Auszeichnungs- und Dokumentenkonvolut des Heeres - Fallschirmschützen Oberleutnant Alfred Schwarzmann
This paratrooper grouping is attributed to the Army Paratrooper Lieutenant d. R. Alfred Schwarzmann (Reservist) assigned as a Machine Gun Platoon Leader, Parachute Regiment 1.This large presentation document ("mappe") for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross presented to the Lieutenant d. R. Alfred Schwarzmann is dated; Führer Headquarters, 29 May 1940 with an original ink signature of Adolf Hitler, Führer and Chancellor of the German Reich.
The Knight's Cross mappe features red Saffian leather with a gold embossed national eagle on the cover. The lower back interior edge features designer's signature "FRIEDA THIERSCH". The document is rendered on a large sheet of double-paged parchment featuring hand done calligraphy with name of recipient in raised gold lettering. The mappe shows light wear/age and is in almost perfect condition.
Alfred Schwarzmann was already a world class athlete before the outbreak of the Second World War and his sports achievements were well known. At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany Schwartzmann medaled five times in gymnastic events:
- Gold: individual all around.
- Gold: team all around
- Gold: vault
- Bronze: horizontal Bar
- Bronze: parallel bars
The Parachute Corps was proud to have this outstanding athlete in their formation. Schwarzmann served from 1 April 1940 as Machine Gun Platoon Leader with the 8th Company of Parachute Regiment Number 1. His first combat airborne operation was with the 2nd Battalion of this Regiment. On 10 May 1940, the first day of the western campaign, his unit was tasked to seize the Moerdijk bridges in Holland. This audacious operation enabled the advance of the 9th Panzer Division through Holland. In a contemporary publication, his actions were described:
"The Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross was presented to Lieutenant Alfred Schwarzmann for outstanding bravery and boldness. He jumped into Northern Holland with his company and in the face of strong enemy resistance seized key enemy positions along the coast. Despite numerous enemy counter attacks, his company held their position. He was later severely wounded in combat when he was shot in the lung."
Although Schwarzmann had not completely recovered from this wound and was repeatedly hospitalized during the war, in 1941 he took part in the naval battle north of the island of Crete. Involved in the battles for Iraklion, Crete, he was once gain recognized for his bravery.
Schwarzmann had entered the Army on 1 April 1933 and became a full member of the Army on 1 October 1934. His career trajectory had him moving from the rank of Private through the Enlisted ranks to the Officer Corps. His rank at the end of the war was that of a Major. After the war, he once again achieved victory at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland where he once again medaled in gymnastics with a silver medal in the horizontal bar. Many consider this second Olympic appearance as an athlete to be a greater achievement than his accomplishments at the 1936 Olympics. Schwartzmann was now 40 years old and had been severely wounded during the war for which he was awarded the Black Wound Badge. At the 1952 Olympic games he was considered Germany's "greatest artistic gymnast of the century" and later became a sports teacher at the Goslarer Ratsgymnasium. The gold medal winner in the horizontal bar in 1952, Jack Günthard from Switzerland commented, "the victory should have been Alfred's - but he was German." Schwarzmann was the only representative of his guild to be inducted into the German Sports Hall of Fame. He had other athletic talents, the year of his Helsinki Olympic victory, he passed his soccer (football) coaching examination with a top score. None other than the former German National Soccer Coach, Sepp Herberger attested to Schwarzmann's accomplishment. The "Pope" of gymnastic journalism, Dr. Josef Göhler, wrote about Schwarzmann, "he was such a well-established sports personality that he did not need to trumpet his successes, he never used his position for monetary or personal gain".
Schwartzmann's silver Olympic medal on the horizontal bar at the Helsinki Olympic games after a 10-year break that included a World War and grievous physical injuries in addition to his competing in his 40s made him a huge popular sensation. Federal President Heuss presented Schwarzmann with the "Silver Laurel Leaf" in recognition of his achievements in athletics. Alfred Schwarzmann died in 2000 in Goslar. He was Germany's most important gymnast of the 20th Century.
Only a relatively small number of German Luftwaffe Paratroopers received the Knight's Cross during the campaign in the West for combat operations at Eben Emael in 1940 and the bridges over the Albert Canal. A small number of Knight's Crosses were awarded to Paratroopers for combat operations on Crete in 1941. In total, only approximately 150 Paratroopers received this coveted award during the entirety of the Second World War. Knight's Cross awards for bravery awarded before 1942 are extremely rare.
