Gunner Bailey Posted 16 February , 2018 Share Posted 16 February , 2018 Not being a medal person I can't identify this medal on a WW1 photo postcard of a German Officer. Expert help appreciated. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 16 February , 2018 Share Posted 16 February , 2018 Others will know better than I, but just to be going on with, just possibly the Hausorden der Wendischen Krone Großkreuz mit der Krone in Gold? See, e.g., http://www.ehrenzeichen-orden.de/deutsche-staaten/hausorden-der-wendischen-krone-groskreuz-mit-der-krone-in-gold.html Certainly an 'Order' of some kind as opposed to a 'medal' Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 16 February , 2018 Share Posted 16 February , 2018 trajan, The wendische Orden has only 4 arms, while the order in the picture has 5... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 16 February , 2018 Share Posted 16 February , 2018 I don't know immediately of any German order with 5 arms. Perhaps it's a foreign order? Is there anything else on the picture (back or front) that may be useful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 16 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2018 No only the armchair he sits in. I was hoping the epaulettes may have helped Name appears to be Karl-Heinz DANZER. (Two dots over the A). Possible home in Heidelberg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munce Posted 16 February , 2018 Share Posted 16 February , 2018 It looks pretty similar to the late-empire period French Legion d'honneur commander's neck badge. But given that the crown on the badge was replaced by a laurel wreath in 1871, this would seem rather unlikely for a WW1-era youngish German officer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 16 February , 2018 Share Posted 16 February , 2018 A Hauptmann Friedrich Dänzer from Infanterie-Regiment 112 was KIA on 9 August 1914 near Mülhausen (Mulhouse)... Yet I can't find immediately an imperial German order with the 5 arms (I had thought of the Legion d'Honneur as well, but that is not possible). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 16 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2018 Could the uniform be diplomatic? The tunic has 6 buttons and seems to be quite long, almost coat length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilco Posted 17 February , 2018 Share Posted 17 February , 2018 John - try posting your photo here http://gmic.co.uk/forum/71-germany-imperial-the-orders-decorations-and-medals-of-the-imperial-german-states/ Lots of very knowlegable folks there ... Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 17 February , 2018 Share Posted 17 February , 2018 His shoulder boards indicate he is at least a Major. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 17 February , 2018 Share Posted 17 February , 2018 (edited) On 16.2.2018 at 12:29, AOK4 said: A Hauptmann Friedrich Dänzer from Infanterie-Regiment 112 was KIA on 9 August 1914 near Mülhausen (Mulhouse)... Yet I can't find immediately an imperial German order with the 5 arms (I had thought of the Legion d'Honneur as well, but that is not possible). Hi. the officer in the photo is at least a Major. So it shouldn´t be Hptm. Dänzer. Can´t make out if here is a crown on the shoulderboard/Schulterstück. In the Rangliste of 1912 there is a Oberleutnant Dänzer. He was an Inspektionsoffizier at the Kriegsschule Hersfeld. He belonged to the IR 113 in Baden. So maybe he is related to the Hptm. Dänzer who was KIA while at IR112, also a Baden unit. Maybe the order is of the Großherzogtum Baden, though I couldn´t find a matching one. GreyC PS: No Dänzer in heidelberg 1910 or 1914. No personal file at he State Archive of Baden-Württemberg on him. BUT on Hptm Dänzer KIA and a Olt.d.Res. from Freiburg. Both can be ruled out, though. Is it really Dänzer or is it DANZER? Edited 17 February , 2018 by GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 18 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 18 February , 2018 11 hours ago, charlie2 said: His shoulder boards indicate he is at least a Major. Charlie Thanks that's useful. 12 hours ago, Bilco said: John - try posting your photo here http://gmic.co.uk/forum/71-germany-imperial-the-orders-decorations-and-medals-of-the-imperial-german-states/ Lots of very knowlegable folks there ... Bill Thanks, will give it a go if there's no answer from the GWF. 10 hours ago, GreyC said: Hi. the officer in the photo is at least a Major. So it shouldn´t be Hptm. Dänzer. Can´t make out if here is a crown on the shoulderboard/Schulterstück. In the Rangliste of 1912 there is a Oberleutnant Dänzer. He was an Inspektionsoffizier at the Kriegsschule Hersfeld. He belonged to the IR 113 in Baden. So maybe he is related to the Hptm. Dänzer who was KIA while at IR112, also a Baden unit. Maybe the order is of the Großherzogtum Baden, though I couldn´t find a matching one. GreyC PS: No Dänzer in heidelberg 1910 or 1914. No personal file at he State Archive of Baden-Württemberg on him. BUT on Hptm Dänzer KIA and a Olt.d.Res. from Freiburg. Both can be ruled out, though. Is it really Dänzer or is it DANZER? Thanks very much for taking the time to look that up. It's Danzer with the two dots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 18 February , 2018 Share Posted 18 February , 2018 On 2/16/2018 at 13:25, AOK4 said: ... The wendische Orden has only 4 arms, while the order in the picture has 5... Heck, my eyesight IS going... Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac101 Posted 18 February , 2018 Share Posted 18 February , 2018 The two dots are called an umlaut and change the vowel sound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 19 February , 2018 Share Posted 19 February , 2018 John, I think it would be a good idea to post a scan of the reverse side and let the German hand writing experts - Jan, GreyC - see what they can make of it. A very high res scan of each shoulderboard may also help. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 21 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 21 February , 2018 Here's two more photos. The left shoulderboard is less clear. Is the ring significant? On 2/18/2018 at 15:39, gmac101 said: The two dots are called an umlaut and change the vowel sound Yes I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 21 February , 2018 Share Posted 21 February , 2018 I don't see a last name there, just: In "Alt-Heidelberg" als Karl-Heinz. And "Alt Heidelberg" is a play, so the man has a stage costume and he played this character Karl-Heinrich (or Karl-Heinz) in the play... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 21 February , 2018 Share Posted 21 February , 2018 see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Heidelberg_(play) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 21 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 21 February , 2018 The surname is on the front of the photo / card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 21 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 21 February , 2018 3 hours ago, AOK4 said: I don't see a last name there, just: In "Alt-Heidelberg" als Karl-Heinz. And "Alt Heidelberg" is a play, so the man has a stage costume and he played this character Karl-Heinrich (or Karl-Heinz) in the play... Interesting! So he could be an actor called Karl-Heinz DANZER playing the prince of Saxony??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 21 February , 2018 Share Posted 21 February , 2018 5 minutes ago, Gunner Bailey said: Interesting! So he could be an actor called Karl-Heinz DANZER playing the prince of Saxony??? No, "Karl-Heinz" is the name of the character in the play... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 21 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 21 February , 2018 Here's the name on the front of the card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 21 February , 2018 Share Posted 21 February , 2018 May I offer two possible medals: 1. Belgium medal of honor of the crown, knight cross edition 2. French National Order of the Legion of Honour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 21 February , 2018 Share Posted 21 February , 2018 The medal and uniform are just for the play, so they are probably just made up from some things and don't refer to anything real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 21 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 21 February , 2018 Looks like it's all coming together now. Thanks Egbert and AOK4. Military photo becomes Theatrical! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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