Reversed Swords

[Frank Japan]

Gentlemen,

 

out of curiosity I bought an Albrechtsorden Ritterkreuz (A.R. 2) with reversed swords.

 

The dealer whom I got it from told me that this was done by the recipient to reject the armistice of 1918.

 

When visiting the Lippisches Landesmuseum in Detmold (Germany) I found another example of reversed swords: An Offiziersehrenkreuz.

 

https://lippisches-landesmuseum.de/

 

Do you may have similar experiences?

 

Cheers,

 

Frank

 

PS: At the museum shop you can buy the following book:

 

Reiner Schwark

Orden und Ehrenzeichen des Fuerstentums Lippe Detmold 1778 - 1933

 

 

[Stogieman]

Interesting, have not seen this before 

[dedehansen]

Hi Frank,

 

the photo from the Offiziersehrenkreuz is upside down,

 

so not with reversed swords.

 

Kind regards

 

Andreas

[chuck]

7 hours ago, Simius Rex said:

Inverted swords have multiple meanings, but I have never heard the one about the wearer's rejection of the terms of the Versailles treaty.  Truth be told, practically every German resented and was furious over the terms of this treaty. 

 

Besides... it's not hard to make this modification even if one is a half-talented jeweler.  The medallions are held together by very low melting-point jeweler's rosin (pitch) that fills the center cavity, so even a hot water bath will loosen the medallions and allow the swords to be reversed.

 

Here are the plausible things that inverted swords could symbolize:

 

1.) In European heraldry, inverted swords communicate one thing: "The War is over. Now there is peace." (Sometimes, they are used to merely symbolize "Peace.")

 

2.) Across Europe and England, inverted weapons of any kind (swords, rifles, etc.) symbolize remembering and honoring soldiers who fell in battle.

 

3.) Membership in or expressing support for the German War Participants Peace Movement (Friedensbund der Kriegsteilnehmer) of the 1920's whose 30,000+ members included current and former German soldiers.  Among other things, the members opposed German re-armament and opposed any form of future wars to resolve conflict.  Inverted swords on an officer's Kriegsauszeichnung would have communicated volumes to other German soldiers who might have gazed upon it.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simius Rex,

Thank you for the explanation. 

Chuck 

[Frank Japan]

Thank you gentlemen!!

[BlackcowboyBS]

well we had a similar discussion at the sda forum, but didn't recieved any final conclusion. So this topic is still open.