Generalleutnant Leopold IV., Fürst zur Lippe

[Deutschritter]

Gentlemen, I am looking for all decorations of Leopold IV., Fürst zur Lippe. As a Generalmajor he is in the Prussian Rangliste, but without decorations. I was hoping for the "Deutscher Ordens-Almanch" (1908), and although I found his picture (p. XXXIVa), they do not list his decorations. Any help would be appreciated. SAO (when ?) RAO (Großkreuz when ?). I see his EK I and his Eiserner Halbmond. What about HOH? Was he a Rechtsritter, or just Ehrenritter of the Johanniter-Orden? In the third picture, is he wearing the grand cross of the Ungarischer Verdienstorden? Is the star beside this one austrian? Thanks!!!

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by Deutschritter

[Deutschritter]

Gentlemen, what is the star above the EK I?

 

He seems to have at least two further Ottoman / Turkish awards ...

 

Edited October 16, 2021 by Deutschritter

[Deutschritter]

This is his friend and advisor Oberleutnant a. D. Prof. Dr. phil. Dr. jur. h. c. Georg Johannes Friedrich Freiherr von Eppstein (Schriftleiter Deutscher Ordens-Almanach). Is he also wearing the Eiserner Halbmond (left)?

 

[David M]

On 16/10/2021 at 03:15, Deutschritter said:

This is his friend and advisor Oberleutnant a. D. Prof. Dr. phil. Dr. jur. h. c. Georg Johannes Friedrich Freiherr von Eppstein (Schriftleiter Deutscher Ordens-Almanach). Is he also wearing the Eiserner Halbmond (left)?

 

Is Eppstein wearing OFJ1 and OFJ2b?

[Deutschritter]

That is a good question, I hope some of our experts can help. Addition: Maybe he received the Komtur before the war? Seeing his Großkreuz star is with the Kriegsdekoration, he surely received that in the war. Maybe just wearing both for the picture? Do you happen to know what the bottom (white) and top ribbons (revers) menas?

Edited October 17, 2021 by Deutschritter

[Deutschritter]

I am still trying to find out the name of the breast star above the EK I. The one to the right I now know, it is the Leopold-Orden (Lippe), Großehrenkreuz (I. Klasse). ... and I am adding the Kriegsdekoration for his grand cross ot the Österreichisch-kaiserlicher Leopold-Orden.

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Deutschritter

[Great Dane]

Order of the Wendish Crown from Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

[Deutschritter]

Thank you!

 

I think the Fürst at least should have had the turkish Osmanié-Orden ... probably one more ...

Edited October 18, 2021 by Deutschritter

[Solomon]

Uuuuuh, the perfect topic for me, as I have actually more than 120 different photos of Prince Leopold IV. in my collection....from 1899 until 1949.

 

Let me look through all these pictures and see what´s missing.

At least the Waldeck house-order 1st class is missing. I only have one picture, on which he is wearing it.

 

Unfortunately I also don´t have the award-dates for the "foreign" orders, like Waldeck, Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

And even more anoying...in the meantime all these breast stars and orders were sold by the actual Prince.

10 years ago, these orders were still in the Detmold castle.

 

BR

Roman

[Deutschritter]

Thanks, Roman! Why would he sell all those? The castle in Detmold is like a museum, they should have stayed there for hundreds of years. Oh well, at least Stephan hasn't sold the painting yet!

 

[Solomon]

No, the painting is still in the castle...no idea, why the rest was sold.

I only know, who was involved in the selling...

 

Anyhow, let´s dive into Leopold IV.´s orders:

 

1st picture from 1897:

He is wearing

Lippe-Detmold house-order 1st class

Prussia Centenar-medal 1897

Mecklenburg-Strelitz order of the Wendish crown breast-star

Saxony Albrecht-order breast-star

 

 

 

 

2nd picture from 1905 (I will only list, what was not previously mentioned):

 

Lippe-Detmold grand cross set of the ruling Prince (breast-star)

Lippe-Detmold house-order 3rd class

Lippe-Detmold memorial medal 1897 (Erinnerungsmedaille an den Einzug des Grafregenten Ernst 1897)

