Military Order of St. Henry Commander's Cross. This is a typical piece from World War I, manufactured by jeweler A. Roesner, Dresden. Silver gilt, finely enameled on both sides. The crown on movable hinge, unstamped. Complete on worn original neck ribbon. Lightly worn, in very fine condition.
Military Order of St. Henry Knight's Cross. Silver gilt, enameled on both sides, unstamped. Lightly worn, in good condition, with original ribbon bar.
Saxony Civil Merit Order Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Swords. Silver, finely enameled on both sides, stamped “S” on lower cross arm, on original ribbon.
Saxony Albert Order Knight's Cross 1st Class with Swords. Silver gilt, finely enameled on both sides, stamped “Glaser Sohn” on lower cross arm, reverse side with slight enamel chip on blue medallion ring, on unworn ribbon.
Saxony Albert Order Knight's Cross 1st Class. Silver, enameled on both sides, stamped “S” on lower cross arm, on old ribbon.
Iron Cross 1914 2nd Class, on ribbon.
Prussia Royal House Order of Hohenzollern Knight's Cross with Swords. Silver gilt, finely enameled on both sides, with maker's mark “S & W 937” on lower cross arm, on old ribbon bar.
Iron Cross 1914 1st Class. Blackened iron core, on silver plate, engraved on reverse “Richard Sieglitz, Autumn Battle in Champagne 8.10.1915”, complete in matching presentation case, with EK imprint on lid, interior with purple velvet bed.
Additionally the medal bar with 8 decorations as well as a handwritten note “Medal bar that I wore in the field 1917/18 - R.S.”. Also a small photo of Sieglitz as Colonel with the Military Order of St. Henry Commander's Cross and this medal bar on his chest, inscribed on reverse by Sieglitz “May 1918. Camp .. near Verdun (Northern Front) After award of the Commander's Cross of the Mil. St. Henry Order by King Fr. August ...”.
Large portrait photo in postcard size of Stieglitz, still as Major in the Saxon Telegraph Battalion No. 7, circa 1915. Sieglitz in Litewka, on his chest the freshly awarded Iron Cross 1st Class. Also the shoulder boards as Major in Telegraph Batl. No. 7, which Stieglitz wears in the photo.
Large photo in field gray uniform as Colonel of R.I.R. 243 in full decorations standing beside his wife, inscribed on reverse “Silver Wedding 30/5 1925 Richard Sieglitz Colonel (ret.), Martha Sieglitz née Wuttig”. Also the shoulder boards as Colonel of R.I.R. 243. The decorations are those of the medal bar in the photo. Furthermore a photo of Sieglitz and his wife from 1950 for their Golden Wedding Anniversary, Sieglitz wearing the Military Order of St. Henry Commander's Cross and a dress chain, which unfortunately is no longer extant.

Additionally the book “The Royal Saxon Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 243 in the World War 1914-1918”, with collaboration by Colonel (ret.) Sieglitz, on the flyleaf a handwritten dedication from Colonel (ret.) Sieglitz to a former comrade, dated Christmas 1927.
Furthermore the book “The Royal Saxon Military Order of St. Henry 1736-1918” from 1937. On pages 122/23 he is described: “Sieglitz, Richard Lt. Colonel and Commander of K.S. Reserve Infantry Regiment 243; born 5.9.1870 in Jena (Thuringia); in peacetime Commander of Telegraph Battalion 7; invested on 18.4.1918
With his regiment, which he had well prepared for offensive combat, Lt. Colonel Sieglitz contributed to the Great Battle in France during the days from 21 to 23.3.1918 in the Cambrai Salient, pressing the attack with ruthless determination on the right wing of the 53rd Reserve Division, took Havricour by storm and with his valiant battalions had substantial part in the successful completion of the division's combat mission. A few days later during the following major battles on the western Avre near the sector Mailly-Naineval-Rouvrel he led his regiment with outstanding bravery. It was particularly thanks to his personal intervention and brave conduct that all four counterattacks, which the enemy, reinforcing his defense from day to day, executed on 6.4. after heaviest artillery preparation with the assistance of tanks, were repulsed.”.

One of the highest Saxon bravery decorations, comparable to the Prussian Pour le Mérite. During World War I there were 153 awards, one of the most well-known recipients was fighter pilot Captain Max Immelmann.
A superb comprehensive estate of a brave Saxon regimental commander, directly from family property. In this scope and historical context extremely rarely found.

