Folia Historica 34. (Budapest, 2019)

II. KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Pallos Lajos: Stromfeld Aurél kitüntetései

Formerly, Stromfeld fought in different theatres of operation of World War I, eventually holding the rank of colonel, and was awarded several orders and decorations. These orders and decorations were purchased by the Hungarian National Museum from his heirs in the 1970s. We present these pieces with data that refer to them, which stem from the Archives of the Military History Institute and Museum in Budapest. Therefore, we can provide background to each decoration that Stromfeld received for different battlefield actions.

The collection of Stromfeld's medals includes decorations that count as rarities. For example, the so-called Small Decoration Second Class of the Imperial Austrian Order of the Iron Crown with War Decoration and Swords existed towards the end of the war only, in 1917-1918. Wearing foreign decorations on triangular ribbons, typical of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was introduced at the same time. Consequently, Stromfeld's collection includes insignia of the German Iron Cross in two sizes. Award documents belong to most of the orders and decorations in the collection, as for example to the Silver Gallantry Medal of Hessen-Darmstadt from 1917 or the Austro-Hungarian Military Merit Cross with War Decoration from 1914. Some orders and decorations have been preserved in their original cases, so their condition is excellent. This essay commemorates Aurél Stromfeld who was an outstanding Hungarian officer.

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