Porcelain Porcelain

VOL. 2, No. 55 Stein Collectors International September 2005

PR SIT

CAVALRY REGIMENTAL STEINS

The Quarterly Beer Stein Magazine

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CAVALRY REGIMENTAL

BEER STEINS

By: Ron Heiligenstein

Before the Great War (1914 - 1918) the

cavalry of the Imperial German and Royal

Bavarian Armies* could be divided into

two categories, specifically the heavy cav-

alry and the light cavalry. This article is

the first of a two part series that will dis-

cuss the types of cavalry regiments within

those categories and describe some regi-

mental beer steins that were named to

those regiments.

The terms heavy and light cavalry refer to

the size of the horses, size of the men

and the weapons they carried. The heavy

cavalry was primarily used for frontal

attacks on enemy lines. The light cavalry

with smaller, faster horses was created

for rapid movement on the enemy's flanks

and behind the lines to gather strategic

information, disrupt communications,

plunder and create general havoc.

The heavy cavalry consisted of one

Regiment of Garde du Corps, nine

Cuirassier Regiments, two Saxon Heavy

Cavalry Regiments and two Bavarian

Heavy Cavalry Regiments. The light cav-

alry included twenty-one Hussar

Regiments, twenty-six Ulan Regiments

(twenty-four Imperial German and two

Bavarian), thirteen Mounted Rifle

Regiments and eight Bavarian Light

Cavalry Regiments. The twenty-eight

Dragoon Regiments are classified as light

cavalry in this two part series, although

before the Eighteenth Century they often

fought as heavy cavalry. One regiment's

unit designation was unique among the

cavalry regiments. That was the Mounted

Grenadier Regiment Baron von

Derfflinger (Neumärk) No. 3, which was

actually a Dragoon Regiment even

though its designation does not specifical-

ly state that fact (figure 1).

When reading the history of the various

branches of the cavalry the author cau-

tions to not simply assume that Imperial

Germany and Bavaria were engaged in

one war after another during the

Nineteenth Century. Yes, they did take

considerable pride in their highly visible

military, and yes they were involved one

way or another in the important European

conflicts of that century, but certainly to

no greater extent than other European

powers. As a matter of fact when regi-

mental beer steins were most popular

(1890 - 1914), Imperial Germany and

Bavaria had been at peace in Europe for

over forty years. Some stein collectors

have called those years the "Golden Age

of Beer Steins." For sure, the twenty-five

years leading up to the Great War were

the "Golden Age of Regimental Beer

Steins."

PART ONE - THE HEAVY CAVALRY

Regiment of the Garde du Corps

The most elite unit of the heavy cavalry

was the Regiment of the Garde du Corps.

Being recruited into the Garde du Corps

was tantamount to being accepted into

the most exclusive branch of the entire

military establishment. Not only was a

recruit required to have superior physical

and mental capabilities, in most cases he

also had to be well connected. His father,

or at least a close relative, might have

been a respected military officer, an

important professional person, or some-

one in a high political position. Further,

members of the various branches of the

minor royalty were also well represented

in the Garde du Corps.

The Garde du Corps was raised 23rd

June 1740, at which time the French

speaking King Friedrich II (The Great) of

Prussia appointed himself honorary

Colonel-in-Chief. In that year the regi-

ment had just one squadron, which was

garrisoned in Potsdam. Over time, how-

ever, the regiment's size and standing

grew, even during the army's extensive

reorganization that began toward the end

of the Napoleonic Wars.

The regiment's bodyguard squadron (Leib

Eskadron) was periodically called upon

to provide ceremonial duties at the Royal

Palace in Berl in, a very high honor

indeed. Although their duty and parade

uniforms were quite similar to those of the

Cuirassier Regiments, their gala dress

uniforms for court functions were most

distinctive, to say the least. For their fre-

quent parades, off-white riding breeches,

black jackboots, black steel cuirasses

(chest armor) and the shiny metal "lobster

tail" parade helmets were the order of the

day. Their parade helmets featured a

"guard star" frontal plate and a large three

dimension spread-winged silver eagle

with a gold royal crown mounted on the

top. The "guard star" is a heraldic star

with a black eagle on a yellow back-

ground in the center that represented the

Order of the Black Eagle, a royal order

established by Friedrich I in 1701.

