This is a slim, solid gold, hunting case watch by Alex Huning, Geneve, with 18 or 19 jewels. Engraved inside the back cover, "Erich von Salzmann, 22 Juli, 1915"

On the covet is engraved, "JOHs Hartmann Konigl Hof- Uhrmacher Berlin, N.W. Unter Den Linden, 56"

All of the engravings are old and original. It's clearly a good quality watch purchased from an up-scale Berlin watchmaker, about eleven months after the start of WWI.

The question is, who was Erich Von Salzmann?

In this image is the only engraving on the outside of the case. A family crest which includes rampent horses, a knight's helmet and three flaming bombs on a shield. Under the crest it states: "ALLZEIT GETREU"

Notice the cap jewel on the escape wheel pivot. This watch was made for accuracy.

The question of who was Von Salzmann prompted an internet search, which resulted in some interesting information.

Born in 1876 - died 1941, Erich was a German army officer stationed in various parts of the world. In the German colony in Africa he participated in military action to put down a rebellion. Von Salzmann was also part of the German expedition to China during the Boxer Rebelion. A few years after the Boxer Rebelion, Erich Von Salzmann made an incredible jurney, on horseback, from Tientsin, China to Tashkent, Kazakhstan in 1903. In his day, he was a noted author who wrote about his travels and adventures around the world.

Further searching found an image of Hauptmann Erich von Salzmann (Offizier der Kadettenanstalt Wahlstatt) auf der Rennbahn im Grunewald/ Berlin, with non other than the greatest Ace of all time, Von Richtoven (The Red Barron).

After WWI, in the 1920's, there are records accusing Erich Von Salzmann of being a German agent in India. Whatever he did from then until his death in 1941 is yet to be discovered.

Unfortunately, the watch came with no provenance at all. So, more informatation is needed; such as, what would have been the significance of July 22, 1915 to Erich Von Salzmann? If this was the day and month of his birth, or some other important event, it might help link the watch to this distinguished German Captain.

At this point, I'm faced with a language barrier. I would like to request Erich Von Salzmann's service records from the German Bundesarchive. Any assistance or other suggestions for research would be greatly appriciated.

Best regards,

Greg

the motto Allzeit getreu: 'Ever Loyal'.
001677
Salzmann, Erich
* 22.07.1876 in Germany
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Erich Salzmann was born on 22.07.1876 in Germany. He was a Schutztruppe officer. He took part in the German Namibia War of 1903-1908. His book "Im Kampfe gegen die Herero" is an interesting primary source.
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Gender: m
Field of activity: MIL
Profession: Military officer

RAW DATA: Fischer 1935:260;
in July 1915 the small German colonial troop capitulated with Khorab before the South African union army.

Aloha

Greg, The Unter den Linden was, and still is, one of the main streets in Berlin. It is the street that passes under the Brandenburg Gate and enters from the east into Potsdammer Platz. Hitler's Reich Chancelry and fuehrer bunker were on Unter den Linden just east of the Brandenburg Gate.

At the time I was stationed in Berlin in the late 1960's, Unter den Linden was all in East Berlin. The wall went through Potsdammer Platz just in front of the Brandenburg Gate. I traveled a lot in East Berlin (we were required to do so to keep access open). I don't remember seeing that jewelry store. Of course, that store might have met it's match in the great urban redevelopment effected by the Russian Army in April 1945.

Anyway, a great watch with great history.

Tom

Scott, Thank you for the info! We now know that 22, July was significant as the day of Von Salzman's birth. If my math is right, 22, July, 1915 would have been his 39th birthday.

In my Google search, Von Salzman's book about the Heroro campaign came up as a source quoted during a recent international debate. It seems that some of the Herero people recently made a claim that Colonial Germany attempted genocide when fighting against them in 1904-08 (and they asked for money). Germany is/was disputing the claim of genocide and cited Von Salzman as proof that it was no more than a standard military campaign.

Tom; Thank you for the history of Unter den Linden. Anyone walking under the linden trees in 1915 would have had no idea what a horrible transformation was going to take place in 30 years.

Best regards,

Greg

Came up with this book at a secondhand booksellers:
"Über die Weltmeere zur deutschen Front in Flandern. Eine Kriegsodyssee" by Erich von Salzmann.
Publisher: Bielefeld, Velhagen & Klasing 1915.
- Where von Salzmann decribes a wartime journey from Argentina over Panama, New York, London and Berlin to join the German army in the Flanders.

So supposedly von Salzmann would be in the trenches in France by July 1915. Where he found the time to write a book, I don't know.
Apparently he was not just your ordinary footslogger, but something of a celebrity after his 3.750-mile ride from China a decade earlier. By the way, the book he wrote of that ride was reprinted as a pocket book in 2004 by something called "Long Riders' Guild".

Per

Per,

Thank you for the information about the book. It is not one of the titles which came up in my research. Have you had the time to read the book?

One has to wonder what, if anything, Von Salzmann wrote about his birthday in 1915 - if it was spent in the trenches, on the way to the front, or whatever. I agree it's odd that Erich Von Salzmann would have had time to write a book in 1915 if he was engaged in combat. On the other hand, as a cavalry officer there would not have been much use for him in a fixed trench, so he might not have been at the front for long.

