GM Karl Gottfried Friedrich Peter Freiherr von Forstner

[Deutschritter]

Gentlemen, this is what I have for Karl Gottfried Friedrich Peter Freiherr von Forstner (1790–1857), if anyone can add anything, that would be great:

 

Knight of the Legion of Honour (FEL5/FE5) on 18 August 1812

Mecklenburg Military Merit Medal for 1813/1815 (MMV) in Gold

Swedish Order of the Sword, Knight's Cross (SS3)

... Later classified as SS3a, Knight Grand Cross First Class.[9] Normally, SS3a stands for Knight's Cross 1st Class, In the event of war, there was a separate decoration (created 1788), the Knights of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword, 1st and 2nd Class, which was only awarded for merit against the enemy. The medal could also be awarded in the event of a serious wound or when an enemy victory symbol (e.g. flag) was captured.

Iron Cross (1813), 2nd Class

Prussian War Commemorative Medal for the Wars of Liberation (Kriegsdenkmünze für die Befreiungskriege)

Russian Order of St. George, 5th Class (RG5) in September 1823

Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class (PRAO4/PrA4)

Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz; DA)

Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow

Knight (Ritter; Rr) of the Johanniter-Orden in September 1841

Hesse House Order of the Golden Lion, Grand Cross (CHL1) in June 1845

Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves in January 1846

 

 

[JohanH]

13 minutes ago, Deutschritter said:

Gentlemen, this is what I have for Karl Gottfried Friedrich Peter Freiherr von Forstner (1790–1857), if anyone can add anything, that would be great:

 

Knight of the Legion of Honour (FEL5/FE5) on 18 August 1812

Mecklenburg Military Merit Medal for 1813/1815 (MMV) in Gold

Swedish Order of the Sword, Knight's Cross (SS3)

... Later classified as SS3a, Knight Grand Cross First Class.[9] Normally, SS3a stands for Knight's Cross 1st Class, In the event of war, there was a separate decoration (created 1788), the Knights of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword, 1st and 2nd Class, which was only awarded for merit against the enemy. The medal could also be awarded in the event of a serious wound or when an enemy victory symbol (e.g. flag) was captured.

Iron Cross (1813), 2nd Class

Prussian War Commemorative Medal for the Wars of Liberation (Kriegsdenkmünze für die Befreiungskriege)

Russian Order of St. George, 5th Class (RG5) in September 1823

Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class (PRAO4/PrA4)

Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz; DA)

Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow

Knight (Ritter; Rr) of the Johanniter-Orden in September 1841

Hesse House Order of the Golden Lion, Grand Cross (CHL1) in June 1845

Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves in January 1846

 

 

 

The closest match I can find in my list is a Captain from Mecklenburg-Schwerin with the name Forster who got the Knight cross of the Order of the Sword on February 2nd 1814. Could that be your von Forstner with the name misspelled in the roll?

 

What was his rank in 1814?

[Deutschritter]

Yes, phantastic! He served with the Mecklenburg Army from 1804 to 1810, with the Saxon Army from 1810 to May 1813, returning to Mecklenburg as a Stabsrittmeister (Captain 2nd Class) and joining the volunteer riding Jäger corps (freiwilliges Jägerkorps zu Pferde) fighting alongside the Mecklenburg-Strelitzisches Husaren-Regiment. At Sehestedt, he was so badly wounded to the head that he later received permission to always wear a shako (Tschako) because of his head wound. He joined the Prussian Army on 1 June 1815. 

Edited March 2 by Deutschritter

[xxx]

great, have a special interest in man geting the french legion of honour and the iron cross, thats a combination you see very rare.

Edited March 2 by xxx

[JohanH]

Great!

 

I have updated my list with the correct name. 

 

Before 1889 there was only one grade of Knight in the Order of the Sword. Everyone who held the knight rank in 1889 was automatically "upgraded" to knight 1st class. 

 

And as you mention there was also a special grade, Knight with the Grand Cross in two classes. It was very rarely awarded, last time was in 1942 to Mannerheim. Before him it was Napoleon III in 1861. So it is an extremely rare award. 

 

von Forstner only got the normal knights cross, not the knight of the grand cross.  

[Deutschritter]

Thank you, Johan! But there is something strange. In the Rangliste 1818, 1822 and so on, he was noted with the SS3, the normal Knight's Cross. But in the Rangliste 1847 (pictures), for example, he is noted with the SS3a (Knight of the Grand Cross 1st Class), not the SS3c (Knight's Cross). Maybe he was somehow upgraded? Have you ever seen a case like this? 

 

 

36 minutes ago, xxx said:

great, have a special interest in man geting the french legion of honour and the iron cross, thats a combination you see very rare.

 

On 26 March 1810, he left the Mecklenburg service and three months later joined the Guard Cuirassier Regiment of the Saxon Army. On the side of France, the Saxon troops took part in the Russian campaign of 1812. During this time, Forstner served as Napoleon Bonaparte's orderly officer (Ordonnanzoffizier). In this position, he took part in the battles of Borodino, Smolensk, Kaluga, Vitebsk, Krasnoi and Marislovitz. Napoleon personally awarded him the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor in Moscow on 18 August 1812. By the beginning of March 1813, Forstner was promoted to 1st lieutenant before resigning from the Saxon Army on 15 May 1813. He could no longer be responsible for fighting for the French and now also against the Germans.

Edited March 2 by Deutschritter

[JohanH]

31 minutes ago, Deutschritter said:

Thank you, Johan! But there is something strange. In the Rangliste 1818, 1822 and so on, he was noted with the SS3, the normal Knight's Cross. But in the Rangliste 1847 (pictures), for example, he is noted with the SS3a (Knight of the Grand Cross 1st Class), not the SS3c (Knight's Cross). Maybe he was somehow upgraded? Have you ever seen a case like this? 

 

 

 

On 26 March 1810, he left the Mecklenburg service and three months later joined the Guard Cuirassier Regiment of the Saxon Army. On the side of France, the Saxon troops took part in the Russian campaign of 1812. During this time, Forstner served as Napoleon Bonaparte's orderly officer (Ordonnanzoffizier). In this position, he took part in the battles of Borodino, Smolensk, Kaluga, Vitebsk, Krasnoi and Marislovitz. Napoleon personally awarded him the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor in Moscow on 18 August 1812. By the beginning of March 1813, Forstner was promoted to 1st lieutenant before resigning from the Saxon Army on 15 May 1813. He could no longer be responsible for fighting for the French and now also against the Germans.

 

I have double-checked the award roll and there was noone with the name von Forstner or anything close to that name who got the Knight grand cross. So I guess it's a typo or something. Perhaps he decided to "upgrade it himself" if he thought a regular knights cross was to low class for him? I have seen that a few times when people wear a higher class than they were awarded. 

 

Since so very few of these crosses was awarded I doubt there are any awards not listed in the award rolls. 

 

I have also checked my lists of commander crosses and he wasn't upgraded to that either.