Albrechtsordens Award Document

[DaveG]

Yesterday I picked up two documents to the same man at a private estate sale. The documents are as follows:

1. Award document for the Ritterkreuz 1 Kl. des Albrechtsordens with swords, dated January 15, 1916 to a Major Lukas Kirsten signed by Friedrich August (I believe - I hate trying to read the old script)

2. A document which frankly I'm having difficulty translating to the same gentleman as above only he is a Hauptman at this time, dated Coblenz Sept. 15, 1905, signed by Kaiser Wilhelm regarding something about his Southwest Afrika service. It mentions Schutztruppen and sometime about a patent??. This document is doublesided.

Does anyone have any information on Lukas Kirsten? All my reference books are packed away as a result of a recent move. Any help will be appreciated.

Best Regards,

Dave

[Tom Y]

I'm sure we'd all like to see them. If you send me scans I'll post them for you. PM me.

[Rick Research]

Lukas Kirsten: born 21 May 1874 Crimmitschau, killed in action 10 December 1917 near Warneton,

Saxon cavalry officer, participant in China Campaign 1900-01 and Southwest Africa 1904-06

Sekondeleutnant
Oberleutnant 28.6.99 C
Rittmeister 15.9.05
Major zD

Went to zD status from Ulanen Rgt 21 19 January 1914. Recalled for WW1 and served in infantry units as a battalion and regimental commander, being KIA as commander of Saxon Inf Rgt 177.

Received the Saxon St Henry Order-Knight for China 19.1.1901, as well as Prussian Crown Order 4X and Austro-Hungarian Military Merit Cross 3 with War Decoration and Japanese Order of the Rising Sun 6th Class. I believe he also received his Italian Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus-Knight for China.

In Southwest Africa he received Saxon Merit Order-Knight w/Xs and Prussian Red Eagle Order 4 w/Xs.

Until 1914: Saxon XXV Years Long Service Cross

WWI: both classes of Prussian Iron Cross, Swords to Saxon Albert Order-Knight 1st 19.10.15 (when he got a Knight 1st WITHOUT swords I don’t know—must have been before the war started in 1914) and Crown to that grade 27.6.16. Turkish Imtiaz Medal in Silver with Sabers Bar was apparently a “courtesy” award from a visiting Ottoman Pasha.

Commander grade of the Saxon Order of Saint Henry 12 October 1916 as commander of Saxon Infantry Regiment 103.

I knew the 1970s owner of his medal bar, which appears below in a (sorry about this) horrible quality scan from last October’s Kube auction of the Siebentritt colonial collection. Maybe somebody with a better scanner can get a better view from the catalog—Mister Scanner was having "stripe" issues again today. A close-up of the bars will follow from a 1970s photo I still have.

[Rick Research]

From this 1970s photo, you will see that someone BAD took the Imtiaz medal bar, worn upside down here in Kirsten's life, and "corrected" it by putting it right side up, above. It also looks like the Merit Order and Albert Order in 2nd and 3rd places on the medal bar have been altered, since he got the Albert with CROWN, not shown there. (Those two Orders were probably returned to the Orders Chancellory after he was killed)

The 1905 "Patent" was his Schutztruppen commission, the same seniority he later held on returning to Saxon cavalry.

Oh, what ELSE is out there, scattered to the winds, oh where, oh where is it all NOW from these last 30 years?

Ricky (like an elephant) never forgets

[DaveG]

Yes, Rick, but can you not be so vague! Seriously, I believe that you just provided all the details I could have ever hoped for. Thanks.

If you had seen the estate these documents came from you would be amazed. This gentleman was a collector of everything and nothing. There was no rhyme nor reason to what he collected. These were the only documents, frankly the only military-related items he had.

Thanks again.

Dave

[Klaus O.]

Rick & Dave,

I remember this beautiful bar... How could I or could you forget something like that... I believe it was sold over Eur 7'000.- It would be interesting to know who got it, in order to reunite all the documents with the bar, just for history's sake, naturally.

Ciao,

Claudio

[Glenn2438]

Kirsten

At the time of Major Kirsten's death, the Kgl. Sächs. 12. Infanterie-Regiment Nr.177 of the 32nd Infantry Division was under command of Gruppe Lille, Sixth Army. According to Sachsen in großer Zeit he was killed by a shot to the head in the forward trenches whilst facing elements of the 1st Australian Division. Kirsten had commanded IR.77 since the 5th of August 1917.

Regards
Glenn

[DaveG]

I would welcome the opportunity to reunite the medals and documents. I'm not a document collector so there's no attachment to these documents on my part. Spread the word!