Unique (Lippe-)group of Ferdinand Metze, director of the artillery production in Spandau and Lippstadt

[Solomon]

Dear all,

the following unique group, which recently found its way to me, I would to show:

Georg Ferdinand Metze
born 18th July 1878 in Moulhouse-Elsaß
died 2nd November 1964 in Bremen at the age of 84 years.

The following data of his career I already know:

Patent Oberleutnant on 17th September 1909
In 1912 in artillery-regiment No. 22 (XVII. AK)
Sent to Artillerie-Werkstatt Spandau (Berlin)
Since 19th June 1912 Hauptmann
Since 1913 in member of the administration Artillerie-Werkstatt Spandau
Between 1913 and 1918 moving to Artillerie-Werkstatt Lippstadt (near Paderborn)
Acc. to own notice in November 1918 director of the administration of the Artillerie-Werkstatt Lippstadt
Retired as "Major a.D."

His medalbar shows:

- Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse 1914 / Iron cross 2nd class 1914
- Rettungsmedaille Preußen / lifesaving medal Prussia (awarded April-May 1917)
- Dienstauszeichnung Preußen für 25 Jahre / long service cross Prussia 25 years
- Lippe-Detmold Hausorden 4.Klasse Abtl. A mit Schwertern (am Ringe !!!) /
 Lippe-Detmold house order 4th class Div.A with swords at the ring
- Lippe-Detmold Kriegsverdienstkreuz / Lippe-Detmold war merit cross
- FA-Kreuz 2.Klasse Oldenburg / FA-cross 2nd class Oldenburg
- Hanseatenkreuz Bremen / hanseatic cross Bremen
- Verdienstkreuz für Heimatverdienst Sachsen Weimar /
merit cross for civil merit Sachsen Weimar
- Braunschweig Kriegsverdienstkreuz / Brunswig war merit cross

In addition he got
- Eisernes Kreuz 1.Klasse / Iron cross 1st class (935 marked)
- FA-Kreuz Oldenburg 1.Klasse / FA-cross Oldenburg 1st class in zinc
- Frontkämpferehrenkreuz / Hindenburg-cross (not shown)

At the miniature-chain the hanseatic cross Bremen, one of the iron crosses and one of the FA-crosses Oldenburg is missing.

Details regarding the Lippe-Detmold house-order Div. A  4th class with swords at the ring:

Five pieces of the house-order 4th class Div. A with swords at the ring (LDH4mXaR) were ordered at C.F. Zimmermann in Pforzheim, but according to the files it was never awarded.
Ferdinand Metze received the 4th class with (normal) swords as number 664 on 2nd November 1918.
In total this class was awarded 82 times.

I have a theory, why the 4th class with swords at the ring is mounted on his medalbar.
According to my files there was none 4th class with swords left according to the inventory list of middle of 1919.
From the five delivered 4th class with swords at the ring to were missing middle of 1919.

So I assume that the order with swords at the ring was given to Metze in order to replace the official awarded one with swords, as he received it just one week before the Prince of Lippe-Detmold resigned.

The following pieces are also belonging to this group:

ribbonbar with IC2 1914, lifesaving medal, war merit cross Brunswig, hanseatic cross Bremen
ribbonbar with IC2 1914, lifesaving medal, merit cross for civil merit Sachsen Weimar, Brunswig cross, FA-cross Oldenburg, war merit cross Lippe-Detmold, hanseatic cross Bremen
photo with Hindenburg / Ferdinand Metze stands in front of Hindenburg (1st row, 5th person from right)
CDV Ferdinand Metze (without awards)
Officers belt from Ferdinand Metze
epaulettes of Artillerie-Regiment No. 36 and one single, quite rare epaulette with crossed canons (Hauptmann) for members of the technical institutes of artillerie

I hope you like it as I do.
If anyone has any additional information on Ferdinand Metze I would be glad to get it.

Best regards

Roman
 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2020 by Solomon

[VtwinVince]

As I stated at the SDA, this is an incredible and unique grouping.