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Saxony Kingdom Military Order of St. Henry: Large Estate of Orders from the Property of Colonel Richard Sieglitz, Commander of Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 243 Commander's Cross

The Royal Saxon Military Order of St. Henry stands as the oldest German military decoration, historically predating both the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa and the Prussian Pour le Mérite. The order takes its name from Holy Roman Emperor Henry II (973–1024), the last emperor from the Saxon house of Ottonen, who was canonized in 1146 by Pope Eugene III. This naming choice reflected both dynastic prestige and Saxon military honor tradition.

On October 7, 1736, Augustus III, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, founded the order at Hubertusburg hunting lodge. Originally instituted in a single class, the decoration was reorganized on September 4, 1768, by Prince Franz Xaver into three classes: Grand Cross, Commander's Cross, and Knight's Cross. On December 23, 1829, King Anton of Saxony added the fourth class—the Commander's Cross 2nd Class—and issued formal statutes. By World War I, the order comprised four grades: the Grand Cross, worn on a sash over the shoulder with breast star; the Commander's Cross 1st Class, worn from the neck with breast star; the Commander's Cross 2nd Class, worn from the neck without star; and the Knight's Cross worn as a breast badge on the upper left chest.

The Commander's Cross displays a Maltese cross suspended from a movable royal crown. The cross features white-enameled edges with green-enameled rue crowns (the symbol of Saxony) positioned between the arms. The center medallion on the obverse is yellow-enameled and shows a painted portrait of St. Henry II in imperial regalia. The blue-enameled ring bears the gold inscription FRIDR•AUG•D•G•REX•SAX•INSTAURAVIT (Friedrich August by God's Grace King of Saxony Instituted the order). The reverse displays the Saxon coat of arms in the center—alternating horizontal black and gold stripes with a diagonal rue crown. The blue-enameled ring carries the gold inscription VIRTUTI IN BELLO (Bravery in War). The order ribbon is light blue with yellow stripes near each edge.

During World War I, the order was awarded exclusively to officers for extraordinary military bravery and achievement. It served as Saxony's highest bravery decoration, comparable to the Prussian Pour le Mérite. The motto Virtuti in bello reflected the original purpose: piety and martial valor. Generally, rank determined which grade was received: the Grand Cross went to monarchs and highest field commanders, the Commander's Cross 1st Class to senior generals, the Commander's Cross 2nd Class to officers of major rank and above, and the Knight's Cross to all officers.

Between 1914 and 1918, there were 12 awards of the Grand Cross, 14 awards of the Commander 1st Class, 153 awards of the Commander 2nd Class, and 2,728 awards of the Knight's Cross. Wartime material shortages meant that during World War I, the order was manufactured from gilt silver (gold-plated silver) rather than pure gold, unlike comparable Bavarian and Württemberg orders which maintained gold construction during the initial war years. Production was carried out primarily by court jeweler Alfred Roesner of Dresden, who was appointed official order supplier in 1915.

The most famous recipient was Hauptmann Max Immelmann, the legendary fighter pilot who received the Knight's Cross on September 21, 1915, and the Commander 2nd Class on March 30, 1916, after his twelfth and thirteenth victories. On January 12, 1916, he also received the Pour le Mérite, which became unofficially known as the “Blue Max” in his honor. Other notable recipients included Manfred von Richthofen, Oswald Boelcke, Rudolf Berthold (fighter pilots), Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck (Generalmajor, 1920), and Karl August Nerger (Fregattenkapitän, 1918).

The Commander's Cross described here belonged to Oberst Richard Sieglitz, Commander of Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 243, awarded on April 18, 1918, for his actions during the Great Battle in France. From March 21 to 23, 1918, he led his regiment in the Cambrai salient, taking Havricourt by storm, and on April 6, 1918, personally led the defense that repulsed four counterattacks supported by tanks following intense artillery preparation.

The order became obsolete with the fall of the Saxon monarchy following Germany's defeat in World War I in November 1918. Recipients and holders of the Gold Medal received a monthly honor stipend that continued after the monarchy ended, paid by the Federal Republic of Germany at fifty Deutsche Marks until the 1960s. In 1959, nearly three hundred World War I recipients gathered in Bamberg to form the Convent of the Royal Saxon Military St. Henry Order under Margrave Friedrich Christian of Saxony. In 1961, this group helped found the Study Group for Saxon History and Culture in Munich.