References for Imperial collectors - Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums

**Don D.** · 06-08-2008, 07:35 AM

I thought I'd pin a reference section for us. Feel free to add yours but please keep the discussions in the threads below. I cannot confirm the accuracy of all the info listed here but it is a good starting point.
thanks
D

Looking for a unit, try here: http://www.1914-18.info/erster-weltk...u=17&info=Home

Member Tony (and Kaiser) have a fine bunker with much info: http://www.kaisersbunker.com/

Looking for an obscure tome: http://www.history-books.com/de/shop...=0&type=search

Dave Danner has an excellent site for Orders and Decorations: http://home.att.net/~david.danner/militaria.html

Looking to match a hallmark to a particular maker try here: http://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_marks.html
or try here: http://www.silvercollection.it/austr...hallmarks.html
or here: http://silberpunze.piranho.de/Silber...seite.php?id=0

Joseph Robinson's site can also help identify makers: http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/Helmet_Makers.htm

Learn to read those militaerpasses here: http://www.suetterlinschrift.de/Englisch/Titel.htm

For those interested in PLMs: http://www.pourlemerite.org/

Interested in the Battle of Verdun: http://forum.battleofverdun.nl/

Chris B runs this site which is anexcellent place to put names and faces to awards: http://www.trenchfighter.homepage.t-...029/40802.html

Want to know who made that Hindy Cross: http://bayoswede.zoomin.se/index/29788.html

Looking for a ribbon or wondering what medal belongs on a ribbon you have: http://www.worldmedals.co.uk/Rib/germrib.htm

Another good site to use for ribbon identification: http://www.ordensmuseum.de/adl/bander.htm

Another ribbon identification site: http://www.medals.lava.pl/de/de3.htm

A very good site for awards etc.... http://www.ordensjournal.ordensmuseum.de/

Andreas M. Schulze Ising's very nice site on orders http://www.medalnet.net/default.htm

Info on the Austro-Hungarian forces can be found here: http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/

Colonial information can be found here: http://www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk/

The Prussian Machine website will answer lots of questions: http://home.comcast.net/~jcviser/index.htm/index.htm

A new research site: http://ironcross.vpweb.nl/1905-to194...gulations.html

Montgomery Burns · 06-08-2008, 05:22 PM

here some books tiger 1 listed fore us

Here's some reference books on the Iron Cross that perhaps should be in a collectors' library.

'Das Eiserne Kreuz'....... by Hans von Zobeltitz, circa 1925. Published by Bielefeld und Leipzig, Verlag von velhagen & Klassing.

'The Iron Cross of Prussia and Germany' ....... by A. E. Prowse, circa 1971. Published by the author in New Zealand.

'On the Field of Honor, A history of the Knight's Cross Bearers' ....... by LtC. John R. Angolia, circa 1979. Published by R. James Bender.

'The Prussian and German Iron Cross'....... by V.E. Bowen. circa 1980(?). Published by the author in England.

'Preussen-Sammlung Max Aurich, Das Eiserne Kreuz 1813 - 1870 - 1914'....... by Friedhelm Heyde, circa 1980. Published by Biblio Verlag, Osnabruck.

'The Iron Cross, A History 1813 -1957' ....... by Gordon Williamson, circa 1984. Published by Blandford Press, Poole - Dorset.

'Das Eiserne Kreuz 1813-1939' ....... Edition Deutsches Ordensmuseum, circa 1990. Redacted by Jorg Nimmergut. Published by Deutsches Ordensmuseum Ludenscheid.

'Das Eiserne Kreuz von 1813 bis heute' ....... by Harald Geissler, circa 1995. Published by Militarverlag Klaus D. Patzwall - Norderstedt 1995.

'Das Eiserne Kreuz von 1813 bis heute' ....... by Walter A. Schwarz, circa 1999. Published as 'Katalog zur Sonderausstelung der STADTGEMEINDE DEUTSCH-WAGRAM UND DER OSTERREICHISCHEN GESELLSCHAFT FUR ORDENSKUNDE im Heimat-, Napoleon- und Ordensmuseum in Deutsche-wgram vom 14. Mai bis 28. November 1999.

'The Iron Cross of 1939' ....... by Gordon Williamson, circa 2002. Published by R. James Bender Publishing.

'The Iron Time, A History of the Iron Cross' Second Edition....... by Stephan Previtera, circa 2007. Published by Winidore Press, Inc.

Here are some articles published on the Iron Cross in collector magazines........

'Purity and Strength: A History of the Iron Cross' ....... by Bob Hritz, circa Summer 1981 in the WMCS Newsletter. Published War Memorabilia Collectors Society, Ltd. Chicago, Illinois, USA.

'Purity and Strength: A History of the Iron Cross Part II' ....... by Bob Hritz, circa Winter 1982 in the WMCS Newsletter. Published by the War Memorabilia Collectors Society, Ltd. Chicago, Illinois, USA.

'The Iron Cross: 1939' ....... by Gregory Douglas, circa Fall 1991 The Military Advisor. Published by R. James Bender Publications.

'The Iron Cross: 1914' ....... by Richard Mundhenk & Jerome Murphy, circa Summer 1996 The Military Advisor. Published by R. James Bender Publications.

'The Iron Cross: History of a Decoration'....... by Klaus - Peter Merta, circa Spring 1998 The Military Advisor. Published by R. James Bender Publicatiuons.

I am certain that there are more references. These are just some of which I have at hand at the moment.

Dr. Kleitmann, William E. Hammelman, Adrian Forman and Detlev Neiman also have important Iron Cross related information published.

