(Pour le Mérite in Gold mit Eichenlaub). Instituted June 1740 by Friedrich II (“the Great”) of Prussia. (c. 1914-1916 issue). A rare and striking example of the Pour le Mérite with Oak Leaves from the estate of General Bruno von Mudra, constructed of Gold with enamels, consisting of a Maltese Cross with blue enameled arms, each joined through the quadrants by finely-detailed and double-sided Prussian imperial eagles, the obverse three, six, and nine o’clock arms bearing a gilt inscription of “POUR LE MÉRITE”, the twelve o’clock arm bearing a gilt crowned monogram of King Friedrich II, the reverse arms plain, the twelve o’clock arm with an integral loop connecting to a suspension ring affixed with a clasp consisting of three overlaid oak leaves, the reverse with a dual loop retaining a period original shortened length of neck ribbon, the six o’clock arm bearing an engraved maker’s mark of “W” indicating manufacturer by Prussian court jeweller Johann Wagner & Sohn, Berlin, demonstrating the physical characteristics of the firm’s high-quality wartime pieces produced between 1914 and 1916, the cross measuring 53.02 mm (w) x 53.05 mm (h), the clasp measuring 17.80 mm (w) x 17.70 mm (h), weighing 18.5 grams overall, accompanied by von Mudra’s wartime identification tag, constructed of silvered bronze and bearing the owner’s named in stamped Latin script, measuring 49 mm (w) x 31 mm (h) and suspended from a black and white cord, a rare opportunity to own an exquisite and owner-attributed Pour le Mérite in Oak Leaves in an extremely fine condition.
Footnote: Karl Bruno Julius Mudra was born on 1 April 1851 in Bad Muskau, Saxony. He joined the Prussian Army Pioneers, and by 1899 rose to become Chief of Staff of the Ingenieurkorps under Generalleutnant Colmar von der Goltz. In 1903 he was transferred to the Fortress of Mainz, and by 1907 was promoted to Generalleutnant and appointed commander of the 39th Division. He simultaneously served as head of the Ingenieurkorps and Governor of Metz. Mudra was raised to the Prussian nobility by Kaiser Wilhelm II on 16 June 1913, permitting him to add the noble particul “von” to his surname. During the First World War, he commanded XVI Korps until 28 October 1916. He earned the nickname “Argonnen-General” (the “Argonne General”) for his successes in the eponymous theatre, and received the Pour le Mérite on 13 January 1915, and the Oak Leaves on 17 October 1916. He continued to hold various commands on both the Eastern and Western Fronts, and remained an advocate of continuing the war effort even as German forces began to collapse in late 1918. Following the cessation of hostilities, von Mudra was briefly detained by French occupation authorities in 1923, but did not stand trial. Following this episode, von Mudra became involved in far-right politics in the Weimar Republic and was a noted proponent of the “stab-in-the-back” myth as a member of the German National People’s Party (DNVP). He died in Zippendorf on 21 November 1931.