Cavalry Regimental Beer
Steins
By: Ron Heiligenstein
Before the Great War (1914 - 1918) the
cavalry of the Imperial German and Royal
Bavarian Armies* could be divided into
two categories, specifically the heavy cav-
alry and the light cavalry. This is the sec-
ond of a two part series that will discuss
light cavalry regiments and describe
some regimental steins that were named
to those regiments.
The light cavalry included twenty-one
Hussar Regiments, twenty-six Ulan
Regiments (twenty-four Imperial German
and two Bavarian), thirteen Mounted Rifle
Regiments and eight Bavarian Light
Cavalry Regiments. The twenty-eight
Dragoon Regiments are also classified as
light cavalry in this two part series,
although at certain times before the
Eighteenth Century they were designated
heavy cavalry.
When reading the history of the various
branches of the cavalry, the author sug-
gests that readers not simply assume that
Imperial Germany and Bavaria were
engaged in one war after another during
the Nineteenth Century, for the fact is
when regimental steins were most popu-
lar (1890 - 1914), Imperial Germany and
Bavaria had been at peace in Europe for
over forty years.
PART TWO – THE LIGHT CAVALRY
Dragoon Regiments
Historically, Dragoon Regiments were
considered to be mounted infantry,
trained to fight on foot, but transported by
horse. The name dragoon is derived from
the name of the weapon they carried, a
short musket that was called a dragon.
Over the years the Dragoons slowly
evolved and by the time of Friedrich II
(The Great) they would be classified as
medium cavalry, positioned somewhere
between the heavy cavalry and light cav-
alry. By the middle of the Nineteenth
Century the Dragoons were more like
light cavalry, but they never developed
the élan so often associated with the
Hussars or Ulans. Their uniforms were
similar to the infantry and their horses,
while certainly adequate, were not as
highly spirited as those of the Hussars or
Ulans. Regardless, the Dragoon’s mili-
tary service during the Napoleonic Wars
in 1813, 1814 and 1815, the Seven
Week’s War with Austria in 1866, as well
as the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and
1872 was exemplary.
This regimental stein, originally owned by
Heinrich Schrader (figure 13), is named to
the 2nd Guard Dragoon Regiment
Empress Alexandra of Russia. Schrader
fulfilled his active military duty in Berlin
from 1909 to 1912. His regiment was
raised 7th May 1860 and Alexandra, the
former Princess Irene of Hessen-
Darmstadt, had her name added to the
regiment’s unit designation on 16th May
1896. The finial is a large leaping horse
and rider and the thumblift is a crowned
Prussian eagle with a gold colored guard
star held in its beak. The eagle is sitting
on a ball with a stanhope containing a
small photo of the 12:30 “changing of the
guard” in front of the Royal Palace in
Berlin. On the face is the typical leaping
horse and rider, seen in parade dress,
over a shoulder strap with a Russian
crown and a large stylized “A” for the
Empress Alexandra. On the sides are
four “late type” training scenes. The stein
has the mark of the Merkelbach & Wick
firm of Grenzhausen. The unit designa-
tion is found just above the double roster
under the handle, an unusual placement.
Reservist Erb’s regimental stein indicates
that he served in the Magdeburg Dragoon
Regiment No. 6 and was garrisoned with
his regiment at Mainz from 1907 to 1910
(figure 14). The finial on Erb’s stein is a
relatively small leaping horse and rider
and the thumblift is the flat spread-winged
eagle, so often seen on regimental steins
from those “states” that were part of
Prussia before the unification in 1871. On
the stein’s face is a typical leaping horse
and rider in parade dress, over the 6th
Dragoon’s black shoulder strap, between
Prussian and Imperial German flags. On
the right is a large scene of a squadron of
charging Dragoons. On the left is a large
farewell scene and in the background a
steamboat is passing under the Rhein
River Bridge at Mainz. The upper frieze
band has diagonal stripes in the Prussian
colors, black and white, running left to
right, and the lower frieze band has the
Imperial German colors black, white and
red, running in the opposite direction,
which is also somewhat unusual.
The regimental beer stein that originally
belonged to Reservist Schröter is named
to the Kürmark Dragoon Regiment No. 14
(figure 15). Schröter was garrisoned with
his regiment at Colmar in Alsace from
1903 to 1906. Alsace was ceded to
Germany as part of the reparations
imposed on France after the Franco-
Prussian War. It was not unusual for regi-
ments from central Germany, such as the
Kurmärk Dragoons, to be garrisoned in
regions that were once part of France.
figure 13
figure 14Page 1912
December 2005
ing, drinking swashbucklers, which at
times was probably well deserved. They
wore the most colorful uniforms, styled
like the Hungarian Hussars. Their “Attila”
tunics had gold braiding across the chest
and gold knots on the sleeves. The
pelisse was an over-jacket also with gold
braiding across the chest that was worn
hanging on the left shoulder. On their
heads they wore their traditional black
sealskin, cylindrical shaped busbies
(Pelzmützen) with small colored bags that
hung over the sides and oval cockades
on the fronts that displayed their “state’s”
colors.
