Ritterkreuzträger with Hausorden von Hohenzollern (House Order of Hohenzollern)

The Hausorden von Hohenzollern, more formally the Königlicher Preussischer Hausorden von Hohenzollern, was a dynastic Prussian order of chivalry whose military grades continued to be worn by numerous German officers throughout the Second World War, even though fresh awards had ceased after the abolition of the monarchy in 1918. Originally instituted in the mid-nineteenth century by the House of Hohenzollern for both military and civilian merit, its most prominent wartime version during the First World War was the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern, which served as an important intermediate decoration for Prussian junior officers between the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse and the Pour le Mérite, recognising outstanding leadership and bravery in combat with more than eight thousand such crosses bestowed between 1914 and 1918. Many recipients who earned this honour while serving as Leutnants or Hauptleute in Imperial German Army units later rose to prominent commands in the Wehrmacht, including generals of the Panzertruppe and higher formations, and they proudly displayed the order on their uniforms as part of their accumulated decorations alongside newer awards such as the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes or the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. Records on tracesofwar.com frequently list the Königlicher Preussischer Hausorden von Hohenzollern among the awards of officers who fought in both world wars, sometimes noting an original bestowal from the 1914-1918 period together with references to later clasps or continued wear in the Wehrmacht era, while Wikipedia and associated military histories identify figures such as General der Panzertruppe Hermann Balck and Generaloberst Ludwig Beck as examples of senior officers who retained and wore the order as a visible link to their earlier service. Although the Nazi regime generally favoured its own decorations, Wehrmacht uniform regulations still permitted long-serving career officers to display certain pre-1933 imperial orders like this one on the medal bar or as a neck decoration, with the distinctive cross featuring swords and the Hohenzollern eagle or crest adding historical prestige to the chests of veterans during campaigns from the invasion of Poland in 1939 through to the final battles of 1945.

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RIBBON

General der Infanterie Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller (1897-1947) was a German officer who rose through the ranks of the Wehrmacht during World War II, earning the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern for his leadership on the Eastern Front before gaining notoriety as a harsh commander in occupied Greece. Born in Barmen, Prussia, he joined the Imperial German Army in 1915 as an infantryman with the 2. Infanterie-Regiment, was commissioned Leutnant der Reserve in Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 266 later that year, and served with distinction in World War I, receiving both classes of the Iron Cross. Remaining in the Reichswehr and then the Heer, he advanced steadily, becoming Oberstleutnant and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 105 by the early stages of the invasion of the Soviet Union; it was here that his regiment's determined actions in heavy fighting, particularly during the reconquest of Feodosia in the Crimea where he demonstrated outstanding personal bravery, decisiveness, and skillful leadership, led to the award of the Ritterkreuz on 22 September 1941 as Oberstleutnant, followed by the Eichenlaub (86th recipient) on 8 April 1942 as Oberst still commanding the same regiment for continued success against Soviet forces. Promoted further, he took command of the 22. Infanterie-Division (Luftlande) in August 1942, leading it in the Dodecanese Campaign in 1943, including the successful capture of Leros, which contributed to his reputation for resolute command and later recognition with the Schwerter (128th recipient) on 27 January 1945 as General der Infanterie commanding LXVIII. Armeekorps. Transferred to Fortress Crete, Müller earned the grim nickname "The Butcher of Crete" for ordering brutal reprisals and massacres against Greek civilians in locations such as Viannos, Anogeia, Amari, Damasta, and the Holocaust of Kedros, as well as the execution of Italian officers on Kos; after the war he was captured, tried by a Greek military court in Athens for war crimes including hostage massacres, convicted, and executed by firing squad on 20 May 1947 alongside Bruno Bräuer.

General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (1892-1964), who later rose to the rank of general in World War II, began his military service in 1910 and fought throughout the First World War primarily with the Infanterie-Regiment „Markgraf Karl“ (7. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 60 and the Infanterie-Regiment „Hessen-Homburg“ Nr. 166, where he commanded machine gun companies, served as battalion and brigade adjutant, and participated in intense combat including the Battle of Nancy-Epinal, repeated engagements on the Somme, the Battle of Verdun, the Third Battle of Flanders, fighting on the Eastern Front such as the Battle of Kovel, and the final defensive battles of 1918 between the Somme and Aisne as well as in Flanders and the Hermannstellung. In recognition of his leadership and bravery across these fronts, Breith was awarded the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 10 September 1914 and the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse on 30 July 1916, the Hanseatenkreuz Hamburg on 16 April 1917, and notably the Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern on 28 October 1918, one of the most prestigious Prussian decorations for officers demonstrating exceptional merit in combat.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Order_of_Hohenzollern
https://www.germanmilitaria.com/Imperial/01Imperial3.html