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by Solomon

[Solomon]

 

3rd photo in uniform of the 55th regiment:

 

Waldeck house-order 1.st class (neck-cross)

Prussia Red Eagle order breast-star

unknown breast-star

 

medalbar (incl. already mentioned orders):

Lippe-Detmold house-order 3rd class

Lippe-Detmold Leopold order 1st type 2nd class

Lippe-Detmold Leopold order owner´s cross

Lippe-Detmold house-order golden cross

Lippe-Detmold memorial medal 1897

Lippe-Detmold memorial medal 1905

Lippe-Detmold golden merit medal

Lippe-Detmold combattant´s association cross 1907 ("Kriegervereinskreuz")

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by Solomon

[Solomon]

 

4th picture

 

Prussia Order of the black eagle grand cross set

Lippe-Detmold Leopold-order collane of the ruling Prince

Prussia Iron cross 1st class

Lippe-Detmold cross for heroic deeds

Hohenzollern house-order knight´s cross with swords

 

Regarding the medalbar, I will post another (better) picture...

 

 

 

5th photo from December 1916

 

Prussia Johanniter-order

 

....and....uppps ?

Edited October 18, 2021 by Solomon

[Great Dane]

Marvelous...!

 

The unknown breast star in the 3rd photo is the Bavarian "Orden von hl. Hubertus".

Edited October 18, 2021 by Great Dane

[Solomon]

 

6th photo in uniform of th 12th hunter-regiment KuK army

 

medalbar:

Prussia iron-cross 2nd class

Lippe-Detmold war merit cross

Austria ?

Turkey golden Liakat medal

Turkey silver Liakat medal

Lippe-Detmold memorial medal 1897

Lippe-Detmold memorial medal 1905

Lippe-Detmold combatant´s association cross

Prussia centenar medal

 

unknown breast-star

Austria breast star

 

Here I need some help with the Austrian orders....

[Great Dane]

My guess for the breast stars:

 

Hungary, Order of St. Stephen
Austria, Order of Leopold (also on the sash)

[Solomon]

9 minutes ago, Great Dane said:

My guess for the breast stars:

 

Hungary, Order of St. Stephen
Austria, Order of Leopold (also on the sash)

 

Thanks for the identification...that fits!

[Deutschritter]

Gentlemen, thank you very much, wonderful work. I read yesterday, that he received the ROA I. Klasse (not the grand cross, which surprised me) in 1906, so he probably received the SAO shortly before?! Dear Roman, picture #1 you identify the "Mecklenburg-Strelitz order of the Wendish crown breast-star", but I personally think it is the star of the Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden (verified by the Rangliste 1904 of the Prussian army), the Hausorden der Wendischen Krone he surely received later. What do you think? One more small question, for picture #3 you write "Lippe-Detmold Leopold order owner´s cross" ... what exactly does that mean? Could you please translate in German?

 

Apart from that, just excellent. Here now the list you guys helped with so graciously, please correct whatever needs to be corrected:

 

Lippischer Hausorden, Ehrenkreuz I. Klasse (LDH1)

... mit Cordon bzw. Schärpe

Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden, Großkreuz (HSH1)

Albrechtsorden, Großkreuz (SA1)

Zentenarmedaille, 1897

Denkmünze auf den Einzug des Graf-Regenten Ernst in Detmold 1897

Fürstlich Lippischer Hausorden, Großkreuz mit Stern und Cordon für den Fürsten

... an der Großen Ordensschnalle trug er zugleich die III. Klasse sowie das Goldene Verdienstkreuz

Leopold-Orden (Lippe), Großehrenkreuz (I. Klasse)

... an der Großen Ordensschnalle trug er zugleich die II. Klasse (ohne Krone) des 1. Modells

... seit 1908 trug er an der Großen Ordensschnalle auch das (Inhaber-)Kreuz zum Leopold-Orden (Spangenstück)