Included in the grouping is a beautiful contemporary photo portrait of Schwarzmann with his Knight's Cross and Army Paratrooper badge. The photo measures 79 x 130 millimeters. This offering is an extremely rare award document to a brave Officer of the Parachute Corps and one of only two awarded to an Army Parachutist. This lot also includes many documents:
- Preliminary award document for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross to Lieutenant d. R. Alfred Schwarzmann, dated; 25 June 1940. This document features an original signature by Lieutenant General Kastner, Chief of Luftwaffe Personnel and an official seal
- An award document for the Iron Cross 1st Class, dated 23 May 1940 and to the Iron Cross 2n class, dated 17 May 1940. The documents show binder holes and have been folded once yet in overall in very good condition. With all three Iron Cross documents, an extremely rare set to an Army Paratrooper.
- Soldbuch belonging to Captain Alfred Schwarzmann, issued on 29 January 1945 (official second issue example). This soldbuch features all official promotions including the last one to Major on 20 April 1945. The inside cover has an attractive large image of Schwarzmann with his Knight's Cross and an official seal. Pages 8 to 9 show him as a patient at the Reserve Hospital in Hüferstift, Münster, Westphalia being treated for a chest and an upper arm wound. Page 22 includes all entries for: Army Paratrooper Badge, Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class (23 May 1940), Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (29 May 1940), Wound Badge in Black, and Crete Cuff Title (20 May 1943). The Luftwaffe eagle on the cover has been de-nazified with the cover showing binder holes. A superb and extremely rare soldbuch.
- Crete plaque with engraved name; "OBLT. Schwarzmann". The reverse features original stand and hanging device with black velvet insert. The Crete plaque was an award for bravery that recognized particularly brave Paratroopers for combat action on Crete.
- Grouping of 20 photographs of Schwarzmann and fellow paratroopers as well as a very nice portrait image of him wearing his Knight's Cross and Army Paratrooper badge. Two photographs show him in an aircraft shortly before making a jump along with different images in various sizes. All examples are unique and extremely rare images.
- Some other items are included:
o Newspaper clippings about Schwarzmann with his original signature
o A portrait drawing of Alfred Schwarzmann in paratrooper smock ("Knochensack") with helmet and ammunition bandolier
o A finely executed charcoal drawing of Schwartzmann with the face in color. The upper edge features the artist's signature, Hans-Georg Guttek, Brunswick 1940 and measures 370 x 305 millimeters. An example of a contemporary, very beautiful and rare portrait.
- Grouping of congratulatory letters and documents from the estate of Alfred Schwarzmann that include some very interesting congratulatory letters, mostly addressed to Schwarzmann's father:
o A letter of congratulation from the Lord Mayor of Bayreuth in recognition on being awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross dated, 3 June 1940. With original envelope
o Congratulatory letter from the "Bavarian Gymnasts" in recognition on being awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross dated, 2 June 1940. With numerous signatures of members of the sports team.
o Letter of congratulations from the managing director of the National Socialist Reich Federation for physical fitness in recognition on being awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross dated, 31 May 1940
o Congratulatory letter from the director of the Raimundtheater, Wien (K.D.F.) on being awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross dated 5 June 1940. With original cover.
o Congratulatory telegram from the Brunswick men's gymnastics association on being awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross dated, 31 May 1940
o Congratulatory telegram from Captain Bechtholds for his Olympic victory dated, 12 August 1936
o Congratulatory telegram from Hans Fuersattels on his Olympic victory, dated, 11 August 1936
o Congratulatory telegram from Lieutenant Knoerzer on his Olympic victory dated, 13 August 1936 (telegram with official seal of the XI Olympic Games Berlin 1936)
o Congratulatory telegram from Major Hesse on his Olympic victory dated, 11 August 1936 (telegram with official seal of the XI Olympic Games Berlin 1936)
o Congratulatory telegram on his Olympic victory, 13 August 1936 (telegram features official seal of the XI Olympic Games Berlin 1936)
o Congratulatory telegram from the Lord Mayor of Fürth on winning the Olympic Gold Medal dated, 12 August 1936, to "the most successful gymnast in the world"
o Honorary certificate for participating in the Wehrmacht Championships in Düsseldorf dated, 6-10 July 1938. With facsimile signature of v. Brauchitsch.
o Sports prize from the Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht for victory in gymnastics at the Wehrmacht Championship, Dusseldorf 7-10 July 1938. Bronze nonportable medal measures (diameter) 105 millimeters.
o Photo depicting Adolf Hitler, Blomberg and Fritsch as spectators at the Army Sports School watching "Jager" Schwarzmann compete. Back side features a dedication
o Book featuring Alfred Schwarzmann and Karl Behrend entitled "Accomplished Artistic Gymnasts", Berlin 1937. This book is 80 pages, bound in linen and shows many images of Schwarzmann and members of his sports team.
A remarkable and important Knight's Cross grouping to an extraordinary world class athlete and Paratrooper.
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