Following up on my earlier thread about the Deutsche Ehrendenkmünze des Weltkriegs (see http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru....php?t=1010789) I would like to present a (hopefully informative) reference thread on the Kriegsdenkmünze 1914/18 des Kyffhäuserbundes [War Commemorative Medal 1914/18 of the Kyffhäuserbund] as well.
This is surely the best-known and by far the most common of the many unofficial decorations of the Weimar era. Still, for those unfamiliar with the background of this medal, first a bit of history:
Since 1917, plans had been made to institute a commemorative medal for participants in the Great War and, after the Kaiser and King of Prussia Wilhelm II. as well as all other German regents had agreed, the actual design process began in July 1918. Just a few months later, the collapse of the German monarchy, the subsequent political changes and the general chaos following the end of the war would put an end to this project.
However, the Kyffhäuserbund veterans' association felt the responsibility to revive it and in early 1919 made a petition to the office of the Reichs Chancellor towards the creation of a commemorative medal for the Great War of 1914/18. After the matter had been passed through several government ministries and undergone thorough deliberation and evaluation, the Reichswehrminister [Secretary of the Armed Forces] pointed out the various difficulties that the creation of such a medal would involve (not least the cost for an estimated 15,000,000 required medals) and recommended the cabinet not to institute such a medal.
The cabinet followed his proposal and in January 1921, the final decision was made that there would be no official decoration awarded for participation in World War I. This meant breaking with a long tradition: Such medals had existed since the wars of 1813/1815, but now, following the largest, bloodiest, most severe and most fateful conflict in all of Germany’s history, no such decoration would come to be.
Needless to say, this fact was extremely unpopular with WWI veterans who felt they were entitled to such a medal just like those who had fought in the earlier wars. (This wish would have been particularly strong in those who had served honorably but had not been awarded any decoration before the war was over.) In order to meet this demand and rectify the perceived injustice, a large number of unofficial decorations sprang up during the Weimar years, some awarded by already-existing veterans’ associations, some by new organizations that had been specifically created for this purpose, some born of genuine patriotic feelings, some primarily from good business sense.
Naturally, the Kyffhäuserbund, too, felt the responsibility to create its own medal, and in 1921, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Kyffhäuser-Denkmal [Kyffhäuser Memorial], the Kriegsdenkmünze 1914/18 des Kyffhäuserbundes was instituted.
This is surely the best-known and by far the most common of the many unofficial decorations of the Weimar era. Still, for those unfamiliar with the background of this medal, first a bit of history:
Since 1917, plans had been made to institute a commemorative medal for participants in the Great War and, after the Kaiser and King of Prussia Wilhelm II. as well as all other German regents had agreed, the actual design process began in July 1918. Just a few months later, the collapse of the German monarchy, the subsequent political changes and the general chaos following the end of the war would put an end to this project.
However, the Kyffhäuserbund veterans' association felt the responsibility to revive it and in early 1919 made a petition to the office of the Reichs Chancellor towards the creation of a commemorative medal for the Great War of 1914/18. After the matter had been passed through several government ministries and undergone thorough deliberation and evaluation, the Reichswehrminister [Secretary of the Armed Forces] pointed out the various difficulties that the creation of such a medal would involve (not least the cost for an estimated 15,000,000 required medals) and recommended the cabinet not to institute such a medal.
The cabinet followed his proposal and in January 1921, the final decision was made that there would be no official decoration awarded for participation in World War I. This meant breaking with a long tradition: Such medals had existed since the wars of 1813/1815, but now, following the largest, bloodiest, most severe and most fateful conflict in all of Germany’s history, no such decoration would come to be.
Needless to say, this fact was extremely unpopular with WWI veterans who felt they were entitled to such a medal just like those who had fought in the earlier wars. (This wish would have been particularly strong in those who had served honorably but had not been awarded any decoration before the war was over.) In order to meet this demand and rectify the perceived injustice, a large number of unofficial decorations sprang up during the Weimar years, some awarded by already-existing veterans’ associations, some by new organizations that had been specifically created for this purpose, some born of genuine patriotic feelings, some primarily from good business sense.
Naturally, the Kyffhäuserbund, too, felt the responsibility to create its own medal, and in 1921, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Kyffhäuser-Denkmal [Kyffhäuser Memorial], the Kriegsdenkmünze 1914/18 des Kyffhäuserbundes was instituted.
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