The Oak Leaves with Swords represent the classic production of Gebr. Godet und Co. Berlin, hallmarked “21” “900” on reverse. The Knight's Cross is a typical production of Steinhauer & Lück. Blackened iron core with silver frame. Reverse stamped “micro 800”, the “frosted” silver plating of the frame and polished edges still beautifully preserved. Complete with the original worn and tailored neck ribbon, length 19 cm. The piece shows light wear with beautiful patina.
Included is the General's ribbon bar with 8 decorations: Iron Cross 1914 2nd Class with applied repeat clasp “1939”. Saxony Civil Merit Order Knight's Cross with Swords. Saxony Albert Order Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Swords. Honor Cross for Front Fighters 1914-1918. Wehrmacht Long Service Award 1st Class for 25 Years with applied Wehrmacht ribbon eagle. Luftwaffe Long Service Award for 12 Years with applied Luftwaffe ribbon eagle. Commemorative Medal for October 1, 1938 with applied clasp “Prager Burg”. Lightly worn, mounting hook missing on reverse, condition 2. Also included is a very fine reproduction color photograph of General Heidrich, on which this exact ribbon bar is clearly visible! “Kreta” cuff title in the special version for General Heidrich. Hand-embroidered execution in gold metallic thread on white cloth, bordered top and bottom with gold bullion. Worn piece, removed from uniform, length 39.5 cm. Breast eagle from the estate of General Heidrich for the white summer service tunic. Execution in gilt brass, mounted on horizontal pin on reverse. Worn, condition 2.
Also included is a handwritten note from the first owner of the estate, circa 1960:
“Heidrich, Richard, Generalleutnant
deceased, on December 23, 1947 in Hamburg-Bergedorf
also buried there
Commander of the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division
(as 55th soldier of the Wehrmacht - Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
awarded March 25, 1944 - Monte Cassino)
Knight's Cross as Oberst, Commander Fallschirmjäger Regiment 3
on June 14, 1941 - Crete”
Most Oak Leaves with Swords on the market are more or less unworn in very good condition. A piece actually worn at the front over years, like the one we offer here, possesses an entirely unique aura and evokes memories of the deeds of its former bearer. The estate has been in a German private collection for the past 40 years and has never been publicly exhibited or offered.

We provide our unlimited lifetime guarantee of authenticity for this estate.

Richard Heidrich (born July 28, 1896 in Lawalde in Saxony; died December 22, 1947 in Hamburg-Bergedorf) was a German General der Fallschirmtruppe in World War II.
Heidrich entered Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 101 of the Saxon Army as a war volunteer on August 18, 1914 and was promoted to Leutnant in August 1915. In World War I he served initially as platoon leader, later as company commander, and finally as regimental adjutant in 16th Infantry Regiment No. 182. Decorated with both classes of the Iron Cross as well as the Knight's Cross 2nd Class of the Saxon Merit Order with Swords, the Knight's Cross 2nd Class of the Albert Order, and the Wound Badge in Black, he joined a Freikorps in Lithuania after the war's end and was accepted into the Reichswehr in 1920. There he served in various commands before being assigned as instructor to the War School in Potsdam in October 1935 and later to Munich. In the interim he had been promoted to Oberleutnant in 1925 and to Hauptmann in 1931.

In 1937 he was transferred to the Fallschirm-Infanterie Company in Stendal and in June 1938 became commander of the Fallschirm-Infanterie Battalion. This was followed on January 1, 1939 by his promotion to Oberstleutnant and his transfer to the Luftwaffe.

With the outbreak of World War II he was initially transferred back to the Army and participated in the Polish Campaign as commander of Infantry Replacement Regiment 4. On June 1, 1940 he was transferred back to the Luftwaffe and simultaneously became commander of Fallschirmjäger Regiment 3. Previously he had been promoted to Oberst on April 1, 1940.

With his unit he participated in Operation Merkur on May 20, 1941 and was substantially responsible for the occupation of the island of Crete. In August 1942 he was promoted to Generalmajor, simultaneously entrusted with command of the 7th Flieger Division and finally became its commander on November 1, 1942. Subsequently he was deployed before Leningrad and in mid-1943 became commander of the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division and on July 1, 1943 Generalleutnant. With his division he was transferred to Italy and participated in the Battle of Monte Cassino. In October 1944 he was promoted to General der Fallschirmtruppe. From November 16, 1944 to May 3, 1945 he was Commanding General of I. Fallschirm Corps.

