I recently had the opportunity to visit the Verein für Heraldik, Genealogie und verwandte Wissenschaften zu Berlin (HEROLD). Founded in 1869 and located in Berlin, this society is doing research into heraldry and genealogy. They also work with related themes such as sphragistics (studies of seals used to authenticate archival documents), phaleristics and numismatics. The society is very active and further information can be found on their homepage (in German only): https://herold-verein.de/
For those of you that are interested in heraldry and genealogy, I strongly recommend a visit to their website!
HEROLD also has a large archive and they are the keeper of material from the former Institut für Wissenschaftliche Ordenskunde, the Ordenskundliche Sammlung Klietmann (Translates to something like “Phaleristic(s) collection Klietmann”).
During my visit I was given all the assistance I needed by very friendly and competent honorary members of the society. I am very grateful for their time and effort!
Kurt G. Klietmann (1910-1990) founded the Institut für Wissenschaftliche Ordenskunde after World War II. As many of you might know, he wrote several articles and books about German orders and decorations.
The Ordenskundliche Sammlung Klietmann consists of a very large number of documents, pictures and other material regarding orders and decorations from all over the world. The largest part of the collection deals with German orders and decorations. The material is very well organized and there exists an index.
This collection was the reason for my visit as I was looking for information of both non-German and German WW2 orders and decorations. I also was curious of what type of material the collection consisted of, especially to what extent primary sources were present. With primary sources, I mean direct or first-hand material. When it came to German WW2 orders and decorations, I had chosen to focus on the Diamonds. I am happy to say that I found, in my opinion, some very interesting documents regarding the Diamonds (and other topics as well) and I thought it would be interesting to show one of these documents here.
I do however not know if this document has been published or used earlier, but I myself have not seen this material before my visit to HEROLD. During my visit, I only had the chance to go through a small part of the Ordenskundliche Sammlung Klietmann. In my opinion, there are great possibilities to obtain valuable knowledge from this collection of material about both German and other countries orders and decorations.
I am also aware that Klietmann has been criticized for some of the things he did. My intention is however not to go into a discussion regarding these issues, but just to show a document that in my opinion is interesting when it comes to the Diamonds.
Document 1-3: Letter from Otto Klein & Co. to the Internationale Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde, dated sixth of December 1955. Source: HEROLD, “Ordenskundliche Sammlung Klietmann”, box (“Kapsel”) 235 (“Orden mit Brillanten, Deutsches Reich”), document 068, page 1-2 and attached drawing (document 252).
For those of you that are interested in heraldry and genealogy, I strongly recommend a visit to their website!
HEROLD also has a large archive and they are the keeper of material from the former Institut für Wissenschaftliche Ordenskunde, the Ordenskundliche Sammlung Klietmann (Translates to something like “Phaleristic(s) collection Klietmann”).
During my visit I was given all the assistance I needed by very friendly and competent honorary members of the society. I am very grateful for their time and effort!
Kurt G. Klietmann (1910-1990) founded the Institut für Wissenschaftliche Ordenskunde after World War II. As many of you might know, he wrote several articles and books about German orders and decorations.
The Ordenskundliche Sammlung Klietmann consists of a very large number of documents, pictures and other material regarding orders and decorations from all over the world. The largest part of the collection deals with German orders and decorations. The material is very well organized and there exists an index.
This collection was the reason for my visit as I was looking for information of both non-German and German WW2 orders and decorations. I also was curious of what type of material the collection consisted of, especially to what extent primary sources were present. With primary sources, I mean direct or first-hand material. When it came to German WW2 orders and decorations, I had chosen to focus on the Diamonds. I am happy to say that I found, in my opinion, some very interesting documents regarding the Diamonds (and other topics as well) and I thought it would be interesting to show one of these documents here.
I do however not know if this document has been published or used earlier, but I myself have not seen this material before my visit to HEROLD. During my visit, I only had the chance to go through a small part of the Ordenskundliche Sammlung Klietmann. In my opinion, there are great possibilities to obtain valuable knowledge from this collection of material about both German and other countries orders and decorations.
I am also aware that Klietmann has been criticized for some of the things he did. My intention is however not to go into a discussion regarding these issues, but just to show a document that in my opinion is interesting when it comes to the Diamonds.
Document 1-3: Letter from Otto Klein & Co. to the Internationale Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde, dated sixth of December 1955. Source: HEROLD, “Ordenskundliche Sammlung Klietmann”, box (“Kapsel”) 235 (“Orden mit Brillanten, Deutsches Reich”), document 068, page 1-2 and attached drawing (document 252).
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