The Garde du Corps participated hero-

ically in numerous campaigns against

France during the Napoleonic Wars in

1813, 1814 and 1815, against Austria in

1866 during the Seven Weeks War, and

once again against France in 1870 and

1871 during the Franco-Prussian War.

figure 1

figure 2

Page 1840

September 2005

infrequently seen on regimental steins.

This half liter stein has a deep false bot-

tom, a "fish handle" and medallions sur-

rounded by oak leaves in relief around the

base. The large finial is a guardist in

parade dress on a leaping horse. The

Prussian eagle thumblift sits on a ball with

a stanhope containing a small photo of

the terraced gardens at Sans Souci, the

palace of Friedrich II (The Great) in

Potsdam. The eagle thumblift holds in its

beak an unusual, relatively large brass

pendant in the shape of a flag with four

quadrants containing enameled Imperial

German, Turkish and Austrian flags,

along with a flag displaying a Maltese

cross. The scene on the face and the

scenes on the sides are identical to those

on Artur Pfefferkorn's stein (figure 2).

The regimental beer stein in figure 4 was

originally owned by Willy Hilscher and is

also named to the Regiment of the Garde

du Corps. Hilscher, l ike Reservist

Wassmann, was garrisoned at Potsdam

from 1912 to 1915, but he was with the

4th Squadron, not the Bodyguard

Squadron as was Wassmann, which

This regimental stein, originally owned by

Artur Pfefferkorn (figure 2), is named to

the Bodyguard Squadron of the Regiment

of the Garde du Corps. Pfefferkorn was

garrisoned with his squadron at Potsdam

from 1906 to 1909. This stein has several

unusual features including a lithophane of

the Garde du Corps barracks in Potsdam,

a stanhope under the Prussian eagle

thumblift containing a tiny photo of the

National Gallery in Berlin and a guard star

with an enameled black eagle center

hanging from the eagle's beak. On the

face of this stein is a picture of a guardist

in parade dress on a large black horse in

front of the Royal Palace in Berlin over

Prussian, Imperial German and regimen-

tal flags and a black cuirass. The large

side scenes include a typical farewell

scene and a Garde du Corps Squadron

practicing a cavalry charge.

This unusually tall (14.5 inches) regimen-

tal beer stein (figure 3), originally owned

by Reservist Wassman, reveals that he

was also garrisoned with the Bodyguard

Squadron of the Regiment of the Garde

du Corps in Potsdam, but from 1912 to

1915. The date 1915 was one year after

the start of the Great War, something

accounts for the different appearance of

the steins. This tall porcelain stein has a

large finial of a guardist in parade dress

on a leaping horse and a Prussian eagle

thumblift that is holding in its beak a

guard star with an enameled black eagle

in the center. On the stein's face is a

large scene of a guardist on a horse

above a white Garde du Corps shoulder

strap, placed between an oval on the left

containing a picture of Prince Leopold of

Prussia and on the right, an oval with

Emperor Wilhelm II, King of Prussia.

There are four small "late type" field train-

ing scenes on the sides and six double

rows of gold beading adjacent to the

upper and lower frieze bands.

Cuirassier Regiments

The origin of the Cuirassiers dates back

to the late Fifteenth Century. In 1484, the

Emperor Maximilian of Austria had a

small unit of cavalry called Kyrissers that

wore full body armor. During the Thirty

Years War (1618 - 1648) Cuirassiers

wore three quarter body armor, but during

the Seven Years War (1756 - 1763) the

Cuirassiers of Friedrich II (The Great) opt-

ing for greater mobility, rode into battle

wearing just an iron cuirass over their uni-

forms.

The Guard Cuirassier Regiment was

bracketed with the Regiment of the Garde

du Corps in the 1st Brigade of the Guard

Corps' Cavalry Division. The regiment's

duty uniforms, parade uniforms and hel-

mets, as mentioned above, were similar

to those of the Garde du Corp. The

rather familiar "lobster tail" spiked helmet

(Pickelhaube) of polished steel, intro-

duced in 1842, was worn during training

exercises and in time of war by all the

Cuirassier Regiments (figure 5).

figure 3

figure 4

figure 5

Page 1841

September 2005

The Guard Regiment was raised as a

Guard Ulan Regiment on 21st February

1815, then on 8th March 1821 was desig-

nated the Guard Cuirassier Regiment,

until being decommissioned in April 1919

after the end of the Great War. The regi-

ment fought against France in 1815 at the

conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars,

against Austria in 1866 during the Seven

Weeks War and against France in 1870

and 1871 during the Franco-Prussian

War. The other Cuirassier Regiments

also saw considerable action in those

wars.

