World War I German medal awarded for Tapferkeit [Bravery]
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 1.750 inches (4.445 cm) | Width: 1.250 inches (3.175 cm) | Depth: 1.250 inches (3.175 cm)
Creator(s)
- Ludwig F. Sussman (Subject)
Biographical History
Ludwig Friedrich Sussmann was born May 9th, 1889 in Alsbach-Hӓhnlein (Germany) to a Jewish family. He was a soldier in the German Army during WWI, possibly in Romania, where he received a medal for bravery. Ludwig, his wife and daughter, Lora, first attempted to emigrate from Germany on a passenger ship that was returned to Germany, due to the Munich Conference. Ludwig, his daughter Lora and his family eventually emigrated and settled in the United States.
Archival History
The medal was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005 by Lore Tobias, the daughter of Ludwig Friedrich Sussman.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Lore Tobias
Scope and Content
Medal awarded to Ludwig Sussmann for bravery during his service in the German Army during World War I. The Sussman family, Ludwig, his wife, Selma, and daughter, Lore, 10, emigrated from Germany to the United States, to escape the escalating anti-Semitism. During their first attempt to leave, the boat was forced to return because of preparations for the Munich Conference. This Conference, held on September 29-30, 1938, led to the agreement by representatives from Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy to the German annexation of the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia, in exchange for a pledge of peace from Hitler. The Czech government was not a participant of the Conference. The Sussman's were able to leave once the conference concluded.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Circular, silver colored medal with raised edges. On the front is an embossed image of a man with mustache in left profile, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig, with his name embossed around the image. On the reverse is an embossed design of a bound wreath of laurel and oak branches, with German text. Suspension and jump rings are attached to the top.
Subjects
- Jewish refugees--United States--Biography.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Germany--Personal narratives.
- Jews--Germany--History--20th century.
- World War, 1914-1918--Participation, Jewish.
- Germany--Emigration and immigration--Biography.
Genre
- Military Insignia
- Object