German Awards - Collan of the Great Master since 1917

The Collan for the Grand Master of the Order of Albrecht the Bear was first made in 1841. There was never any foundation or mention in the statutes of the order. The Duke of Anhalt-Dessau agreed to the acquisition on June 18, 1839, and the Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg on June 23, 1839. At that time, the Grand Master of the Order was Duke Heinrich of Anhalt-Kötensky. Only one chain was made of silver. The dukes carried the cost of 1,050 imperial thalers at 1/3. The chain should have been carried only on especially solemn occasions. Modern paintings and images show only Duke Leopold Friedrich of Anhalt-Dessau-Köten as Grand Master with Kollane. July 21, 1855 at the baptism of Crown Prince Leopold. Collan was always kept in the chancery of the ducal order. In 1865, Duke Leopold Friedrich ordered a new gold chain from the court jeweler Heinzelmann of Dessau. Production was handled by Bury & Leonhardt of Hanau. The chain links are supposed to be reduced from 23 to 15. The first two chains had openwork monogram links. Duke Frederick II. was dissatisfied with the heavy gold chain. In 1914, the duke wanted to make a lighter chain, as well as to make chains for the princes of the house of Edward, Aribert (brothers of Frederick II) and Joachim Ernst (son of Edward). Since the weight in silver with gilding was as high, it was decided to use light bronze gilded and closed enameled medallions. Due to World War I, production was delayed. Bury and Leonhardt's company finally delivered 4 collanes on March 8, 1917. Thus, only 6 chains were delivered to the end of the monarchy. All chains were lost or looted after the end of World War II. In 1965, Prince Edward of Anhalt, head of the House of Anhalt, ordered another 5 collans. The manufacturer was Steinhauer & Luck of Lüdenscheid. The prince received 2 chains and 3 were sold to collectors through the Berlin firm Die Ordens-Sammlung. These pieces have a diamond crown in the medallion green. Source: Gerd Scharfenberg, Order and Badge of Honor of the Anhalt States, 1999.

Gold-plated bronze collan consisting of 15 chain links. The front sides are enameled. The backs are smooth and gilded. Below is an agraph in the form of acanthus leaves to accommodate the Lesser Death of the Grand Cross. Chain links are connected with toothed flat eyes and rings.

Front side:

• 1. Chain link: The round medallion has a wide transparent green enameled ring.
• Including a circulating oak wreath. The enclosed field is enameled in white.
• It has a gold, galvanized cipher at the break - H - F - C - on top of it is a crown.
• This is gold with 5 irons and half a red enamel.
• 2. Chain link: Oval with a wide gold ring. It has wavy ornaments and leaves.
• The included field is centered perpendicular.
• On the left, on a white enameled background, half a golden board of a red eagle.
• On the right are gold and black enameled alternating horizontal stripes and a diagonal diamond-shaped crown.
• 3. Chain link: Oval with a wide gold ring. It has wavy ornaments and leaves.
• On the surrounded field is a medallion of the Order of the Bear Albrecht.
• On the teeth of a red enameled wall with a white gate, a bear walks from left to right.
• This black enameled and gold border has a crown and collar. The background is white enameled.

Downside:

• Smooth and gilded without enamel.

Photo: Private collection of Maximilian Ferdinand Leopold Prince of Anhalt

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