A Set Of “History Of The Knights Of The Order Pour Le Mérite In The Great War”; 1935 Edition

Measuring 182x251mm, hardcover, red linen binding with embossing. Better than very fine condition with light scuffing of the cover, and minimal loosening of the body of the book from the spine. “Geschichte der Ritter des Ordens Pour le Mérite im Weltkrieg”, by Hanns Möller, published by Bernard & Graefe, Berlin in 1935. Volume 1, A–L, has 720 pages, volume 2, M–Z, has 560 pages. They contain all 687 recipients of the Pour le Mérite, the highest Prussian decoration, of the First War. Each entry is a short biography of the recipient, specifically of his military career during the war, complete with official explanations of the circumstances that led to the decoration being awarded. A former owner of the books has added the date and place of death in pencil for many of the entries. The first volume contains a preface by Hermann Göring.

Footnote: The author, Hanns Möller, was born on May 16, 1901 in Witten (western Germany). He briefly fought in the First War in 1918, then went on to study history at the University of Leipzig. Möller specialised on the history of the First War. Back in Witten he committed himself to the local chapter of the Preußenbund (Prussian Association), a monarchical and nationalist organisation. Here he campaigned for the chapter to affiliate itself with the NSDAP. In 1929 the entire chapter joined the SA. After the founding of the Knight Order of the Pour le Mérite Möller became the secretary of the executive director, Friedrich Karl von Witzleben, a position which he kept even after the Second War. The “History of the Knight’s of the OrderPour le Mérite in the Great War” is considered Möller’s main work. He had planned on writing a similar book on the recipients of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, but his personal archive was destroyed during the war. He died on July 1, 1966.