Wehrmacht Large Medal Bar from the Personal Property of Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt

The medal bar (German: Ordensschnalle or Ordensspange) represents one of the most fascinating phenomena of German military decorations culture. It embodies in compressed form the entire military career of an officer, documenting participation in campaigns, merits, and decorations over decades. This particular medal bar with 16 decorations from the era of the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, and the Third Reich offers a unique insight into the military career of a high-ranking German officer of the first half of the 20th century.

The tradition of the medal bar developed in the 19th century when the increasing number of military decorations made it impractical to wear all orders in full size simultaneously. The solution consisted of mounting the characteristic ribbons of the orders side by side on a metal bar. This was worn on the left breast of the uniform and provided a compact overview of the wearer's military merits. The sequence of decorations followed strict precedence rules that considered the rank and significance of each individual decoration.

The decorations represented on this bar span a remarkable historical arc. The Prussian Iron Cross, originally instituted in 1813 by King Frederick William III and renewed in 1939 by Adolf Hitler, stands at the beginning of the bar. This positioning corresponds to the high esteem of this decoration in the German military hierarchy. The Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords was one of the highest Prussian gallantry awards and was only bestowed upon officers for outstanding combat achievements.

Particularly noteworthy is the presence of several decorations from German federal states, reflecting the federal structure of the German Empire. The Bavarian Military Merit Order, the Saxon Albert Order, and various merit crosses from smaller principalities such as Lippe-Detmold, Waldeck, and Schwarzburg document the cooperation between the various contingents of German armed forces before 1918. Each of these states retained the right to award its own orders until the November Revolution of 1918.

The Honor Cross for Frontline Combatants 1914-1918, also known as the Hindenburg Cross, was instituted in 1934 by Reich President Paul von Hindenburg and awarded to all veterans of World War I who had actively fought at the front. Its presence on this bar clearly identifies the wearer as a front-line veteran of the Great War.

The Wehrmacht Long Service Awards for 25 and 12 years with the characteristic ribbon eagles document an exceptionally long military career. These decorations, introduced in 1936, replaced the older Prussian and Reich German service awards and were awarded according to years of service. The 25-year bar was the second-highest of this category, surpassed only by the 40-year decoration.

The China Campaign Medal in steel for non-combatants commemorates the Boxer Rebellion of 1900-1901, when an international expeditionary force was sent to China to suppress the uprising. The German contingent, the so-called East Asian Expeditionary Corps, played a significant role. The version for non-combatants was awarded to personnel who were in the operational area but did not directly participate in combat operations.

The Prussian Centenary Medal of 1897 for the 100th birthday of Emperor Wilhelm I was awarded to all active and retired members of the Prussian armed forces and represents more of a commemorative than a merit medal.

The Austrian Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with War Decoration testifies to the close military cooperation between the German Reich and Austria-Hungary during World War I. Such decorations were frequently awarded to German officers who cooperated with Austrian troops or operated in the Austrian area of responsibility.

The craftsmanship of such medal bars was typically of very high quality. Specialized firms such as Godet in Berlin or C. E. Juncker manufactured these pieces with great care. The ribbons were woven exactly according to official specifications, and the metal bar had to be both stable and flexible enough to follow the uniform's contours. The backing cloth cover, typically in red felt or cloth, protected the uniform from the metal parts and pin fasteners.

The photograph from the Reich Chancellery dated November 4, 1938 provides an important dating reference point. At this time, shortly before the outbreak of World War II, such a medal bar already represented an impressive military career that had begun in the Imperial era and extended through the Weimar Republic into the Third Reich.

The historical significance of such medal bars extends far beyond their material value. They are three-dimensional biographies documenting military careers, historical events, and the complex decorations culture of the German military. Each individual ribbon tells of a specific event, a decoration, a campaign, or a long period of service. Together they form a unique historical testimony to a turbulent era of German and European history.

The provenance history mentioned, with parts of the collection surfacing in America from the estate of a US veteran, reflects the common fate of many such items at the end of World War II. Allied soldiers often acquired such pieces as war souvenirs, and many have only returned to public attention in recent decades through estate sales and specialized auctions. The fact that one decoration was missing and later replaced demonstrates both the challenges and practices in reconstructing such historical assemblages.