Golden Honourring of the city of Frankfurt, Ehrenring der Stadt des Deutschen Handwerks 1938

[gerrit]

Last year i was lucky to walk across a great golden honourring a so called " Ehrengabe der Stadt des Deutschen Handwerks".
I posted it here as the most beautiful ring of the third Reich, i got some great reply's about where to start a search, and the advice to see if it was genuine, had to be approved by an Expert.
I been in contact with the Frankfurt Historical Museum who was very willing to buy it, as they have only documentation but no ring.
They offered me a low price saying the Museum didn't have enough funds to pay, but they would be very pleased if i would donate it to them as a gift.... i dont think so...
Ive contacted Helmut Weitze ( a very big Militaria seller in Germany) for any info, he wrote me that he once owned one, also awarded in 1938, further no info.
Ive tried the Zentral Verband des deutschen Goldschmiede ( central unit of german Goldsmits) there only had some brief info, but are not willing to cooperate.

Now the long search for info about these rings realy started, after digging up lists of Ehrennadel, ehrenpreise etc oF Frankfurt, i finally got the right email addresses from the Frankfurt Historical Archivs.
They came up with a lot of info, februari this year a book about Heraldic was published and 1 complete chapter was about the Ehrenring Frankfurts.
It contians info about how many times it was awarded: 35 but proberly 36 times, a gives a complete description of the ring and names the Master goldsmith that made it.
Now the master mark could be explained a JF = Julius Fuchs.
The price was also very high, first agreed on 50RM then raised to 55 RM then an additional 207RM /a ring so a ring costed then RM 262,--
Im now trying to contact the writer Dr.Gunter Stemmler and try to get the list of awards of 1938, Hermann Goring was also awarded with this ring in febr.1939
So now its not anymore the question if this ring is genuine, but who did recieve it in 1938, i will keep you informed along the way...

Cheers Ger

[Adrian Stevenson]

Thanks for the update, interesting!

Cheers, Ade.

[davejb]

I must say that your level of research has been extensive and time consuming, but in the end i hope it proves well worth it with an ID of the recipient, its becoming tantalising to find out who actually was awarded this ring

[Horst]

Great find and outstanding research

Horst

[gerrit]

What i also found out was the fact that on page 246 quote 75 ( about the visual aspects of the ring) it is mentioned that the top plate has 4 hammers on the curved edges.
The details described come from the fact that there are 3 photo's in the archieve of 1936. ( see bottom note 75)
Mine has 2 hammers and 2 swords, that means it has a least 2 versions, a civilian (4 hammers) and an military (2 swords, 2 hammers).
I have mailed the publisher to get me in contact with the author, need to get that document with the original pictures.
If thats not possible i will contact the archivs of Frankfurt myself and spend a day traveling, but i will get that data
Already have the authors address in Frankfurt, so can always write a letter, im determent to get to the bottem of this one...
Cheers Ger

[Adrian]

It really is quite an honour to see this ring and it's history being uncovered right here on the forum. Thank you for posting Ger and good luck with your research. I know there will be many here who are eagerly awaiting your findings.

Form henceforth you shall be known as Frodo.

“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”
– Galadriel

[Larry C]

This is what I call true research and not the easy way out. Great job Gerrit! looking forward to more info.

[gerrit]

I'm nearing the end of my search, i've received an email from Dr.Gunter Stemmler who did the research on the "Ehrenring des Stadt Frankfurts"
first of all there is only 1 type "Ehrenring" it has 2 hammers and 2 swords on the frontplate.
The pictures in the 1936 archive where not that good that he could see that, now that he has compared the pictures with the ones i mailed him he is convinced its has 2 hammers and 2 swords, so thats cleared!
It was rewarded only 35 but possibly 36 times so its one of the rarest rings of The Third Reich.

I received the list of receivers of 1938, i will quote a piece of the email i had from him:

"Es kommen 6 Personen in Frage, die diesen Ring erhalten haben könnten; dabei waren Personen gebeten worden, ihn kurzfristig zurückzugeben, damit er anderen überreicht werden könne. (Welche Inschrift dann nachträglich angefertigt wurde, ist offen.)

Die Personen sind: Baldur von Schirach; von Tschammer und Osten; Reichshandwerksmeister Schramm; der Staatssekretär Reiner; der Frankfurter Polizeipräsident Beckerle und der stellvertretende hessische Gauleiter Linder, siehe Institut für Stadtgeschichte, MA 4386, Bl. 48, 53.

as you can see only the top of the Third Reich received them, very strange to have a ring that belonged to someone so close to Hitler, Göring and Röhm.

Baldur von Schirach - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hans von Tschammer und Osten
Heinrich Reiner
Adolf Beckerle
Karl Linder (Politiker)
Ferdinand Schramm

when you see the list its clear no furter search is possible, in the list above are people who are convicted for warcrimes, i dont believe any of the excisting family would cooperate in any questions about the TR rings.
All thats left are the scans of the original 3 pictures of 1936 in the archiv of Frankfurt.
I will put a request to enter the archivs or have a paid research by an employee, what ever comes first.

Cheers Ger

[Scout]

That was a new one to me. Interesting. Thanks for posting.
As for the families cooperating; you ought to still give it the old college try - a ring might be the least of the worries of the kin of TR high profiled persons and if you approach them in a polite manner, they might be willing to share any knowledge about these rings.
Imagine if there was another one out there in private hands.

[gerrit]

-Gents,

i have completed my search, having the original documents from 1938 from the Institute fur stadgeschichte Frankfurt am Main, with the award list of 1938 and how they are awarded, i now know the former owner of my Ring.
I will reveal it in my new post.
The first batch of 23 rings were awarded in 1936(10x) 1937 (9x) 1938 (6x) in the years 1939-1944 only 12 or 13 awards.
In 1938 6x awarded but only 5 were given, as the documents reveal, they made a little mistake: Reiner already received a Ring in 1936 see document: Vermerk 6 juli 1938)They came 1 short, and that one was idividually made, on order of the " Ober" Mayor F.Krebs.
That ring is different from the first batch and the later known ring of 1941, and that also leads to my conclusion, who received it.
I will put a new post on the right Forum: Orders & Decorations of the Third Reich, i think it will makes it all clear.
I will place it with all the details, documents of 1938 , with the pictures of the original design of 1936 ( 3 original pictures from the ISG archivs)
I will show pictures of my ring comparing it to the original design and the 1941 Ring.
Currently working on it...
Cheers Ger