The regimental stein owned by Heinrich

Köchling (figure 6) is named to the 2nd

Squadron of the Guard Cuirassier

Regiment. Köchling was garrisoned in

Berlin from 1903 to 1906. His stein has

the mark of the firm Merkelbach & Wick of

Grenzhausen under the base. The finial

is a small leaping horse and rider and the

thumblift is a spread-winged, crowned

eagle holding a gold colored guard star in

its beak. The eagle is sitting on a ball

with a stanhope containing a portrait of

Emperor Wilhelm II and his family. The

stein's body is completely surrounded by

three large "fill-in" type scenes. The front

scene is a mounted Guard Cuirassier in

parade dress wearing a gold cuirass and

parade helmet, with the Brandenburg

Gate and the dome of an unidentifiable

church in the far background. The left

side scene shows three Guard

Cuirassiers in parade dress, bidding

farewell to a pretty bar maid who is hand-

ing them steins of foaming beer. The

scene on the right is mounted Guard

Cuirassiers on their horses leaping over a

low fence. There is gold beading around

the typical Merkelbach & Wick style frieze

bands.

The unusually tall (14.5 inches) regimen-

tal stein originally owned by Lance

Corporal (Gefreiter) Hermann Kleist was

also made by Merkelbach & Wick (figure

7). Kleist began his military service with

the Cuirassier Regiment Queen

(Pomeranian) No. 2 at Pasewalk, but in

1913 he was greatly honored to be trans-

ferred to the Bodyguard, Her Majesty the

Empress (of Imperial Germany) unit serv-

ing as Palace Guards in Potsdam. There

were twelve men in this unit, by tradition

each coming from the 2nd Pomeranian

Cuirassiers. The finial is a large mounted

Cuirassier in parade dress and the thum-

blift is a Prussian spread-winged eagle

with a guard star dangling from its beak.

Under the eagle is a ball with a stanhope

containing a tiny photo of the terraced

gardens at Sans Souci. The scenes on

the face and sides are identical to the

stein originally owned by Reservist

Wassmann (figure 3), except the horse on

the face of Kleist's stein is a bay. This

regimental stein has several other unusu-

al features, including a shield on the base

with the gold embossed initials "HK" for

Kleist and two shoulder straps on either

side of the "fish handle." The left shoul-

der strap symbolizes the 2nd Pomeranian

Cuirassiers to which Kleist originally

belonged; the right shoulder strap with a

crowned "L" (Leibgarde) signifying Kleist's

service as a body guard for the Empress

of Germany.

Lance Corporal (Gefreiter) Bander's rela-

tively short (9.5 inches) "tree branch han-

dle" regimental beer stein is named to the

Cuirassier Regiment von Driesen

(Westphalian) No. 4 (figure 8). Bander

was garrisoned with his regiment at

Münster from 1896 until 1899. Emperor

figure 6figure 7

figure 8

Page 1842

September 2005

The regimental stein originally owned by

Guardist (Gardist) Franz is named to the

Royal Saxon Guard Cavalry Regiment

(1st Heavy Regiment) (figure 9). Franz

was garrisoned at Dresden from 1906 to

1909. The finial on his stein is a relatively

large mounted guardist in parade dress.

The Saxon Guard Cavalry parade helmet

was unique. The gold (tombak) "lobster

tail" helmet had a silver frontal plate that

was a Saxon shield surrounded by a sun-

burst. On top of the helmet rested a

large, silver crouching lion. The thumblift

on Franz's stein is the flat Saxon shield,

very typical on Saxon regimental steins.

The front scene shows a Saxon Guardist

on a leaping horse, wearing his light blue

parade tunic and crouching lion parade

helmet. In the background you can see a

bridge over the Elbe River and Dresden's

Semper Opera House. Below this is an

oval with a Saxon Guard Cavalry officer

wearing a spiked helmet between assort-

ed state flags. On the sides are four small

"late type" training and farewell scenes.

Wilhelm II bestowed the von Driesen title

on the regiment on 27th January 1889.