As a noted author of world travel litterature, Erich's services writing a patriotic book might have been considered of more value to his King and Fatherland.

Unfortunatley, the photograph of Von Salzmann as Offizier der Kadettenanstalt Wahlstatt, Berlin, is not dated, but I suspect the photo was taken late in the war after Von Richtoven became famous.

In another developement of the, "it's a small world" sort, one of my friends from back when I was in High School related to me that Erich Von Salzmann was his mother's uncle. Unfortunatley, my friend's German mother passed away a long time ago and so not much more than speculation is remembered today.

Best regards,
Greg

Ahem - didn't buy it, my German is not good enough for a whole book.
But I just checked, it's still there at http://www.antiquario.de for 14 euros.

Kadettenanstalt Wahlstatt was something like VMI, the royal Prussian military institute.
Manfred von Richtofen enrolled there eleven years old in 1903 and left for the senior academy at Berlin-Lichterfelde in 1909.
Richtofen's younger brother Bolko was there at least in 1917, when his two elder brothers Manfred and Lothar sent him letters, signed with girls' names, to make the other young cadets envious.

Per

Great watch, great history you've developed about the original owner.

This chase got me hooked. I called a friend in Germany to get hold of the book and send it to me. Hopefully I will have something more for you in a week or so. To be continued...

cheers, Per

Clyde: Thanks for letting me know. It has been rather interesting to me.

Per, Sad to say, I know only a few words of German, so the book would not be of much use in my hands. If you are able to learn anything it would be of great interest!

One of the family "speculations" my old friend related to me was if his Great Uncle Erich was Jewish or not? All he was aware of was a rumor in the family. Naturaly, the family would have kept something like this a secret during the 1933-1945 era. Another unanswered question was how his uncle Erich died. was it natural causes, did he rejoin the military, or did Von Salzmann die in some exotic place far from Germany?

Best regards,
Greg

Greg,
I have finally gotten through the book. It was printed in German gothic typeface and it took some time getting used to. So here goes (this will be a long post):

Erich von Salzmann was born in Silesia, a province of the kingdom of Prussia, July 22, 1876, the son of a Prussian General.

After climbing the Aconcagua in June-July of 1914, he was visiting relatives in Southern Chile when news came that Germany was at war with France.
Salzmann and other German colonists then sought to return to Germany, a journey that would take them up the Pacific coast of South America, through the Panama Canal to New York, a city that impressed him.
On September 15, he got a berth on the neutral Dutch liner "Rotterdam" at Hoboken and headed for Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The Rotterdam was stopped en route by English cruisers and with its cargo of hostile Germans interned at Plymouth, England.
The ship was released on October 10 and Salzmann had no sooner sat foot on European soil than he was on a train for Berlin.
There he badgered the Schuetztruppen (militia) headquarters until he was assigned to the front in Belgium.

October 26 saw him take command of 2nd Battery, Royal Prussian 46th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment in position on the Yser Canal as part of Falkenhayn's 4th Army.

Not content to sitting down, Salzmann decided to liven things up. He organised some reconnaissance parties into no man's land and brought back a number of French prisoners, a feat that awarded him the Iron Cross on Nov. 1.

During a German attack on Nov. 12, he took a piece of shrapnel in the foot and was sent home to Berlin for treatment and recuperation.
He then promptly married his fiancee on Nov. 28 before going back to the front on Dec. 26.

The regiment was by then in reserve behind the front line at Tourhout, Belgium, where he assumed command of 1st Battery.
They moved up into position again on Jan. 15, 1915 and he was again severely wounded, but the date is unclear.
Temporarily blinded by a piece of shrapnel in the head, he was again awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on the Kaiser's birthday, Jan. 27, pinned on his pillow at the field hospital.

Back home to Berlin where he was nursed by his wife, mother and sister. Although eyesight slowly improved, he was invalided out of active service and the book ends on July 1, 1915. A tantalizing three weeks before his birthday and your watch.

I have also found one further reference to von Salzmann:

Alma Karlin, Slovenian-Austrian journalist, was a bestselling author of travel books between the wars. Between 1919 and 1928, she travelled all over the world publishing her travel letters in German newspapers and magazines. For a time she worked as assistant to the German journalist Erich von Salzmann in Beijing, China.
In 1941, Karlin's books were banned by the nazis.

cheers, Per

Per,

That is fascinating and I'm sure Greg will love the additional information.

Per, you are kind to go through the trouble of reading and translating the information in the book. I have seen the gothic print, and it's hard for me to guess which letters of the alphabet are which. I can't thank you enough.

Clearly, Von Salzmann was a brave officer who did not leave the front without a fight; and two Iron Crosses to prove it.

There was something about travel author Alma Karlin in my Google research. Quite an exceptional and adventurous woman in her day.

Again, Per, thank you for this missing chapter!

In the future, I look forward to keeping everyone posted as more information is found.

Best regards,
Greg