... 1910 die Kette zum Leopold-Orden erhalten

... 1910 die Goldene Verdienstmedaille zum Leopold-Orden erhalten

Denkmünze auf den erstrittenen Thronanspruch 1905

Lippisches Kriegervereins-Kreuz, 1906

Schwarzer Adlerorden

Roter Adlerorden, I. Klasse, 1906

Hausorden der Wendischen Krone, Großkreuz (Mecklenburg-Strelitz)

Orden des Heiligen Hubertus

Ritterorden der hl. Mauritius und Lazarus

Orden des Heiligen Marinus

Ehrenritter des Johanniter-Ordens

... zugleich Ehrenmitglied des Ordens; er war einer von bislang nur acht bekannten Trägern des Kreuzes der Ehrenmitglieder des Johanniterordens. Dies bestand laut AKO von 1861 aus dem Kreuz der Ehrenritter (mit schwarzen Adlern) und der goldenen Krone, wie sie nur von weiblichen und männlichen Mitgliedern regierender Häuser getragen werden durfte, sofern sie als Ehrenritter rangierten.

k.u. Sankt Stephans-Orden, Großkreuz

Österreichisch-kaiserlicher Leopold-Orden, Großkreuz

... an der Großen Ordensschnalle trug er zugleich die Kleindekoration des Großkreuzes

... im Ersten Weltkrieg die Kriegsdekoration erhalten

Eisernes Kreuz (1914), II. und I. Klasse

Kriegsehrenkreuz für heldenmütige Tat

Lippe-Detmoldisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz

Königlicher Hausorden von Hohenzollern, Ritterkreuz mit Schwertern

Silberne und Goldene Liakat-Medaille mit Säbelspangen

Eiserner Halbmond

Schwerter zum Großkreuz-Satz des Fürstlich Lippischen Hausordens

 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Deutschritter

[Dave Danner]

3 hours ago, Great Dane said:

My guess for the breast stars:

 

Hungary, Order of St. Stephen
Austria, Order of Leopold (also on the sash)

The Leopold-Orden is also on the medal bar as a Kleindekoration of the Großkreuz.

[Deutschritter]

Thanks, Dave, great info! I just removed "Militärverdienstkreuz (Österreich), III. Klasse", now I can see that instead it is actually the Großkreuz-Kleindekoration of the Österreichisch-kaiserlicher Leopold-Orden.

Edited October 19, 2021 by Deutschritter

[David M]

9 hours ago, Deutschritter said:

Gentlemen, thank you very much, wonderful work. I read yesterday, that he received the ROA I. Klasse (not the grand cross, which surprised me) in 1906, so he probably received the SAO shortly before?! Dear Roman, picture #1 you identify the "Mecklenburg-Strelitz order of the Wendish crown breast-star", but I personally think it is the star of the Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden (verified by the Rangliste 1904 of the Prussian army), the Hausorden der Wendischen Krone he surely received later. What do you think? One more small question, for picture #3 you write "Lippe-Detmold Leopold order owner´s cross" ... what exactly does that mean? Could you please translate in German?

 

Apart from that, just excellent. Here now the list you guys helped with so graciously, please correct whatever needs to be corrected:

 

Lippischer Hausorden, Ehrenkreuz I. Klasse (LDH1)

... mit Cordon bzw. Schärpe

Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden, Großkreuz (HSH1)

Albrechtsorden, Großkreuz (SA1)

Zentenarmedaille, 1897

Denkmünze auf den Einzug des Graf-Regenten Ernst in Detmold 1897

Fürstlich Lippischer Hausorden, Großkreuz mit Stern und Cordon für den Fürsten

... an der Großen Ordensschnalle trug er zugleich die III. Klasse sowie das Goldene Verdienstkreuz

Leopold-Orden (Lippe), Großehrenkreuz (I. Klasse)

... an der Großen Ordensschnalle trug er zugleich die II. Klasse (ohne Krone) des 1. Modells

... 1910 die Kette zum Leopold-Orden erhalten

Denkmünze auf den erstrittenen Thronanspruch 1905

Lippisches Kriegervereins-Kreuz, 1906

Schwarzer Adlerorden

Roter Adlerorden, I. Klasse, 1906

Hausorden der Wendischen Krone, Großkreuz (Mecklenburg-Strelitz)