[GdC26]

Congrats Roman, on a unique and very nice grouping.

Kind regards,

 Sandro

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Splendid! It is a medal bar for civilian attire, with decorations running from right to left.

One odd thing: if Metze was born in 1878 (btw. 1878-1964 does not match with 84 years of living) how could he receive a cross for 25 years of service? Not too young?

[Solomon]

1 hour ago, Lukasz Gaszewski said:

Splendid! It is a medal bar for civilian attire, with decorations running from right to left.

One odd thing: if Metze was born in 1878 (btw. 1878-1964 does not match with 84 years of living) how could he receive a cross for 25 years of service? Not too young?

Of course, he was 86 years old, when he died...mea culpa.

There are some additional interesting information, explaining it maybe better.

He entered the army at the age of around 20 years (the Prussian century medal is missing, so for sure he entered after 1897), let´s say 1898...

From 1898 until 1919 I count 21 years of service.
But war time service was counted double (1914-1918 = 8 years instead of 4 years), so the countable years of military service was in 1919 already >= 25 years (17 years of normal service + 8 years of war service = 25 years).

I have he list of awards, he received until he got the Lippe order in November 1918 (he had to fill out his receipt for it).

In this list e.g. the Friedrich-August cross 1st class from Oldenburg and the civil merit cross from Saxony-Weimar is missing,
clearly received after the end of the Imperial monarchy in Germany on 11th November 1918.
This also explains, why the Oldenburg cross 1st class is a zinc one, awarded quite late.

[Dave Danner]

18 hours ago, Solomon said:

So I assume that the order with swords at the ring was given to Metze in order to replace the official awarded one with swords, as he received it just one week before the Prince of Lippe-Detmold resigned.

He may have received it after the war. As I'm sure you are aware, Lippe had a tendency to predate awards to November 1918, often to the date of abdication or to exactly one week prior.

[Solomon]

Hi Dave,

yes, you are totally right...the Prince was in a rush in November 1918 to get rid all of his remaining awards in his drawers.
I just checked his receipt...the award document was sent to him on 20th December 1919 (!!!), although Metze signed the receipt on 15th November 1918, two weeks after the official award date...

So this might be another evidence for my theory.

Best regards
Roman

 

[Deruelle]

Hi Roman,

What a group, thanks for sharing it with us. Congrats

[Solomon]

Just to complete the picture I would like to show you what else was coming with this group:

It´s the medalbar and the epaulettes of Ferdinand Metze´s father:

Oberstleutnant Adolf Metze, Infanterie-Regiment 22

The medalbar shows

- Red Eagle Eagle Order 4th class (returned after death)
- Order of the crown 3rd class Prussia (returned after death)
- Long service cross Prussia 25 years
- Order of the Zähringer lion, knight-cross 2nd class
- war memorial medal 1870/71
- war memorial cross 1866 Königgrätz
- Century medal Prussia

The identification was pretty easy, Adolf Metze was the only one with the surname "Metze" in the Almanach 1904/05
and the medalbar fits exactly to the entry.

Best regards
Roman

[ArHo]

15 hours ago, Solomon said:

Just to complete the picture I would like to show you what else was coming with this group:

It´s the medalbar and the epaulettes of Ferdinand Metze´s father:

Oberstleutnant Adolf Metze, Infanterie-Regiment 22

The medalbar shows

- Red Eagle Eagle Order 4th class (returned after death)
- Order of the crown 3rd class Prussia (returned after death)
- Long service cross Prussia 25 years
- Order of the Zähringer lion, knight-cross 2nd class
- war memorial medal 1870/71
- war memorial cross 1866 Königgrätz
- Century medal Prussia

The identification was pretty easy, Adolf Metze was the only one with the surname "Metze" in the Almanach 1904/05
and the medalbar fits exactly to the entry.

Best regards

Roman

Very, very nice - thanks for sharing!

[arb]

Roman,

Such a wonderful set deserves as much information about the owners as possible.  So, here is what I have on father and son. 

