Show us your favourite Ritterkreuz photo

[Mike H]

16.

Speech by a young HJ member with Maier sitting with the local officials -- party and NSFK.

[Mike H]

Another photo ..

Here is a plaque that came with the photos -- apparently it was attached to a painting that was presented to Heinrich Meyer at this speech-giving ceremony. I have a photo of him being presented this painting but it is very dark and blurred. You are unable to make out the plate.

[WalterB]

Here is a plaque that came with the photos -- apparently it was attached to a painting that was presented to Kurt Maier at this speech-giving ceremony. I have a photo of him being presented this painting but it is very dark and blurred. You are unable to make out the plate. Note, too, that they misspelled his name.

Awesome pictures, Mike! It is interesting to see the mispelling, considering that Meyer has, according to the Nazis, Jewish overtones (recall the infamous claim made by Goering that if Allied bombers could bomb Germany, they could call him "Meyer").

[D. Löwenhamn]

Walter, Meyer does not have Jewish overtones. It's a common German name. Nice pictures by the way, Mike.

Best regards/ Daniel

[WalterB]

Walter, Meyer does not have Jewish overtones. It's a common German name. Nice pictures by the way, Mike.

Best regards/ Daniel

No, Daniel. You are incorrect.

[Akira Takiguchi]

Thanks for the info about the Bäke photo, Christian. I should know the Gefreiter's name but I can't remember it now, sorry.

Here's one I like, if not my favorite.

[D. Löwenhamn]

No, Daniel. You are incorrect.

No, I'm not. It exists as a Jewish name but it certainly doesn't have any Jewish overtones.

Origins of the Surname


Latin & Germanic Origins

One reason why the surname is so common is that it has an occupational origination in the European Merovingian Dynasty of the fifth century and comes from the Gallo-Roman term "major" , meaning "someone in a higher position". The term "major" evolved into "Meior" in Old High German , then "Meier" in Middle High German. In the 12th Century, it is known that the name was given to those that administered estates for the aristocracy or the clergy. It was, also, applied as the name for a farmer who leased land belonging to the nobility or clergy. The lease was of such a long duration that the land-lease was often inherited by the eldest son of the farmer. Thus, descendants of the original title bearer often became know as "Meier", too.

This surname, with its many varients, is one of the most widespread Germanic surnames. As the surname became more common in the small local areas where centuries saw little or no movement of its inhabitants, people added prefixes & suffixes to the root name in order to distinguish themselves from others bearing the same name. Such early prefixes and suffixes were likely distinctions or elaborations on the occupational title and/or to leasehold farmlands. Thus, "Feldmeyer" might indicate the "meyer" family with their farm in/near the woods, as might "Holtzmeyer". There are over 1000 combinations or varients of the surname Meyer, including: Mair, Myer, Hoffmeyer, Garmire, Steckmier, Goldmeir, Meyerbeer-- just to name a very few.

A Coat of Arms was granted to one Franz Simon Meyer of Baden-Baden.

Basic Root Spelling Varients

Meior ; Meier ; Meyer ; Meir ; Meijer (Holland) ; Maier ; Mayer ; Mier ; Myer


Ethnic Notes

The wide range of ethnic peoples bearing varient forms of the name Meyer, attests to the tremendous influence of the the Gallo-Roman Empire in Europe. The surname can be found not only among Germans, but among the French, Irish, Ashkenazy Jews, Scandinavians, East Europeans, Russians, Italians, and other European latins language peoples. As jewish peoples in the Germanic countries did not have the right to own or till the land or to be farmers, most genealogists attribute two origins to the patronym or surname: one christian and one jewish . The jewish name "Meyer" signifies a Talmudic doctor or scholar.

http://www.autumnstar.com/MEYER/meyer_hstry.html

Very nice photo, Akira. Who is it, Wegner?

Best regards/ Daniel

[Akira Takiguchi]

Don't think he's Wegner, a Panzergrenadier he is. Thank you for a good reading about Meyer, I always use http://www.behindthename.com/ about first names but I wonder if there is similar one for family names...

[Denis]

Hi
Akira's RKT is Wilhelm Kessel
Regards
Denis

[InfanterieSammler]

Here is my favorite portrait photo!

[Andreas Nilsson]

Some very nice pictures of RKT´s

Here is a picture of Hauptmann Erich Domaschk who got the Knights Cross on 3 November 1942 in Stalingrad.

Regards
Andreas

[WalterB]

No, I'm not. It exists as a Jewish name but it certainly doesn't have any Jewish overtones.



Very nice photo, Akira. Who is it, Wegner?

Best regards/ Daniel

I apologize for deviating from the main topic of this thread; however, I will respond to Daniel's post.
Of course there may be Germans named Meyer that are not Jews, but a great number of Germans with such surname were Jewish. That is precisely why Goering alluded to that name when he was asked if British bombs would ever fall on Berlin. If, like you say, such surname did not have Jewish overtones, then Goering's retort would really make no sense. Think about it, if in fact Meyer had no other overtone than say "Smith", then Goering's response that no British bomb would fall on Berlin or you can call me "Smith" makes absolutely no sense. If on the other hand, you consider that the name Meyer does indeed have Jewish overtones, then his response makes complete sense. Goering is basically saying that if something so outrageous as British bombs falling on Berlin occurs, you can call him by a name that he (and the rest of the Nazi culture) would consider insulting (i.e., a name that would imply that he is an "inferior" Jew).

[Stijn David]

one of my favorits

Hello,


Here is one of my favorits => Leutnant Elimar Meyer - Wehner (KC holder - Grann Sasso raid - glider pilot)


Cordial greetings,

[Denis]

OK. You asked for it. I have a batch of photos of Oberleutnant Kurt Maier (Meyer) being presented the RK by Hugo Sperrle and his subsequent celebration in Lehrte, Germany -- I assume his hometown. Lehrte is between Hannover and Braunschweig. I think you will find these interesting as they show how a city turned out for its hero and honored him.

Here are some more of the Sperrle presentation.

Mike

Hello Mike
I don't think the Oblt. you have shown on the marvelous photos is Kurt Maier. This is Heinrich Meyer from KG2. K
It is consequently logical with the name written on the plaque. If you need a pic of H. Meyer, let me know.
Thanks for posting
Denis

[Mogdala]

Oh nice photos, i see the tread is growing up - but there were more than 7000 RK holders, i want to see more