Freikorps awards

[John Doe]

Hi

I´ve just started my Freikorps collection with a Baltic Cross. Now i want to add more awards...

I´ll be grateful if someone provide me a list of Freikorps awards, and if it´s possible pictures.

Thanks

Regards, Javier

[Robin Lumsden]

There were dozens of these awards. They have been widely faked.

Your best bet is to get a hold of the reprinted copy of 'Das Buch vom Deutschen Freikorpskampfer'. The original book was printed in the 1930s so all the awards illustrated are genuine.

There's also the book 'Deutsche Freikorps 1918-1923' which shows these awards.

The undernoted dealer should have copies of one or both books.

www.weitze.net

[John Doe]

Thanks Robin, I´ve just bought the 1938 edition of Das Buch vom deutschen Freikorpskämpfer from Weitze the other one i´m going to buy it in English.

Regards, Javier

[McCulloh]

You might also try the collectable classic "Freikorps Awards" by our own Verkuilen Ager.
They are even faking his book now.

[VerKuilen Ager]

Thanks for the plug, Jeff. I would not recommend the von Salomon book for Freikorps awards since it limited itself almost exclusively to the unit insignia.

[John Doe]

VerKuilen, i´ve tried to find your book but i didn´t find it... also i checked amazon.com
Do you know where i can i get one ?

Thanks

Regards, Javier

[Mike Dunn]

Here is one for fun... Mike

[McCulloh]

I got my copy directly from Herr Ager. It's an older privately published booklet with line drawings-but one can easily augment/enhance the illustraions with examples posted on the web. The guy in Cave Creek now makes "fake" copies of the booklet-so nothing really is sacred.
That is a beautiful badge above by the way.

[Gerd Becker]

Hi all,

just a question: Is the mentioned Book from Verkuilen Ager also available in German?

Thanks
Gerd

[VerKuilen Ager]

Because this topic involves a commercial aspect I've tried to steer clear of discussing it in the past. However, maybe it's time to at least clear up the status of my books. Anybody interested on more detailed information about availability can PM me or send me an e-mail at verkuilen@aol.com

Awards of the German Freikorps 1919-1935 was self-published in 1973 after five years of work and contained line drawings and typewritten English text of 46 pages, describing something like 40 awards. Some of the items, to this day, have not appeared in other publications. To my knowledge, no other English language publication (there was no German edition) has documented most of these awards in any detail. However, interest in this topic was virtually non-existent in the 1970s and the book went out of print.

Freikorps Insignia was published in 1979. Again, I printed this myself, having put over four years of work into the research, illustration, typesetting, layout (this was before electronic publishing and everything was done by hand), and printing. This book was about 70 pages, documented something like 240 collar, sleeve, hat, and other uniform insignia. A variety of period photos showing use of the insignia augmented the text. Again, the topic was of interest to myself and about two dozen collectors worldwide. I abandoned distribution and remaining copies sat in my basement. In the 1990s, interest in this topic slowly started to build. Although copyright transgressions are a U.S. federal crime and the bottom-end penalties start at $30,000, a couple of years ago an Arizona company (and their on-demand publisher in the northwest) began selling an unauthorized edition. Legal action is ongoing, so enough about that, though I hope that forum members will steer clear of the pirate printing.

I have contemplated a completely revised edition of the awards book, with new data, and photos rather than line drawings. However, as the other writers in this association will confirm, this kind of endeavor involves a great deal of time, expense, and effort. I'd be interested in hearing from forum members about what depth of enthusiasm there is for this topic. Perhaps the time has come for a return of the freikorps. Or maybe it will always be a backwater topic of only passing interest to a very few. Let me know.

[John Doe]

VerKuilen,

I think it´ll be interesting if you make a revised edition with new data and photos, like you said.

If you make it i´ll be interested in buying one.

Regards, Javier

[McCulloh]

Jetzt, jetzt ist die Zeit...

V.K., I believe that a new edition of your work would be welcomed.
Given the EXPLOSION in interest-as witnessed by the enormous prices that Freikorps awards and badges now command (and not to mention the obscene amounts paid for photographs) there must be a large number of collectors out there who yearn for a comprehensive edition.
Look at Wooley's book. It sold moderately well last year.
When the simple "Freikorps' pamphlets" put out in the Berlin Museum, auf Deutsch, now sell for $10 on ebay-some larger spark of interest is there.
"Hitler's Heralds"-now commands $50-$100 and that was just a general history.
I'd welcome and buy a newer, updated work.

[David S]

Being a novice regarding this absolutely fascinating area, I would very much welcome a new edition (or an old editions . . . any edition at all!). I have the Wooley book and Hitlers Heralds (paid $15 on eBay . . . $100 ).

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks for clearing this up. I absolutely agree with the posts above and would be very interested in that new edition.

best regards,
Gerd

[Daniel Murphy]

I agree that this would be very welcome, I am an imperial collector, but have always had an interest and wanted to acquire some freikorps items. I just did not have enough knowledge to know what was and was not freikorps, and what was rare vs common. I would also purchase a copy if you could see your may to getting this task accomplished.

Daniel Murphy