Weimar Republic - Reichswehr

398 Important grouping of awards and documents of the leader of the Freikorps Oberland Major Ernst Horadam.

 St. Annaberg - Cross - neck decoration, personal badge of Major Ernst Horadam. Silver plated and black enameled, on original neck ribbon with sewn loops (ends cut off and loose enclosed). Silesian eagle separately stamped and applied. Riveted on reverse. 44 x 44 mm. On the back the maker's mark: "FLECK SOHN / HAMBURG ".

 Exceptionally rare, the only known original example of the neck decoration of the St. Annaberg - Cross, which, apart from Major Horadam as former leader of the Bund Oberland and responsible for the storming of the Annaberg, was worn only by Captain Oestreicher (see Ingo Haarcke, Freikorps - Auszeichnungen, Vienna 2019, p. 386).

Attached are some highly interesting photos of Major Horadam wearing the neck decoration of the St. Annaberg Cross.

In addition, Major Horadam's large medal group, interestingly enough, he wore his father's 1870 Iron Cross instead of his own Iron Cross from 1914.

In addition, all awards and cases, EK 1st class 1914, Silesian Eagle (2), badge Bund Oberland, KVK 1st class 1939 with award document, personal shoulder boards, a number of badges as well as a multitude of personal documents.

Particularly interesting and historically very informative and important are his extensive records on the storming of the St. Annaberg in 1921.


Ernst Horadam (* July 4, 1883 in Munich; † October 23, 1956) was a German officer, leader of the Freikorps Oberland and SA-Obersturmbannführer. The son of a first lieutenant, he joined the Bavarian Army's 2nd Infantry Regiment "Kronprinz" as an ensign on July 5, 1904. On March 8, 1906, he became a lieutenant in the 8th Company of the regiment and on August 25, 1913, a first lieutenant in the 2nd Company. From 1914 to 1918 he participated in the First World War. On May 19, 1916, he was promoted to captain in the II Battalion. In April 1919 he took over the command of the Freikorps Oberland. In April 1920, as commander, he led the VI Battalion (Oberland) of the Temporary Volunteer Corps of the Rifle Brigade 21 their operation against the Red Ruhr Army in the Ruhr. From May-July 1921, as commander of the Freikorps Oberland, he was largely responsible for the storming of the Annaberg (landmark and shrine of Upper Silesia) in the 3rd Polish Uprising. For the active participants in the battles of May 21, 1921, he founded the Annaberg Cross for the 10th anniversary.

The Freikorps Oberland was transformed into the Bund Oberland after its dissolution by order. At the end of 1921 Horadam became a member of the federal leadership of the Bund Oberland and in 1922 became deputy business manager. From July 1922 he was head of the finance department of the Bund Oberland and head of the Oberland regional office for Swabia and Lower Bavaria. On March 15, 1923, Horadam was expelled from the Bund Oberland together with Beppo Römer because they had called for special actions and active resistance against the occupation of the Ruhr region by the French without the knowledge of the Bund leadership (after the proclamation of passive resistance in January 1923 by the Reich government). Both soon came into opposition to the Bund leadership and the new course under Friedrich Weber, which probably accelerated this expulsion. In 1925 Major Horadam became a member of Ludwig Oestreicher's (former leader of the 1st Company/Freikorps Oberland) battalion "Alt-Oberland" and in 1929 an extraordinary member of the Wehrverband "Wehrwolf". From 1935 he was SA-Obersturmbannführer and staff leader of the SA-Brigade Unterfranken. On December 3, 1939, he became a major at Frontsammelstelle G in Gerolstein. On February 1, 1943, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel (z.V.)

1-2
6.000,00