Admiral Fontana received in 1938 the Merit Cross of the Order of the German Eagle 1st Class and in 1942 the 1st Class with Swords!
Both pieces are manufactured by Godet, Berlin.
German Order of the Eagle Merit Cross 1st Class Neck Cross. Fire-gilt silver, finely enameled on both sides. Stamped “900” silver on reverse in ring. Complete with long neck ribbon. In matching presentation case, interior impressed “Orden vom 'Deutschen Adler Verdienstkreuz 1. Stufe”. Unworn, in very good condition. Accompanied by the large award certificate issued to “Kapitän zur See Herrn Sergio Fontana”, dated “Berlin, den 1. Mai 1938”. Complete with white envelope with gold-printed national eagle, statute booklet and inscribed mailing envelope.
German Order of the Eagle Merit Cross 1st Class with Swords. Neck Cross. Fire-gilt silver, finely enameled on both sides, stamped in ring “900” and “L/50”, with long neck ribbon. Complete in presentation case with impressed lining “Verdienstkreuz 1.Stufe des Ordens vom Deutschen Adler mit Schwertern”. Unworn, condition 1a. Accompanied by the large award certificate issued to “Kapitän zur See Herrn Sergio Fontana”, dated “Berlin, den 12. Februar 1942”. Complete with white envelope with gold-printed national eagle.
Award certificate for the Iron Cross 1939 2nd Class, issued to “Konteradmiral Sergio Fontana”, dated “Hauptquartier, den 15. Januar 1943”, with original signature “Der Oberbefehlshaber Süd Kesselring Generalfeldmarschall”. Condition 2+.
Furthermore, a very fine commemorative photo album for the launching of the Italian submarine Sommergibile “Neghelli” in La Spezia 1936. (The submarine was sunk in 1941 by HMS “Greyhound”). Another photo album of the Admiral with photographs and newspaper clippings, partly hand-inscribed: fleet maneuvers etc., with a telegram to him at the back. Additionally 29 partly large-format photographs of the Italian Navy, mostly press photos, inscribed on reverse.

A very fine estate, which we were able to purchase directly from private ownership.

458776

€ 11.500,00

German Order of the Eagle: Large Estate from the Property of Italian Admiral Sergio Fontana

The Order of the German Eagle (Orden vom Deutschen Adler) represents one of the most significant diplomatic decorations of National Socialist Germany and was instituted on May 1, 1937, by Adolf Hitler. This award was primarily intended for foreign nationals who had rendered services to the German Reich and served as an important instrument of Nazi foreign policy.

The order was established during a phase of intensive diplomatic efforts by the Third Reich to forge and strengthen international relations. Unlike purely military decorations, the German Eagle Order could be awarded for both civilian and military merit. The order comprised eight classes, from the Grand Cross to the simple Merit Medal, with the Merit Cross 1st Class worn as a neck cross ranking among the higher grades.

Manufacturing was carried out by renowned Berlin firms, particularly by the House of Godet, known for its excellent craftsmanship. The orders were made from 900 silver, fire-gilt, and finely enameled on both sides. The technical execution met the highest standards of order production of that era.

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the award with Swords was introduced to particularly honor military merit. This variant differed from the peacetime version through crossed swords between the order's arms and signaled recognition of achievements in wartime context.

German-Italian relations experienced considerable intensification during the 1930s. The Rome-Berlin Axis, proclaimed in 1936, formed the foundation for close military and political cooperation between National Socialist Germany and Fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini. In this context, the exchange of decorations between both nations assumed important symbolic significance.

The Italian Regia Marina played a central role in the Axis powers' strategic planning in the Mediterranean region. Italian naval officers repeatedly received German decorations as a sign of military cooperation. The awarding of the German Eagle Order to Italian admirals and naval captains occurred regularly on special occasions, state visits, or in recognition of joint operations.

The years 1938 and 1942, when the described awards were made, mark two different phases of German-Italian relations. The year 1938 was characterized by the consolidation of the Axis and intensive diplomatic activity, while 1942 was already in the midst of World War II, when both nations operated together on various theaters of war.

The Iron Cross 1939 represented the revival of the traditional Prussian-German war decoration, which was reinstituted with the beginning of World War II. The 2nd Class was the most frequently awarded grade of this decoration. Remarkably, foreign military personnel who fought alongside the Wehrmacht could also receive this award. The presentation by Field Marshal Albert Kesselring as Commander-in-Chief South in January 1943 occurred during a critical phase of the war in the Mediterranean theater.

Kesselring commanded German forces in the Mediterranean from November 1941 and was thus directly responsible for coordination with Italian allies. His position enabled him to award German decorations to allied officers who served under his command or in close cooperation with German units.

The Italian submarine force, the Sommergibili, played an important role in Mediterranean operations. The launching of a new submarine was always a significant event, photographically documented and often commemorated with a photo album. The shipyards in La Spezia were among the most important Italian naval yards and produced numerous submarines for the Regia Marina.

The conferral procedures of the German Eagle Order followed strict protocol. A complete award included the presentation document on high-quality paper, an official envelope with the embossed or printed national eagle, the statute booklet with the order's regulations, and the presentation case for storing the decoration. These complete ensembles are today of particular historical and collector value.

Estates like this offer an authentic insight into the military and diplomatic relations of the Axis powers during World War II. They document not only individual careers but also the overarching political and military structures of that time. The preservation of such historical documents and objects is of inestimable value for historical research.

The presence of both peacetime and wartime versions of the same decoration class illustrates the evolution of the award system and the progression of the conflict. Such groupings allow historians to trace not only personal career trajectories but also the broader narrative of Axis cooperation and the intensification of warfare between 1938 and 1943.