Von Driesen had earned a place in history

by leading a successful cavalry attack on

the rear of the Austrian Army at the deci-

sive Battle of Leuthen in 1757 during the

Seven Years War. The small finial is a

leaping horse and rider and the thumblift

is a bust of Emperor Wilhelm II resplen-

dent in his parade cuirass and helmet.

On the face of Bander's stein is a colorful

picture of Wilhelm II seen, strangely

enough, in the uniform of a hussar officer.

Below is a shield with an Imperial German

Eagle (Reich's Adler) representing the

Hohenzollern Dynasty, between the flags

of Imperial Germany and Prussia. On the

right side is a bivouac scene and on the

left a cavalry charge with a cuirassier

seen tumbling from his horse. Scenes on

regimental steins that show any training

casualties are most unusual.

Saxon Heavy Cavalry Regiments

The Royal Saxon Guard Cavalry

Regiment (1st Heavy Regiment) was

raised as the Regiment on Horse on 31st

October 1680. From 1695 until 1822, the

regiment was named the Saxon

Cuirassier Regiment. Then from 1822

until being decommissioned in 1919, the

regiment was called the Guard Cavalry

Regiment (1st Heavy Regiment). The

Royal Saxon Carbine Regiment (2nd

Heavy Regiment) was raised much later

on 1st November 1849 as the 3rd

Cavalry Regiment. On 23rd April 1876,

this unit 's off icial designation was

changed to Carbine Regiment (2nd

Heavy Regiment).

Both Saxon Heavy Cavalry Regiments

have an interesting history, having fought

with Prussia and against Prussia at vari-

ous times during the Nineteenth Century.

The Guard Regiment fought with France

against the combined armies of Prussia,

Russia, Austria and England at the Battle

of the Nations near Leipzig in 1813. Then

in 1849, the Guard Regiment briefly

fought on the side of Prussia against

Denmark. Interestingly, seventeen years

later in 1866 the Guard Regiment fought

with Austria in a campaign against

Prussia during the Seven Weeks War,

ending in defeat at the Battle of

Königgrätz. Finally, in 1870 and 1871,

the Guard Regiment was involved in the

defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian

War. The Carbine Regiment also fought

with Austria against Prussia during the

Seven Weeks War at the Battle of

Königgrätz and in 1870 and 1871, partici-

pated in the victory over France in the

Franco-Prussian War.

The tall (13.5 inches) regimental beer

stein that was originally owned by

Carbiner (Karabinier) Scharf was named

to the Royal Saxon Carbine Regiment

(2nd Heavy Regiment) (figure 10). Scharf

was garrisoned with his regiment in Borna

from 1910 to 1913. The stein's finial is a

large mounted Saxon Carbiner holding a

lance with a green and white cloth pen-

non, the colors of Saxony. There is a

stanhope in the horse's head, but unfortu-

nately the photo has been washed out.

The thumblift is a pierced Saxon shield.

The front scene is a Saxon Carbiner in

parade dress on a large leaping horse.

White horsehair plumes replaced spikes

when helmets were modified for parades.

Below is an oval containing a picture of

King Friedrich August of Saxony, between

an oval on the left with the regiment's

epaulette and an oval on the right con-

taining a Saxon shield. On the sides are

four small "late type" training and farewell

scenes.

figure 9

figure 10

Page 1843

September 2005

Bavarian Heavy Cavalry Regiments

The Royal Bavarian 1st Heavy Cavalry

Regiment Prince Karl of Bavaria was

raised on 16th July 1814 as the Royal

Bavarian Regiment of the Garde du

Corps. From 20th November 1825 until

29th November 1878 it was called a

Cuirassier Regiment, then after 1878 it

was designated the Royal Bavarian 1st

Heavy Cavalry Regiment. The title Prince

Karl of Bavaria was added to the unit des-

ignation to honor General of the Cavalry

Prince Karl who had been named hon-

orary Colonel-in-Chief (Inhaber) of the

Regiment in 1825.

The Royal Bavarian 2nd Heavy Cavalry

Regiment Archduke Franz Ferdinand of

Austria was raised 24th September 1815

as the 2nd Cuirassier Regiment. The reg-

iment kept the 2nd Cuirassier designation

until 1st April 1879 when it was changed

to the 2nd Heavy Cavalry Regiment. The

tit le Archduke Franz Ferdinand was

added to the regiment's name in 1899 to

honor the heir apparent to the throne of

Austria. Franz Ferdinand and his wife

were assassinated, however, in Sarajevo

on 28th June 1914, touching off a series

of international crises that ultimately led to

the outbreak of the Great War on 1st

August 1914.

