The Kaiser's men’s medals

[TabsTabs1964]

But perhaps the most beautiful objects are the commemorative medals from the Kaisermanöver and the Kaiserparaden

Let's see them


William I. Kaiser from 1861 to 1888


1883


1884 Rhineland Westphalia


1885 Baden Wurttemberg


1886 Odenwald, Hessen

[TabsTabs1964]

1888. The Year of the Three Kaisers (Dreikaiserjahr), is considered to have memorable significance because of the deaths of two German Emperors, or Kaisers, leading to a rapid succession of three monarchs within one year.

The three different emperors who ruled over Germany during this year were Wilhelm I, Frederick III and Wilhelm II. The mnemonic "drei Achten, drei Kaiser" (English: "three eights, three emperors") is still used today in Germany by children and adults alike to learn the year in question.

Emperor Wilhelm I, died on 9 March 1888 after his long reign. He was then succeeded by his son, Frederick William. Frederick William became known as Frederick III when he assumed the throne. However, by the time of his father's death, Frederick was 56 years old and had already developed a terminal case of cancer of the larynx before he assumed the German imperial throne.

Frederick attempted to have it treated, but it was not successful. Due to this illness and subsequent treatment, Frederick could not talk during his short reign and had to communicate through writing. Frederick still accomplished some of his duties as emperor despite his illness; however, he did not have any lasting effect upon Germany. He died after only 99 days of rule on 15 June 1888. Frederick's son, Wilhelm II, then succeeded to the throne at age 29. Wilhelm II eventually led Germany into World War I and ruled until his abdication and the fall of the German Empire in 1918 at the end of war.


That year the imperial maneuvers were not held...

[TabsTabs1964]

Wilhelm II. Kaiser from 1888 to 1918


1889 Minden (VII.) and Kronsberg (X.)


1890


1891


1891 (another one) The year the Kaiser grew a beard


1891 (another one) Here we can see that the two participating Army Corps were the 4th and the 11th.

[TabsTabs1964]

1892


1892 Other


1893


1893 Other


1894


1895

[TabsTabs1964]

1896


1897


1897 Other


1897 One more


1898 Bavaria

[TabsTabs1964]

1899 Upper Alsace


1899 Other


1899 One more


1901 Poznan and East Prussia


1903 Saxony


1903 Other

[TabsTabs1964]

1906 Silesia


1908 Lorraine


1908 Other


1909 Karlsruhe


1911 Hannover


1912 Saxony


1912 Other

[Watchdog]

That is a fabulous piece of ephemera! I have never seen one like it and it certainly would draw my attention if I saw it at a fair.
Thanks for showing.

Regards

Mark

PS. I didn't see all the medals as I was just looking at the postcard. What a fantastic collection. Do you have ribbons for any of them?

[TabsTabs1964]

Hello Mark
In the hundreds of commemorative maneuver medals I have seen, not a single one had a ribbon. This makes me think that it did not exist and that the medal had to be delivered like this, I have the suspicion that it had to be worn with a simple piece of string or thread to tie it around the neck.

Regards
Santi

BTW They are relatively cheap items, depending on their year and it is more common to find them in numismatic stores (where I suspect that in many cases they do not know what they are about).

[Chopperman]

This has turned into an incredible thread.
Very, very well done.