Wehrmacht Large Group of Decorations and Documents from the Estate of Oberst Dr. Lothar Zimmermann, Last Commander of the Combat School Niš, Bulgaria

The extensive military estate (Nachlass) of Oberst Dr. Lothar Zimmermann (20 January 1896 Breisach – 31 July 1946 Ljubljana) constitutes a remarkable record of a military career spanning both World Wars, multiple theaters of operation across Europe, and significant collaboration with allied forces in the Balkans. The collection unites German, Bulgarian, and Romanian decorations, numerous documents bearing original signatures of senior military and political leaders, and voluminous archival material illuminating the diverse postings of this career infantry officer.

Zimmermann entered the army in 1914 as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet) and served during the First World War as platoon and company commander in Infantry Regiment 114, receiving his promotion to Leutnant in 1915. Following the interwar period, he was reappointed in 1934 as Hauptmann in Infantry Regiment 114. His promotion to Major on 30 September 1937 is documented by a large-format certificate bearing the original signatures of Adolf Hitler and Generaloberst von Brauchitsch.

In 1940, Zimmermann participated in Operation Weserübung — the invasion of Denmark — with Infantry Regiment 56. He was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1941. From November 1941 he served with Army Group South, commanding Infantry Regiment 420 from December 1941 to 29 September 1942. Following a wound and hospitalization, he commanded the Kampfschule Nisch (Combat School Nisch) in Bulgaria from 30 March 1943 to 29 January 1945. When the school was dissolved in September 1944, he assumed command of Grenadier Regiment “Festung Belgrad” with approximately 1,000 men. From January 1945 he served as Kampfkommandant (Battle Commandant) of Fiume. In January 1946 he was taken from a hospital in Preco, Croatia, and was executed by Yugoslav authorities in the summer of 1946 in Susak, Croatia.

The German Cross in Gold

The centerpiece of this estate is the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (German Cross in Gold), instituted on 28 September 1941 by Adolf Hitler. This decoration occupied a significant position in the German awards hierarchy, ranking between the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Knight’s Cross. It was awarded for repeated acts of bravery or outstanding achievements in combat, with the prerequisite of already holding the Iron Cross 1st Class or the War Merit Cross 1st Class with Swords. As a rule of thumb, six to eight qualifying actions were expected. An estimated 25,964 awards in Gold were made before the cessation of all awards on 10 March 1945. A cloth version was authorized from June 1942.

Physically, the German Cross in Gold features an eight-pointed star with a gold laurel wreath measuring 39 mm, a black swastika of 21.5 mm on a red-bordered silver disk, and a backing plate of 63 mm diameter. The year “1941” is impressed at the bottom of the wreath. The present example is housed in an early presentation case with black velvet lining and white silk, with a gold border running around the interior of the lid. Zimmermann received this award on 26 August 1942 as Oberst and commander of Infantry Regiment 420, as attested by both the preliminary possession certificate and the large-format award document bearing the original signature of Generalfeldmarschall Keitel.

Crimea Shield and Eastern Front Service

The Krimschild (Crimea Shield), instituted on 25 July 1942, was awarded for service between 21 September 1941 and 4 July 1942 under Generalfeldmarschall von Manstein in the Crimea. Qualification required at least 90 days of service, a wound sustained in the campaign, or participation in one major operation. With approximately 250,000 awards, it was the most widely distributed German campaign shield. The shield bears the inscription “KRIM” with the dates “1941-1942.” The accompanying certificate is dated 15 January 1943.

The Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten (Medal for the Winter Campaign in the East), also present in the collection, further documents Zimmermann’s Eastern Front service.

Infantry Assault Badge in Silver

The Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, instituted on 20 December 1939 by Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch, was awarded for participation in at least three infantry assaults, three armed reconnaissance operations, hand-to-hand combat, or three days of reestablishing combat positions. The present example is described as late-war production in fine zinc. The possession certificate is dated 20 August 1941.

Bulgarian and Romanian Decorations

Zimmermann’s role in training Bulgarian infantry forces from 1943 onward is reflected in an impressive array of Bulgarian decorations. The Royal Bulgarian Order of Military Merit, 3rd Class with War Decoration, originally instituted on 19 May 1900 by Knyaz Ferdinand, was conferred on 10 June 1942 and was intended for regimental commanders at the rank of colonel and lieutenant colonel for immaculate service and special merit. The Order of St. Alexander, instituted on 25 December 1881 by Knyaz Alexander I, with its military division with swords established in 1886, is present as a Commander’s Cross with War Decoration. Additionally, the collection includes the Bulgarian Infantry Badge in both Silver (2 April 1943) and Gold (19 July 1943). Bulgarian imperial decorations were banned after 1946 but were restored and permitted to be worn again following the collapse of the communist regime in 1991.

The Order of the Star of Romania, instituted on 10 May 1877 and comprising six grades from Knight to Grand Cross, is represented by a Cross of the 6th Class with Swords — the military division for wartime awards. This order was suppressed in 1947 and reinstated in 1998.

Documentary Significance

The documentary scope of this estate is exceptional, ranging from the Major’s promotion certificate signed by Hitler to the German Cross in Gold award document with Keitel’s original signature, files of military training materials spanning 1935 to 1943, correspondence with Romanian and Bulgarian allies and heads of state, and field post. This collection offers a deep window into the career of an officer whose service encompassed infantry training, combat on the Eastern Front, and allied cooperation in the Balkans. Personal items including shoulder boards of Infantry Regiment 56 in the rank of Oberst and an aluminum identification tag further complete the ensemble.

Following the end of the Second World War, the wearing of Nazi-era decorations was banned in Germany and the display of the swastika prohibited. In 1957, the Federal Republic of Germany authorized de-nazified replacement versions — for the German Cross, the swastika was replaced by an Iron Cross symbol, and the Infantry Assault Badge likewise received a version without prohibited emblems for Bundeswehr veterans.