Wanted to post a few of my Imperial visors. I seem to have gravitated toward the Dragoons specifically, cavalry in general. I found the only way for an item to stay in my collection over the years is it has to be attributable (or at least hold the possibility of identifying an owner). These guys fit the bill.
First up, the visor of Rittmeister Max CLEMENS Mariano Maria Joseph Hubert Reichsfreiherr von und zu Eltz-R�benach
(1878-�1940) Oldenburgisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 19.
Commissioned in 1901 in Dragoner Regiment 4
Leutnant 30.01.00 P4p
Oberleutnant 18.10.09 U4u
Transferred to DR 19 between the October 1913 Supplement and the May 1914 Rank List, probably when promoted
Rittmeister 18.10.13 S2s
Commander of 5th Squadron in 1914 and into 1916
Received the Catholic Papal-affiliated version of the Order of Malta as of 1914 Rangliste.
Eventually returned to service for WW2 but died shortly after he was called up.
Eltz-R�benach was the younger brother of Hitler's first Minister of Post and Transportation, who was purged in 1937 as a Catholic activist anti-Nazi:
"Execution of the Nazi Party Program. In the original Cabinet of 30 January 1933 only three cabinet members were members of the Party -- Goering, Frick, and Hitler. As new Ministries were added to the Cabinet, prominent Nazis were placed at their head. On 30 January 1937, Hitler accepted into the Party those Cabinet members who were not already members. This action is reported in the Voelkischer Beobachter, South German Edition, of 1 February 1937:
"In view of the anticipated lifting of the ban for party membership, the Fuehrer, as the first step in this regard, personally carried out the enlistment into the party of the members of the Cabinet, who so far had not belonged to it and he handed them simultaneously the Gold Party Badge, the supreme badge of honor of the party. In addition, the Fuehrer awarded the Gold Party Badge to Generaloberst Freiherr von Fritsch; Generaladmiral Dr. H. C. Raeder; the Prussian Minister of Finance, Professor Popitz; and the Secretary of State and Chief of the Presidential Chancellery, Dr. Meissner.
"The Fuehrer also honored with the gold party badge the party members State Secretary Dr. Lammers, State Secretary Funk, State Secretary Koerner and State Secretary General of the Airforce Milch."
It was possible to refuse the party membership thus conferred. Only one man, von Eltz-Rubenach, who was the Minister of Post and Minister of Transport at the time, did this. His letter from von Eltz-Rubenach to Hitler, dated 30 January 1937, reads as follows:
"I thank you for the confidence you have placed in me during the four years of your leadership and for the honor you do me in offering to admit me to the party. My conscience forbids me however to accept this offer. I believe in the principles of positive Christianity and must remain faithful to my Lord and to myself. Party membership however would mean that I should have to face without contradiction the steadily aggravating attacks by party offices on the Christian confessions and those who want to remain faithful to their religious convictions.
"This decision has been infinitely difficult for me. For never in my life have I performed my duty with greater joy and satisfaction than under your wise state leadership.
"I ask to be permitted to resign.
"With German Greetings:
Yours very obediently,
"(signed) Baron v. Eltz"