Unfortunately, I can not find the dates he transferred to Lippstadt.  also, note that he entered the army in IR 22, his father's last regiment but switched to the field artillery upon commissioning as a Leutn.

Andy

 

Ferdinand Metze  (18.07.1878-02.11.1964)

1951               Zivil Ingenieur, Bremen, Joseph Haydn Str. 24

1942               Major a.D., Zivil Ingen., Handelsvertreter, Bremen,  Joseph Haydn Str. 24

1930               Major a.D., Zivil Ingen., Bremen, Geisbergstr. 10

19.06.12-1914       Verw. Mitgl. d. Art. Werkst. i. Spandau

16.07.09-19.06.12   k.z. Dienstl. b.d. Art. Werkst. i. Spandau

01.10.07-15.07.09   k.z. Militärtechn. Akad.

1907-01.10.07       k.z. Art. u. Ing. Sch.

1905-1906           in 5./Feldart. R. 36  (Danzig)

1903-1904           in 6./Feldart. R. 36  (Danzig)

1902               in 4./Feldart. R. 36  (Danzig)

18.08.99-1901       in 1./Feldart. R. 36  (Danzig)

18.08.99            als Leutn. in Feldart. R. 36 vers.

08.10.98            Port. Fähnr. in Inf. R. 22

 Hptm.     01-10-13 M35m*

Oberlt.   17-09-09 J6i

Leutn.    18-08-99 F3f

*ern.     19-06-12

  Adolph Metze  (12.02.1848-29.01.1920)

18.04.99            d. Absch. m. Pens. u.d. Erlaubn. z. Tr. d. Unif. d. Inf. R. 17 bew.

22.03.97            etatsm. St. Offiz. im Inf. R. 22

22.03.97            Oberstlt.

18.06.92            Kom. d. I. u. IV./Inf. R. 63

18.11.90            überzähliger Major im Inf. R. 17

12.03.81-18.11.90   Chef 8./Inf. R. 17

12.03.81            Hptm.

11.03.73            Prem.Lt.

12.07.66            Sek.Lt.

09.12.65            Port. Fähnr.

18.04.65            als char. Port. Fähnr. v. Kad. K. d. Inf. R. 17 überw.

1866:  Gefecht von Münchengrätz,  Schlacht b. Königgrätz

1871:     26.07.70-08.06.71   beim Ersatz Batl. d. IR 17

 

[VtwinVince]

Very cool to get the old man's Schnalle as well. Now the question is, are you going to restore it?

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

On 21/02/2020 at 13:54, Solomon said:

From 1898 until 1919 I count 21 years of service.
But war time service was counted double (1914-1918 = 8 years instead of 4 years), so the countable years of military service was in 1919 already >= 25 years (17 years of normal service + 8 years of war service = 25 years).

Well, it does make sense. You can say he got it at the last possible moment.

Your idea of the swords on the ring seems sensible, too. Note that on the miniature chain the cross has "standard" swords instead (I am not even sure if miniature  crosses of the Lippe House Order with swords on ring were ever manufactured).

[Solomon]

@arb Thanks a lot for the additional information!
I guess, he went to Artillerie-Werkstatt Lippstadt already in 1914, as the potential predecessor (and director) left Lippstadt in December 1914.
If Ferdinand Metze followed him as the new director, I still have to investigate.

@VtwinVince No, it was clear from the beginning, that I won´t keep the father´s group, as there is no link to Lippe-Detmold and that the two groups can be easily separated.
In addition the two groups were not a snap and I have to refinance a little bit.

@Lukasz Gaszewski It´s even more weird. Ferdinand Metze got the house-order 4.th class Div. A with swords, the medalbar shows the 4th class Div. A with swords at the ring, but the minature-chain shows the 4th class Div. B with swords (awarded only 37 times).

 

 

[David M]

So if he died in 64, where did he hand in his decorations after death 

[arb]

Roman,

I found the missing date:

19.06.14            m. Wahrnehmung. d. Geschäfte d. Dir. d. Art. Werkst. i. Lippstadt beauftr.

Andy

 

[Solomon]

Wow, thanks...