Ritterkreuzträger with Scars

The "Schmiss", the distinctive duelling scar traditionally associated with German-speaking university student fraternities, was a visible result of Mensur, a highly ritualized form of academic fencing practiced primarily in Germany and parts of Central Europe from the eighteenth century onward. Unlike competitive sport fencing, Mensur was not intended to determine a winner but rather to test courage, self-discipline, composure, and personal honor under controlled conditions. Participants, usually members of student corps and burschenschaften, stood at a fixed distance and exchanged carefully regulated blows with sharp blades while wearing protective equipment that shielded most of the body but intentionally left portions of the face exposed. As a result, facial cuts were common, and the resulting scars—known collectively as the Schmiss—became symbols of bravery, social status, and aristocratic bearing among many educated and military circles of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A prominent and well-healed Schmiss was often regarded as evidence that its bearer had demonstrated fearlessness and steadfastness in the face of danger, qualities highly valued within the officer corps, academic elites, and conservative society of Imperial Germany. Although some scars occurred naturally during bouts, historical accounts suggest that certain individuals sought particularly noticeable scars to enhance their prestige. By the early twentieth century, the Schmiss had become an iconic marker of German student culture, frequently appearing in literature, photography, and political life, with numerous military officers, civil servants, and public figures displaying such scars. Following the decline of traditional fraternity culture after the Second World War, the social prestige attached to the Schmiss diminished significantly, yet it remains one of the most recognizable symbols of the unique tradition of academic fencing and the honor culture that surrounded German university life for generations. 

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HEER


Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Walther (1910-2010) was one of the most notable officers of the German special operations forces during the Second World War and became the first member of the famous Bau-Lehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800 “Brandenburg” to receive the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. Originally serving with Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 of the 2. Panzer-Division, Walther transferred to the secretive Brandenburg commando formation in March 1940 and was soon entrusted with a daring mission during the invasion of the Netherlands. On 10 May 1940, as an Oberleutnant and Stoßtruppführer of the 4. Kompanie, Bau-Lehr-Bataillon z.b.V. 800 “Brandenburg”, he led a small assault team disguised as Dutch military police escorting German prisoners in order to infiltrate and seize the strategically vital railway bridge over the Maas River near Gennep. Despite being heavily outnumbered, facing armed Dutch guards, and operating deep behind enemy security positions, Walther displayed exceptional initiative and courage, improvising under pressure when the mission appeared compromised. During the fierce struggle for control of the bridge, he and his men cut communication lines, prevented demolition preparations, and secured the crossing long enough for German armoured forces to advance. Walther himself was wounded when a bullet struck his helmet, but he continued directing the operation until the bridge and surrounding defenses were fully captured. The successful seizure of the Gennep bridge opened a crucial route for advancing German forces toward the Dutch defensive lines and contributed significantly to the rapid breakthrough into the Netherlands. In recognition of his leadership, personal bravery, and the strategic importance of the operation, Wilhelm Walther was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 24 June 1940, beginning a distinguished wartime career that later saw him command formations within the Division “Brandenburg” and participate in operations across the Balkans, Greece, and the Eastern Front.

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LUFTWAFFE

Generalmajor Dr. Ing. Ernst Bormann (1897-1960) was born on 5 November 1897 in Kirchbrak and joined the German army as a Fahnenjunker in Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 82 on 17 August 1915 during the First World War. After transferring to aviation and completing pilot training with Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 7 and related units, he served as a pilot with Feldflieger Abteilung 42 before joining the prestigious Jagdstaffel 2 “Boelcke” on 4 May 1918, where as a Leutnant he achieved 17 aerial victories by the war’s end. Demobilized in 1919 and leaving active service as Charakter als Oberleutnant in 1920, he earned a doctorate in engineering and worked as a flying instructor at the secret German aviation school in Lipetsk in the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1930. Reactivated in the Luftwaffe as Hauptmann in 1934, he commanded a Staffel in Kampfgeschwader Boelcke, later led III. Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1, and on 26 February 1941 became Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 76, rising to Oberst. He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 October 1941 as Oberstleutnant and Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 76 for the unit’s successes during the Battle of Britain and the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa, including the first attacks on Moscow and the Leningrad-Moscow railway. The Eichenlaub followed on 3 September 1942 as Oberst and Kommandeur of the Gefechtsverband Bormann (an augmented Kampfgeschwader 76) for further bomber operations on the Eastern Front, notably during the Briansk-Vyazma pocket battles, the Dnieper crossing east of Cholm, strikes against the Rybinsk aircraft factory, the fighting of 9. Armee near Rzhev, and actions on the southern sector. Subsequent postings included Fliegerführer Krim and, as Generalmajor from 1 October 1944, Flughafen-Bereichskommandant in Mähren. Captured by Soviet forces on 10 May 1945, he remained a prisoner until his release on 9 October 1955 and died in Düsseldorf on 1 August 1960.

Source :
"Brandenburger: Wartime Photographs of Wilhelm Walther" by Anthony Rogers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dueling_scar