Heidrich was taken into British captivity on May 3, 1945 and was released in July 1947. He died on December 22, 1947 in a military hospital in Hamburg-Bergedorf.

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Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 with Oak Leaves and Swords from the Estate of General der Fallschirmjäger Richard Heidrich

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords represents one of the highest military decorations for valor awarded during the Second World War. This third tier in a five-grade hierarchy of awards was formally instituted on 28 September 1941 through enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613, following its official announcement on 15 July 1941. The decoration recognized extraordinary bravery and military leadership by servicemen who had already been awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and continued to demonstrate exceptional achievements in combat.

The structure of the decoration comprised three components: the foundational Knight's Cross in the form of a cross pattée with a magnetic iron core painted black, framed by a two-piece silver frame crafted from 800-grade silver (80 percent pure silver) with beaded edges. The obverse displayed a central swastika emblem with the date “1939” on the lower arm, while the reverse showed the date “1813”. The cross measured approximately 48 to 49 millimeters across. Above the cross, attached to the ribbon loop, was the Oak Leaves with Swords clasp, a die-struck representation of an oak leaf cluster crafted from 900-grade silver (90 percent pure silver), with a pair of crossed swords soldered to its base. This clasp measured 24.83 millimeters in width and 27.58 millimeters in height, while the swords extended 24 millimeters in length. The total weight of the Oak Leaves with Swords clasp was 9.03 grams. The entire decoration was worn suspended from a black-white-red ribbon around the neck.

The manufacture of these prestigious decorations was entrusted to specialized firms. The Oak Leaves with Swords clasp was produced by Gebrüder Godet & Co. of Berlin, identifiable by the reverse stamps “21” (the manufacturer's PKZ code) and “900” (indicating silver purity). The Knight's Cross itself was manufactured by Steinhauer & Lück of Lüdenscheid, bearing the silver hallmark “800” stamped on the upper arm of the reverse and “1813” on the lower arm.

The award criteria were exceptionally stringent. A recipient was required to already possess the Iron Cross First Class, the Knight's Cross, and the Oak Leaves before being considered for the Swords. Approval required review through the entire chain of command up to Adolf Hitler himself, who personally authorized all presentations until 30 April 1945. According to records of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR), a total of 159 awards of the Swords were made, while the German Federal Archives substantiate 147 presentations. Author Veit Scherzer challenged the validity of 13 listings, primarily those awarded in 1945 when the approval process was incomplete.

Among the recipients of this rare decoration was Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert, a distinguished Luftwaffe fighter ace. Born on 2 February 1919 and passing on 5 September 2007, Reinert was credited with 174 aerial victories across 715 combat missions, comprising 103 on the Eastern Front, 51 in the Mediterranean theater, and 20 on the Western Front. His military career took him through Jagdgeschwader 77 and Jagdgeschwader 27, where he established himself as one of the most successful German fighter pilots in the African theater of operations. Reinert received the Knight's Cross on 1 July 1942 following 53 aerial victories, the Oak Leaves on 7 October 1942 after 103 victories (personally presented by Hitler on 4 November 1942), and finally the Swords on 1 February 1945 in recognition of 174 victories. The presentation of the Swords was conducted on 23 February 1945 by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, also acknowledging Reinert's ground-attack missions that destroyed 16 aircraft, 10 tanks, and 6 locomotives.

Following the Second World War, the Federal Republic of Germany prohibited the wearing of Nazi insignia. On 26 July 1957, the West German government authorized replacement denazified Knight's Crosses featuring an oak leaf cluster design in place of the swastika, which could be worn by World War II recipients. The original wartime decorations bearing swastika symbols cannot legally be publicly displayed or worn in Germany. The Association of Knight's Cross Recipients was founded in 1955 in Cologne, but in 1999 the German Ministry of Defence prohibited Bundeswehr contacts with the association due to alleged neo-Nazi connections. The last legal presentation of any grade of the Knight's Cross had to be made before 23:01 Central European Time on 8 May 1945, coinciding with the German surrender; any presentations after that date are considered de facto but not de jure valid.