Both regiments, allied with Prussian units,

saw action against France in 1815 at the

conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars. In

1866 they fought unsuccessfully in a limit-

ed campaign with Austria against Prussia

during the Seven Weeks War. Then just

four years later in 1870 and 1871, those

regiments allied with the Prussian Army

almost from the beginning, helped defeat

France in the Franco-Prussian War.

The regimental stein in figure 11, original-

ly owned by Lance Corporal (Gefreiter)

Steingraber, is named to the Royal

Bavarian 1st Heavy Cavalry Regiment

Prince Karl of Bavaria. Steingraber was

originally garrisoned in Munich in 1912,

but remained in the army until 1919 with

no indication as to where he served.

Once the Great War began and new tech-

nologies, including the machine gun, were

introduced, it became quite evident that

the cavalry would be ineffective in its prin-

cipal missions. As a result, most cavalry

regiments were disbanded and the men

were transferred to the infantry or artillery.

In Steingraber's case, his stein tells us

that he became a machine gunner in the

infantry, even though the appearance of

his regimental stein clearly indicates his

"roots" were in the cavalry. The finial on

this stein is a leaping horse with the rider

holding his sword in an upright position

and the thumblift is a crowned Bavarian

rampant lion holding a shield. The front

scene is also a leaping horse and rider

over a parade helmet and saddle. On the

left is a large farewell scene and on the

right a cavalry charge. The upper and

lower frieze bands have colorful oak

leaves and gold acorns in high relief.

The regimental beer stein originally

owned by Cavalryman (Reiter)

Liedemann (figure 12) is named to the

Royal Bavarian 2nd Heavy Cavalry

Regiment Archduke Franz Ferdinand of

Austria. Liedemann was garrisoned at

Landshut from 1912 to the war year 1915,

and similar to Steingraber's situation, it's

unlikely that he ever served in the cavalry

once the war started. The screw off finial

on this stein is a large leaping horse and

a rider wearing a plumed parade helmet.

Under the finial is a multifaceted green

glass insert. The thumblift is a Bavarian

rampant lion holding a shield. On the

front of the stein is a cavalryman in

parade dress on a large leaping horse

with a Zeppelin and an observation bal-

loon in the background. Below are ovals

with pictures of Emperor Wilhelm II and

King Ludwig III of Bavaria. There is

extensive gold beading around the upper

and lower frieze bands.

The second of this two part series will

appear in the next issue of Prosit. That

part will discuss light cavalry regiments

and regimental steins named to those

regiments.

* Footnote:

From time to time, this author has been

asked "why do you say Imperial German

and Royal Bavarian or sometimes just

Bavarian Armies? Why don't you simply

say German Army?" Here's why: In 1871

at the end of the Franco-Prussian War

those kingdoms, grand duchies, duchies

and principalities that had not been incor-

porated into Prussia earlier, became part

of the Second Empire in what is common-

ly called The German Unification. And

with those "states" came their military

forces, with the sole exception being

Bavaria. In the process of convincing

Bavaria to join a unif ied Germany,

Prussia agreed to let Bavaria retain con-

trol of its army during peace time, which

means there were two separate armies

from 1871 to 1914 - which is why we say

Imperial German Army and Royal

Bavarian Army instead of just saying

German Army.

figure 11 figure 12Page 1844

September 2005

References:

(The) Cavalry, James Lawford,

Indianapolis, IN, USA

Cuirassiers and Heavy Cavalry, D.S.V.

Fosten, London, UK

Formationsgeschichte und tellenbeset-

zung, Günter Wegner, Osnabrück, D

Hussars and Mounted Rifles, .H.Hagger,

New Malden, UK

Lancers and Dragoons, R.J. Marrion,

London, UK

Regimental Beer Steins, 1890-1914, R.

Ron Heiligenstein, Milwaukee, WI, USA

Regimental Steins, Major John L. Harrell,

Ret., Frederick, MD, USA

Ruhmeshalle Unserer Alten Armee, Dr.

Martin Lezius, Leipzig, D

(The) Soldier Kings: The House of

Hohenzollern, Walter Henry Nelson,

London, UK

Page 1845

September 2005