Who and what is he?

[torstenbel]

This soldier still looks very young and has 'only' won the iron cross second class, but if I am not mistaken then his shoulder boards indicate Colonel rank. Is he Imperial army or early Reichswehr or something else? If he were some high flying and successful WW1 officer that managed somehow to rise to Colonel rank then he would surely have a much bigger array of awards to show for himself? Cheers, Torsten.

[torstenbel]

nothing written on the back of the photos to provide any kind of clue

[Gerd W.]

nothing written on the back of the photos to provide any kind of clue

I believe him to be a Police officer out of Hamburg in the very early 20ies. His rank would be Oberwachtmeister.

Here a post 1921 Hamburg uniform set (you see the similaries + new visor emblem)

[torstenbel]

Thanks Gerd ... now it is beginning to make sense. I could not get my ahead around what army uniform this might be and now I understand why. Did the Hamburg police in those days have geflochtene (braided?) shoulder boards? Very confusing ... well, for me anyway ;-) Cheers, Torsten.

[Gerd W.]

Did the Hamburg police in those days have geflochtene (braided?) shoulder boards?

Correct!

Same for some other States like the Prussians; here the Prussian version of such 1920 SiPo tunic (Wachtmeister)

[torstenbel]

Thanks for the follow up Gerd.