Knights Cross Otto Weidinger 1944 Niedermarsberg

[revi]

B & c.

[revi]

And the Waldecker Hof .

[revi]

I've tried to make an as best as possible comparison shot on the spot but unfortunately the little tree on the left, still small in the original picture of the ceremony, has grown a bit so it would cover too much of the house from the spot the original picture was taken from which by the way, is in the middle of the street with a lot of traffic at that moment. The Krieger Ehrendenkmal has survived the war until about the seventies but was removed. I couldn't find any data on the Denkmal's whereabouts and the few townspeople I spoke didn't even know. Furthermore I couldn't find any pictures of the ceremony except the pictures posted here.
Anyway, it was a nice trip and interesting to see the location where it all took place, it's still there. Hope you'll enjoy it, best, Seth.

[revi]

Ceremony.

[revi]

Otto Weidinger saluting at the cermony ...

[revi]

... and in front of a building somewhere in Niedermarsberg.

[leigh]

Can’t help with info. But what a great looking memorial. Do you know why it was removed looks old in the pictures.

[revi]

Leigh I haven't found any conclusive information concerning the date of removal of the memorial or the reason why ( yet ). Wasn't really my goal but as a side path I have also searched info about the St. Marien hospital too ( the one you see in the old postcard ), because I thought both disappeared probably around the same time. St Marien's still operates under that same name but since 1967 at an other location, the old building was demolished. If you look at the picture “Marktplatz with fountain a” you'll see the hospital still excists but the memorial has already been removed, so pre 1967. Above the place where it used to be you'll see a fairly modern type car ( in comparison to early post war type models ).
Picture “Marktplatz with fountain b” I suppose possibly is about the same period. I don't know how good your knowledge of old carmodels and their date of production is but we can possibly figure out some date that way. I do see a Volkswagen Variant so the picture is at least past 1962-63. Which could mean that the statue was removed possibly even before that date …. I bit of a wild guess but that's all I can come up with now.

[revi]

I've made some enlargements for you, it really is a nice classic and richly decorated memorial. I don't know which period it commemorates but the style, combined with the first picture where it already stands on the Marktplatz which looks very early 20^th century it could well be that it's about the war of 1870 ... if not it would be WW1. I must say I have little or no knowledge of the designs of that period. Maybe some of the members know more about these type of memorials? Best! Seth.

[leigh]

The vw beetles could be late 50’s or early 60’s hard to tell. The white estate car looks like a vw type 3 square back. They started production in 61 I think.

[revi]

You're right about that time and I've also taken a look at the Beetles and some of them already have the enlarged squared rear windscreen but still the old type bumpers, these were produced from around 1964. I suppose time period for the postcards could be around 1966. Anyway, the memorial would have been positioned at the lower left corner of the postcard, about where the yellow and black road signs are visible but it already wasn't there there anymore at the time these pictures where shot. Best, Seth.

[leigh]

Totally of topic big window beetle started in 58, I own one.
Mid 60’s would be my guess

[Robert H]

agree with the time frame around the 60's, the photo coloration is also typical for it. Its not typical such a Memorial was getting removed, especially in this time frame.

[revi]

Thank you for the correction, I must have misread the site I've used for that info. Of topic no problem to me because it's simply part of what makes ones heart beat faster, isn't it :-), as is this memorial actually .


Robert H.: I never thought about it but now you mentioned, there is still much to be found ( if I read the web ) but I've hardly seen any WW1 commemorative statues in Germany on my trips there ( a few along the Rhine ) though in old postcards one sees them regularly ( as in France ), in general as a remembrance to the fallen. I can imagin a victory statue possibly would have been removed but a remembrance statue ….
Did some searching … I've found some German info on this subject, both in the Western occupied zone and the DDR / SBZ ( Soviet Occupied Zone ).


Translated in English:


Directive No. 30 of the Allied Control Council requiring the removal of all military and Nazi monuments and museums. At the same time the directive contained two limitations: First, the order referred exclusively to the monuments that were created after 1 August 1914 ... on the other hand, it was said in relation to the war memorials: "Exceptions can be made in terms of grave monuments that have been built on the burial site of fallen on battlefield regulars of the troops." Grave monuments of this type existed in the field of SBZ, however not, if at all, only provisional cemeteries with simple wooden crosses were created during World War II. Especially in the last months of the war, it was often no longer possible to bury the numerous dead. The exception, however, corresponded to the common practice since the First World War that tombs of soldiers are subject to general protection.