**Don D.** · 12-19-2008, 07:13 AM

Cheat sheet for typing foriegn charactors on an english keyboard: http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ht=cheat+sheet

Stephen Previtera · 07-15-2009, 01:05 AM

I might add to the book list Prussian Blue, A History of the Order Pour le Merite, Winidore Press 2005. It features a number of Imperial decorations from recipient groupings. Can't get any more Imperial than that.
Stephen

streptile · 07-18-2009, 04:22 PM

Some books on EKs, most of which are listed in the first post above. Not all are on Imperial stuff, but most have something on the subject. Discussed at greater length on the thread EK Books, but copied here for ease of reference:

Here, for anyone's reference and enjoyment, are selections from my library.

Clockwise from top left:
Nimmergut, Das Eiserne Kreuz 1813-1939;
Williamson, The Iron Cross of 1939 (in my own protective cover)
Williamson, The Iron Cross A History 1813-1957 ;

The "new standards":
Previtera, The Iron Time ;
Maerz, The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross

The "old standards":
Geißler, Das Eiserne Kreuz von 1813 bis Heute;
Bowen, The Prussian and German Iron Cross (in sleeve) ;
Heyde, Preußen Sammlung Max Aurich

Military Advisor issues with Iron Cross content

Biggers/Williamson, The Historic Iron Cross 1813-1957 ;
V/A; Das Eiserne Kreuz - Zur Geschichte einer Auszeichnung ;
DHM Magazin (on ODM in general)

Hamelman, German Iron Cross Documents of World War I ;
V/A, Das Grosskreuz Des Eisernen Kreuzes

von Zobelitz, Das Eiserne Kreuz (reprint);
Kurt Bauch, Das Eiserne Kreuz 1813/1939 ;
Schneider, Das Buch vom Eisernen Kreuze (reprint);
Vöker, Das Eiserne Kreuz und seine Wiedergeburt (reprint)

These last four are some of my favorite, though three are reprints. Each is a patriotic little book published around the time of the reintroduction of the award in, respectively, 1914, 1939, 1870, 1870. The lone original edition, published in 1941, is inscribed: "To my dear brother Adolf, with best wishes for the war. 1942"

The photos are pretty awful, sorry.
Hope you all enjoy these.

streptile · 07-18-2009, 04:23 PM

In addition to those I've got a few others.

This is a good book on ODM from the US and Europe through Weimar. The largest sections are on Germany and her states. The photos are not great, but you can always find high-quality photos on-line. As a rough and ready reference for what I'm looking at, this one is my first stop. It shows most different grades and major variants of all awards, but stops well short of examining different makers, marks, etc.

The Crown Order page, for example:

If you read German, this one is a peerless general reference on everything to do with ODM. History, design, construction, etc. Naturally a lot of material on Germany and states.

Heyde (discussed in the thread linked above), the standard reference for Imperial and pre-Imperial EKs:

Good one for Helmets and Uniforms, although I now use Imperial German Headgear (1888-1914) Field Guide by James D. Turinetti for quick identification, and this one for beauty shots:

Excellent color photos:

A personal favorite. Breathtaking if you love Otto Bismarck (as I do), but also a good general reference as this guy had most every award going until 1898, including some incredible variants with diamonds, etc. I adore this book and it lives on my desk:

Over time I can post more. Sorry that the photos are weak.

tyanacek · 08-20-2009, 12:11 AM

Deutsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen 1800- 1945 by Jörg Nimmergut is also very useful for identification and valuation of Imperial Orders and Decorations.

**Don D.** · 08-30-2009, 10:14 AM

For Austrian awards: http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/decorat.htm

**Paul Chepurko** · 10-26-2009, 07:40 AM

For Germany Officer research and ranklists - email:

RANGLISTEONCD@OPTONLINE.NET

for a 6 page catalogue with over 100 ranklists and officer research. Research assistance is provided.

Roglebk · 07-05-2010, 08:21 PM

Pages from the Lexikon.

Roglebk · 07-05-2010, 08:22 PM

3 and 4.

Roglebk · 07-05-2010, 08:29 PM

A quick way of finding an Order if you only know the Motto. Also from Meyers Konversations Lexikon, 5th edition 1893-1897.

joerookery · 11-12-2010, 03:54 PM

"The only book on the market that explains how Imperial Germany and her army worked."
If any of you collectors or historians are interested... You can buy it for $25 from the publisher (link below) or from Amazon or Barnes & Noble's $30. The book is 8.25" x 11" and weighs 1 lb. 13 oz. If you are interested in World War I. This is a must-have resource -- if you are interested in World War II you need this background. The bibliography alone is six pages.

The book is now available from the publisher or major booksellers.

http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore...x?bookid=60521

Borzadow · 01-13-2011, 03:40 PM

As I remember, Nimmergut (or Niemann?) has an monumental book in 5 band "Deutsches Orden 1800 bis 1945" (or something like that - it is hard to find). Each of 4 books have 500-600 site, 5th has less and it is about medal bars.

But cost of that is huge - each band is 250 euro, 1000 euro for all... Does someone got that? Can you tell me - it is worth that price?
1000 euro is an equivalent of my 3 month earn, so I must to know before I would spend that fortune...

saschaw · 01-14-2011, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borzadow

As I remember, Nimmergut (or Niemann?) has an monumental book in 5 band "Deutsches Orden 1800 bis 1945" (or something like that - it is hard to find).

It's by Jörg Nimmergut. I think he started his work when Niemann wasn't yet born, at least still a child.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borzadow

5th has less and it is about medal bars.

It isn't, not at all! Vol. 5 contains some additional information and is a corrigendum for the four others. Ar least it did try.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borzadow

But cost of that is huge - each band is 250 euro, 1000 euro for all... Does someone got that? Can you tell me - it is worth that price?

While the books are of some use, they are full of mistakes. I bought them 2nd hand for a bit less than new price, but... better save your money.