This tall (13 inches) regimental stein
named to the Bodyguard Squadron of the
Guard Hussar Regiment was originally
owned by Lance Corporal (Gefreiter)
Tiedemann, who was garrisoned at
Potsdam from 1912 to 1915 (figure 16).
The finial is a rather large leaping horse
and a Hussar in parade dress. There is a
stanhope in the horse’s head and a pen-
dant hangs from the fence over which the
horse is jumping. The thumblift is a
crowned Prussian spread-winged eagle
with a guard star hanging from its beak.
On the stein’s face is a Guard Hussar on
his leaping horse over a decorative sabre-
tache with a monogram “WR” for Wilhelm
Rex, or Wilhelm II. To the right of the
sabretache is an oval with a picture of
Wilhelm II, King of Prussia, in a Hussar’s
uniform. Wilhelm II succeeded his father
Friedrich III as Colonel-in-Chief of the
Guard Hussars on 15th June 1888, the
The finial on Schröter’s stein is a leaping
horse with the rider in parade dress. The
thumblift is a crowned Prussian eagle
standing on a ball. The front scene and
right side scene are almost identical to
those on Reservist Erb’s stein (figure 14).
The scene on the left is a large farewell
scene with a small town in the back-
ground, much like Colmar probably was in
1906.
Hussar Regiments
The origin of the Hussars dates back to
the Serbian defeat at the Battle of Kosovo
in 1389. A century later in 1485, King
Corvinus’ Hungarian Hussars successful-
ly fought against the Turks. Much later,
without their own light cavalries, the
“character” of the Hungarian Hussars
spread westward to Austria, France and
several German “states.” Friedrich II (The
Great) was very impressed with the
“style” of Austria’s cavalry, so he sent
General von Zieten to Austria to learn the
ways of the Austrian Hussars. Zieten was
such a good student that upon returning,
he led the Prussian Cavalry to victories
over the Austrians in 1757 and again in
1760 during the Seven Years War. From
that time on the Hussar’s standing within
the military establishment continued to
grow unti l the turn of the Twentieth
Century when military technology, specifi-
cally machine guns, ultimately caught up
with all branches of the cavalry. The
Hussars had the reputation of being dash-
same day his father died. The oval left of
the sabretache has a picture of Prince
Leopold of Prussia wearing a parade uni-
form of the Regiment of the Garde du
Corps. On the sides are four small “late
type” farewell and field training scenes.
Reservist Gorisch’s regimental stein was
named to the Hussar Regiment von
Zieten (Brandenburg) No. 3. He was gar-
risoned with his regiment at Rathenow
from 1905 to 1908 (figure 17). Because of
its participation in every important battle
involving the Prussian Army during the
Nineteenth Century the regiment’s reputa-
tion was such that they were simply
called, the Zieten Hussars. As was men-
tioned, Zieten was a heroic cavalry gener-
al during the Seven Years War. King
Wilhelm I of Prussia honored this highly
acclaimed regiment by adding the Zieten
name to the unit’s designation on 3rd
November 1861. The finial is a leaping
horse with a Hussar in parade dress and
the thumblift is the spread-winged
Prussian eagle on a ball with a stanhope
containing a photo of the Elector’s Bridge.
On the stein’s face is a Zieten Hussar in
parade dress on his prancing horse.
Below is a black sabretache with a royal
crown and monogram “FWR” for King
Friedrich Wilhelm, between Imperial
German and Prussian flags. On the right
is a large scene of a squadron of charging
Zieten Hussars and on the left, a large
farewell scene.
figure 15
figure 16
figure 17
Page 1913
December 2005
The regimental beer stein originally
owned by Reservist Martini was named to
the Magdeburg Hussar Regiment No. 10
(figure 18). Martini was garrisoned with
this regiment from 1907 to 1910 at
Stendal, which is thirty miles north of
Magdeburg on the Elbe River. His regi-
ment was raised as the Elbe National
Hussar Regiment on 19th November
1813, but after four intervening changes,
was finally designated the Magdeburg
Hussar Regiment No. 10 on 7th May
1861. The finial is a small Hussar in
parade dress on a leaping horse and the
thumblift is the crowned Prussian eagle
sitting on a ball. On the face of Martini’s
stein is a Hussar wearing his green
“Attila” tunic on a leaping horse, over an
oval containing a picture of Emperor
Wilhelm II in an officer’s green tunic. Left
of the Wilhelm II oval is a smaller oval
with an Imperial German Eagle (Reich’s
Adler) and on the right, there is an oval
with the monogram “FWR” for Friedrich
Wilhelm Rex, or King Friedrich Wilhelm.
