Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Sold by Order of a Direct Descendant

A ‘Battle of France’ Iron Cross Knight’s Cross group attributed to Oberst Hermann-Eberhard Wildermuth, latterly ‘Fortress Commandant’ of Le Havre

Iron Cross 1939, Knight’s Cross, neck badge, unmarked, in plain black fitted case of issue; German Cross in Gold, enamelled, four rivet construction, unmarked, pin-backed; 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st Class, unmarked, pin-backed; Iron Cross 1914, 1st Class, reverse marked, ‘800’, fitted with twin screw-fittings, with back-plate; Wound Badge 1914-18 (2), gilt, skeletal type, pin-backed; together with a lapel stick-pin; Austrian Commemorative Badge, ‘Isonzo-Armee 1915’, pin-backed, very fine and better (7) £4000-5000

Hermann-Eberhard Wildermuth was born in Stuttgart on 23 October 1890 - grandson of the Swabian writer, Ottilie Wildermuth. After graduating from High School in 1908, Wildermuth studied law and political sciences in Tübingen, Leipzig and Berlin, 1909-14.

He served during 1908-09 as a one-year volunteer in the 1st Württemberg Infantry Regiment. During the Great war he served as an officer with that regiment, serving on the Western, Eastern and Italian Fronts. For his services he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Classes and the Wound Badge in Silver and Black metals. Latterly awarded the Cross of Honour 1914-18 with swords. After the war he completed his studies, graduating as a Doctor of Law in 1921. In 1919 he joined the left-liberal D.D.P. party. Following his graduation he worked for the Imperial Institute for Job Placement and Unemployment in Berlin and later worked as a Senior Executive Officer at the Ministry of Labour. From 1928 he was a Director of Deutsche Bank’s construction operations and in 1930 was a board member, later President of the German Society for Public Works.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, Wildermuth was drafted into the Army as a Reserve Major. During the Battle of France he was commander of the 2nd Battalion of Infantry Regiment 272. During 1941-42 he served as commander of Infantry Regiment 737 in Serbia, being promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in December 1941. From May 1942 he was commander of Infantry Regiment 371 with Army Group Centre on the Eastern Front and from May 1943 was commander of Infantry Regiment 578 in Italy. On 12 August 1944 Wildermuth was appointed ‘Fortress Commandant’ of Le Havre. On 12 September 1944 he was captured and was eventually held at a senior officers’ prisoner-of-war camp at Trent Park. For his wartime services Wildermuth was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on 15 August 1940 (for the battle of France) and the German Cross in Gold on 25 December 1942.

After the war in 1946 Wildermuth was appointed Secretary of State for Economics in the Württemberg-Hohenzollern Provisional Government. During July 1947-September 1949 he was Minister of Economic Affairs of Württemberg-Hohenzollern. From 1949 he was the Federal Minister for Housing under Konrad Adenauer, an important post, heavily involved in the post-war reconstruction. From January 1952 he was Deputy National Chairman of the Free Democratic Party. Dr Wildermuth died at Tübingen on 9 March 1952, aged 61 years.