Iron Cross Bar for EKI or EKII?

[GreyC]

Hello gentlemen,

I got this photo because it shows a war-blinded veteran. He wears his VWA (wound-badge) and a bar with what seems to be an EK. I haven´t seen one with a miniatur-cross on it on a bar like this (without the vertical stripes) before. Can you tell me, wether this kind of bar was offical and in use often? It seems to be an Iron Cross 1st class?

1915 the then director of the ophtalmological Institut of the  University of Marburg, Prof. Dr. Alfred Bielschowsky started courses, in which those soldiers who returned with the loss of sight  could start vocational training and rehab measures. From this, in cooperation with other institutions the Blindenstudienanstalt Marburg, the study center for blind people, emerged which still exists today as a high-school.

Judging by the design of the Carte de Visite photo, the gentleman pictured will probably have belonged to the first veterans who made use of these courses.

Thank you very much.

GreyC

 

Edited January 12, 2017 by GreyC

[aubagne98]

Hi Grey,

 

this is a socalled "Knopfloch"-miniature (buttonhole) for civil jackets, like this in this eBay auction.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Bandschleife-mit-Schwertern-Knopfloch-Miniatur-EK-Orden-Ungetragen-/252715451879?hash=item3ad703c5e7:g:xPkAAOSwopRYcnt9

 

Michael

[GreyC]

Thank you for the link, Michael!

But is it a EK I or EKII, I wonder?

GreyC

[Chris Boonzaier]

As far as I know there is no hard or fast rule here... I am guessing the person putting it together knew why he had the cross on there, and the guy wearing it.... but unless you asked them you wont know for sure.

 

All thebest

Chris