons to the one shown here (now with three Scharnhorst Orders):

http://files.myopera.com/Henry69/blog/Marshall_Kulikov.JPG

Uwe

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

A really tasty photo of the Marshal and his ribbons, Uwe. Thank you, I have never seen it before.

I have had a hard time searching through the Net, and I think I have got it! I have found an older photo of Kulikov, dated ca. 1980. The photo is in colour and the ribbons can be seen pretty well.

The ribbon most interesting to us is down in the 10th row (red marked). It can be seen that the edges are green, so it looks like the DDR Medal for Merit for Border Troops in silver. So, Michael and Uwe, you were both right - Kulikov did not have the Order of Blücher.

BTW: I have no idea what made Kulikov value just that medal so high to put it among the orders. It seems that the Marshal (or perhaps his tailor) was quite careless about medals. On the same photo the ribbons of medals commemorating 30th and 40th anniversary of Soviet Forces are reversed, so are the Order of Scharnhorst and Order of Merit for People and Fatherland.

Regards - Lukasz

[JensF.]

Speaking about the Blücher-Orden. This is the collection of them in the Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr in Dresden. I think they took the complete safe out of the basement of the PräWeMa und took it there. There are hundreds of all classes of the Blücher-Orden and Blücher-Medaille inside.