Orden des Heiligen Hubertus

Ritterorden der hl. Mauritius und Lazarus

Orden des Heiligen Marinus

Ehrenritter des Johanniter-Ordens

... zugleich Ehrenmitglied des Ordens; er war einer von bislang nur acht bekannten Trägern des Kreuzes der Ehrenmitglieder des Johanniterordens. Dies bestand laut AKO von 1861 aus dem Kreuz der Ehrenritter (mit schwarzen Adlern) und der goldenen Krone, wie sie nur von weiblichen und männlichen Mitgliedern regierender Häuser getragen werden durfte, sofern sie als Ehrenritter rangierten.

k.u. Sankt Stephans-Orden, Großkreuz

Österreichisch-kaiserlicher Leopold-Orden, Großkreuz

... an der Großen Ordensschnalle trug er zugleich die Kleindekoration des Großkreuzes

... im Ersten Weltkrieg die Kriegsdekoration erhalten

Eisernes Kreuz (1914), II. und I. Klasse

Kriegsehrenkreuz für heldenmütige Tat

Lippe-Detmoldisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz

Königlicher Hausorden von Hohenzollern, Ritterkreuz mit Schwertern

Silberne und Goldene Liakat-Medaille mit Säbelspangen

Eiserner Halbmond

Schwerter zum Großkreuz-Satz des Fürstlich Lippischen Hausordens

 

In the photo it is the MWK1, so correctly identified by Roman. Apart from the crown, the letters encircling are distinct from the SEHO1

[Solomon]

20 hours ago, Deutschritter said:

 One more small question, for picture #3 you write "Lippe-Detmold Leopold order owner´s cross" ... what exactly does that mean? Could you please translate in German?

 

 

 

I didn´t know the exact English translation for "Lippe-Detmold Leopoldorden Inhaberkreuz" ...

Quite strange, that he was wearing it beside the 2nd class of the Leopold order...

There is one very interesting point on the cross, he is wearing.

According to the photo he was wearing a "Spangenstück" instead of the official awarded version, as shown below ?

 

 

Regarding the Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden Bruststern, I found in my collection another, better photo from 1902.

At that time (not ruling yet the principality Lippe-Detmold) he was already wearing the SEHO breast-star and Albrecht-order...

 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Solomon

[Solomon]

Regarding the Johanniter-order, I have another very rare and interesting photo of Leopold IV.´s father,

Grafregent Ernst zur Lippe-Biesterfeld...enjoy!

 

@Deutschritter

BTW, in your list one order is missing: Lippe-Detmold Goldene Verdienstmedaille, which he is wearing at the medalbar.

[Deutschritter]

15 hours ago, David M said:

In the photo it is the MWK1, so correctly identified by Roman. Apart from the crown, the letters encircling are distinct from the SEHO1

David, I am not an expert, therefore be patient with me. I looked at Roman's pictures again, the second one is really great ... and still, I see, as the Rangliste states, the Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden, Großkreuz (HSH1), not the (McklWKr1/MWK1/MK1). Please give me your input and compare with my picture #3.

 

 

...................................................................................................................................................

3 hours ago, Solomon said:

Regarding the Johanniter-order, I have another very rare and interesting photo of Leopold IV.´s father,

Grafregent Ernst zur Lippe-Biesterfeld...enjoy!

 

@Deutschritter

BTW, in your list one order is missing: Lippe-Detmold Goldene Verdienstmedaille, which he is wearing at the medalbar.

 

Absolutely stunning, thank you! I am adding Goldene Verdienst-Medaille and Inhaberkreuz (Leopold-Orden).

 

 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Deutschritter

[David M]

On 17/10/2021 at 21:29, Deutschritter said:

I am still trying to find out the name of the breast star above the EK I. The one to the right I now know, it is the Leopold-Orden (Lippe), Großehrenkreuz (I. Klasse). ... and I am adding the Kriegsdekoration for his grand cross ot the Österreichisch-kaiserlicher Leopold-Orden.

 

You asked which was the star above the EK1 in this photo. Please compare the star above the EK1 in this photo with MWK1 and SEHO1.