The upper and lower frieze bands have
black and white stripes, the colors of
Prussia. On the sides are four “late type”
farewell and training scenes.
Ulan Regiments
Ulan was a Polish word given to
Lithuanian lancers when their lands were
assimilated into Poland in the early part of
the Eighteenth Century. One-hundred
years later when Prussia reorganized its
army, they included Ulan Regiments in
their cavalry. In 1815 six Prussian Ulan
Regiments were at the Battle of Waterloo.
And by 1914, there were twenty-four
Imperial German and two Bavarian Ulan
Regiments in those armies. The Ulans
wore the rather distinctive Polish helmet
called a tschapska, which had a small
black leather “mortar board” top which
was attached to the helmet’s crown by a
narrow stem. Their short double breasted
tunics had a double row of buttons to
which could be attached a changeable
cloth (plastron) in the regiment’s colors for
parades or other special events. The
Ulans carried a 10.5 foot wooden or tubu-
lar steel lance, the same as those carried
by other branches of the cavalry, except
for the lance pennons, which were in
each regiment’s “state” colors.
The regimental beer stein that was origi-
nally owned by Otto Hucke was named to
the 3rd Guard Ulan Regiment which was
garrisoned in Potsdam. Hucke served
there with his regiment from 1907 to
1910. (figure 19) The finial on Hucke’s
stein is an Ulan in parade dress on a
leaping horse and the thumblift is a
crowned Prussian eagle that is holding a
guard star in its beak. The eagle sits on a
ball with a stanhope containing a picture
of a young girl dressed up as a cavalry
officer, with a helmet, sword and riding
boots, but wearing a young girl’s short
dress. On the face of the stein are three
Ulans on prancing horses with the
Brandenburg Gate conspicuous in the
background, above an epaulet and a sil-
ver horseshoe, between Prussian and
Imperial German flags. The lower frieze
band surrounds the base with oak leaves
and acorns intersected by black, white
and red stripes, all in relief. There are
only sixteen names listed on the roster at
the stein’s handle.
Reservist Glassmacher’s relatively tall
regimental stein (14 inches) was named
to the Ulan Regiment Grand Duke
Friedrich of Baden (Rhenish) No. 7. He
was garrisoned at Saarbrücken from 1910
to 1913 (figure 20). Grand Duke Friedrich
of Baden was named honorary Colonel-
in-Chief of this regiment on 20th July
1852. The large finial is an Ulan in parade
dress, his lance held upright, on a leaping
horse with a stanhope in its head. The
thumblift is a flat Prussian eagle. On the
face of Glassmacher’s stein is a mounted
Ulan over a cartouche containing a pic-
ture of Emperor Wilhelm II in the uniform
of an Ulan officer. Around the base are
oak and laurel leaves intersected by
black, white and red stripes, all in relief.
The upper and lower frieze bands also
have oak leaves intersected by the
Imperial German colors, black, white and
figure 18
figure 19
figure 20
Page 1914
December 2005
(Meldreiter Abteilungen) which were
authorized on 30th March 1895. They
were attached to various army corps loca-
tions where they acted as mounted couri-
ers, freeing-up cavalry units that were
previously being used for this purpose.
Beginning in 1901, those small detach-
ments were expanded into regiment size
units and brigaded with various other cav-
alry regiments of the Imperial German
Army. The Royal Bavarian Army had no
Mounted Rifle Regiments as of 1914,
since they used Light Cavalry Regiments
(Chevauleger) as their couriers.
Inasmuch as all the Mounted Rifle
Regiments were raised after 1895 they
obviously did not participate in the
European wars of the Nineteenth
Century.
Reservist Sohn’s Mounted Rifle 6th
Squadron was garrisoned in Posen where
he was stationed from 1901 to 1904. (fig-
ure 22) The finial sitting atop the bell
shaped l id on this stein is a small
Mounted Rifleman holding a sword in his
right hand, on a leaping horse. The thum-
blift is a flat, spread-wing Prussian eagle.
