The 1914/1918 Ehrenkreuz

[HPL2008]

A new arrival, here is a humble single ribbon bar for the Ehrenkreuz für Hinterbliebene.

Granted, it doesn't look like much and has seen better days, but I'm still happy with it: While ribbon bars for the combatant and non-combatant crosses are very common, they are quite rare for the next-of-kin ones.

This is not really surprising. As it was bestowed on the parents and widows of the fallen, the vast majority of its recipients were civilians, pensioners/retirees, women or any combination thereof. Hence, there was very little demand for ribbon bars, which were normally worn on uniforms only.

[HPL2008]

Coincidentally, another one - in somewhat better condition - came up for sale right after the piece in the last post. Here it is:






Also just in is this six-place ribbon bar mounted in the southern style.

The first ribbon is the EK II, the third to sixth ribbons are, once again, the Frontkämpfer cross and its Austrian, Hungarian and Bulgarian equivalent medals.

The second ribbon is either the Bavarian Militärverdienstorden IV. Klasse or the Bavarian Militärverdienstkreuz II. Klasse (we can tell as the swords are silver):

[OldSteel]

Hi everyone,
congratulation for this great thread, I read it carefully and I learned a lot.
If it may be of interest I add two WW1 veterans medal bar of my collection that includes a 1914/1918 Ehrenkreuz.

greetings
Roberto

-First Bar


-Second bar

[HPL2008]

My latest acquisition is another neat little piece: A four-place lapel bow for a non-combatant veteran of WW1 and participant in the post-WW I fighting in Silesia, made by the famous Godet company.

The ribbons, top to bottom, are:

• Eisernes Kreuz am weiß-schwarzen Bande [Iron Cross on the White-Black Ribbon], aka Eisernes Kreuz für Nichtkombattanten [Iron Cross for Non-Combatants]
• Verdienstkreuz für Kriegshilfsdienst [Merit Cross for Work in Support of the War Effort]
• Ehrenkreuz für Kriegsteilnehmer [Honor Cross for Participants in the War]
• Schlesischer Adler 2. Klasse [Silesian Eagle 2nd Class]

[timpe]

I really like your collection!! Keep this thread up.
Here is some of my Honour crosses

[HPL2008]

I don't really collect photographs, but do make the very occasional purchase if I like a picture and the price is not too high.

Here is the latest of these sporadic purchases; a portrait of a Bavarian WWI veteran:





Let's have a closer look at his medal bar:




The bar has the following decorations:

• Bayerisches Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit Schwertern [Bavarian Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with Swords]
• Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse [Iron Cross 2nd Class]
• Bayerische Dienstauszeichnung III. Klasse [Bavarian Long Service Award 3rd Class, i.e. for 9 years of service]
• Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer [Honor Cross for Frontline Soldiers]

By the then-current proper order of precedence, he should be wearing the Iron Cross first, then the Bavarian decoration, then the Honor Cross and then the long service award in the last place.

The Bavarian decoration taking first place on the bar was correct in the Imperial-German era, when Prussia and Bavaria were individual kingdoms. While the Iron Cross was awarded in the name of the Kaiser to soldiers of the armies/troop contingents of all German states, it was still a Prussian decoration and thus came first only on the bars of Prussian soldiers, whereas all the others wore the decorations of their native states first.

Note how the ribbon of the 1914/18 Honor Cross is mounted in a different way from the other three decorations: The ribbon is not as neatly folded into the traditional "Bavarian" style and from the way it narrows down on the outer edge is clearly exceeding the metal backing plate.
It is obviously a later add-on to a bar mounted in the pre-1934 period, either as a completely new addition to what once was a three-place bar or replacing one of the many unofficial Weimar-era decorations for WWI vets, all of which were officially banned from wear after the institution of the 1914/18 Ehrenkreuz.

I have also posted this on my thread on the Bayerisches Militärverdienstkreuz III. Klasse, as the picture is relevant for both threads:

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/imper...klasse-314635/

[Danmark]

While I don't collect these, I am fascinated by the depth of knowledge you bring to this field.

Really you SHOULD write a book!!

Thanks, Dan

[HPL2008]

Here is a new ribbon bar. The 1914 EK2 and Frontkämpfer cross are joined by the German Olympic Games Commemorative Medal [Deutsche Olympia-Erinnerungsmedaille].

The medal was awarded to persons who had contributed to the planning and execution of the 1936 Olympics but did not meet the requirements for the 1st or 2nd Class of the German Olympic Games Decoration [Deutsches Olympia-Ehrenzeichen]. 54,915 awards of the medal were made.


Obverse and reverse view:

[James N]

The Deutsche Ehrendenkmünze des Weltkrieges at right has proven to be a dud, the medal attached to the incorrect ribbon for the Prussian Rote-Kreuz-Medaille, but at least the Ehrenkreuz seems okay so I'll share my most recent flea market find here too.

[Denred]

Very interesting thread and some great pics. I have only one medal, a single buttonhole ribbon and a multi.