Manfred von Richthofen Ordenskissen

[GMU]

Finally, after many, many years, I have completed this project. One day I thought it would be cool to replicate Manfred von Richthofen’s Ordenskissen, and it all begun with an EK II. I acquired piece by piece individually without ever destroying or dismantling any existing bar. Some pieces were easy to find, but very expensive. Others were not that expensive, but very hard to find, at least for me. All awards are, to the best of my knowledge, genuine.



Some notes:

1.The ribbon bar is obviously a reproduction. I have seen many around.
2.The PLM is post 1918.
3.I have displayed here a Bavarian MVO 4th class with crown and swords because one can see a crowned MVO on MvR ‘s original Ordenskissen . It was thought for many years that MvR had a MVO 3rd class with crown and swords. However, there is no evidence that MvR received the MVO 3rd or the MVO 4th with crown. It is currently maintained that MVR received a 4th class with swords only, with no crown. However, how could we explain the crowned MVO on MvR’s original Ordenskissen?

Manfred von Richthofen's original orders as displayed on his funeral services in Berlin in 1925

[crankcase]

...an outstanding job! This is not only a personal accomplishment but also an education for all... there is a lot of history and meaning in each of those medals, reflecting as they do the countries lined up with imperial germany in the war.

do you have a record of the bestowals? I suppose some were awarded posthumously? if i am not mistaken MvR was to have made a trip to Turkey had he not fallen in combat in the spring of 1918. i suppose ambassadors in berlin were able to award decorations.
marc

[GMU]

Thank you so much for your comments. No posthumous awards.

This is what I have.




I will appreciate it very much if someone could provide any further information on bestowal dates.

George

[Malaula]

Hello GMU,
What a beautiful collection! Being a medals and Orders collector myself with thoughts of duplicating the Rittmeister's Ordenskissen, I am truly awed by your accomplishment. Superb! Do have a date for the Bremen Hanseatic Cross as found in volume VII of Neal W. O'Connor's outstanding series....
September 25, 1917. As the Lubeck Hanseatic Cross was awarded on Sept. 22 and the Bremen Hanseatic Cross on Sept. 25, I would hazard a guess that Hamburg wasn't far behind in joining her fellow Free Hanse Cities in honoring Manfred probably in the Sept. 25 - 30 time frame. Best regards, Dave.

_____________________________

Can you feel the warrior spirits gathering around us?
They have waited for us, my friend, they have waited for the coming
together of warriors from different times and different armies.
They wait to hear our words and laughter, to see our tears and
feel our pain. It is all that remains for them . . . . . . .
to be remembered.

The Iron Men - Leonard B. Scott

[bluemax52]

this is a really neat collection.
The PLM looks 100% like mine. How do you get those pictures on there?

[GMU]

Originally Posted by Malaula

Hello GMU,
What a beautiful collection! Being a medals and Orders collector myself with thoughts of duplicating the Rittmeister's Ordenskissen, I am truly awed by your accomplishment. Superb! Do have a date for the Bremen Hanseatic Cross as found in volume VII of Neal W. O'Connor's outstanding series....
September 25, 1917. As the Lubeck Hanseatic Cross was awarded on Sept. 22 and the Bremen Hanseatic Cross on Sept. 25, I would hazard a guess that Hamburg wasn't far behind in joining her fellow Free Hanse Cities in honoring Manfred probably in the Sept. 25 - 30 time frame. Best regards, Dave.

Dave,

Thank you very much for your comments. Believe it or not, I started this project in 1990! Yes, you are right. MvR was awarded the Bremen Hanseatic Cross on September 25, 1917, and Lübeck’s on September 22. I agree with you that Hamburg´s Cross must have followed shortly after.

George