On the face is a Mounted Rifleman wear-
ing a gray-green tunic and a black “lob-
ster tail” style helmet. Below this is a
green shoulder strap with the Roman
numeral six (VI), between Imperial
German and Prussian flags. The scene
on the right shows a Mounted Rifleman
whipping his horse as he attempts to
red. On the sides are four “late type”
farewell and field training scenes. The
name of the stein’s decorator, Emil
Wagner of Saarbrücken, is found at the
bottom end of the handle.
This tall (13 inches) regimental stein was
owned by Reservist Bambauer who was
garrisoned at Bamberg from 1904 to 1907
with the Royal Bavarian 1st Ulan
Regiment Emperor Wilhelm II, King of
Prussia (figure 21). The finial is an Ulan in
parade dress on a leaping horse and the
thumblift is a Bavarian rampant lion hold-
ing a plain shield. This regiment was
raised as the Royal Bavarian 1st Ulan
Regiment on 21st December 1863 and
Wilhem II’s name was added to the unit
designation on 19th June 1888, just two
days after he became Emperor of
Germany. The regiment fought against
Prussia at Hammelberg in 1866, but with
Prussia in several battles just four years
later during the Franco-Prussian War,
including Sedan where Napoleon III sur-
rendered the French Army of Châlons.
On the stein’s face is a large picture of an
Ulan on a leaping horse over an oval with
a picture of Wilhelm II in an Ulan officer’s
uniform. On the right is a large scene of a
squadron of charging Ulans and on the
left is a typical farewell scene with a small
town in the background.
Mounted Rifle Regiments
Mounted Rifle Regiments (Jäger-
Regiment zu Pferde) evolved from small,
squadron size messenger detachments
leave the young woman who is desper-
ately hanging onto the horse’s tail. On
the left is a large farewell scene with a
small town in the background. There
were only thirty-six men in Sohn’s
squadron.
The regimental beer stein that originally
belonged to Reservist Rocker was named
to the Mounted Rifle 7th Squadron.
Rocker was garrisoned at Friedrichsfeld
from 1901 to 1904. (figure 23) The finial
on this stein is a Mounted Rifleman with-
out a lance or a sword, on a horse jump-
ing over a fence. On the face of Rocker’s
stein is a very large scene of a Mounted
Rifleman saying farewell to his girl friend,
with the bugler blowing his horn in the
background. The Mounted Rifleman is
wearing a gray-green tunic and black
“lobster tail” style helmet. On the right is
a large bivouac scene and on the left is a
farewell scene with a departing train
found in the background.
Bavarian Light Cavalry Regiments
Bavarian Light Cavalry Regiments
(Chevauleger) were very similar to the
Dragoons in purpose, but more like the
Ulans in dress. They carried the standard
lance and rode their adequate horses, but
similar to the Ulans, they wore double
breasted tunics with the detachable (plas-
tron) front for parades and other special
events. Unlike the Ulans, however, their
figure 21
figure 22
figure 23
Page 1915
December 2005
helmets were the spiked Picklehauben
rather than the “mortar board” style
tschapska. In French, Chevauleger liter-
ally means - light horse. The Bavarians
adopted this term for their light cavalry on
1st January 1790, when the French
Cavalry was considered the model for
others to emulate. In 1811 there were six
Bavarian Light Cavalry Regiments and in
1914, there were just eight regiments.
Reservist Schmitt’s tall (13 inches) regi-
mental stein is named to the Royal
Bavarian 3rd Light Cavalry Regiment
Duke Karl Theodor. Schmitt was gar-
risoned with his regiment at Dieuze
(Lorraine) from 1911 to 1914. (figure 24)
The finial on this stein is a large Light
Cavalryman in parade dress on a leaping
horse and the thumblift is the crowned
Bavarian rampant lion holding a shield.
This regiment, originally raised as a
Dragoon regiment in 1724, was designat-
ed a Light Cavalry Regiment in 1825 and
was awarded the Duke Karl Theodor title
on 12th December 1895. That day,
General of the Cavalry Duke Karl
Theodor of Bavaria was also named hon-
orary Colonel-in-Chief (Inhaber) of the
regiment. The regiment fought against
France from 1813 to 1815, against
Prussia in the Seven Weeks War in 1866
and four years later in 1870 and 1871
with Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War.
On the face of Schmitt’s regimental stein
is the picture of a Light Cavalryman on a
leaping horse, with the regiment’s bar-
racks in the background. Under this is a
peach colored shoulder strap between an
oval on the right containing the image of
Duke Karl Theodor of Bavaria and an oval
on the left with a picture of Prince Regent
Luitpold of Bavaria.
The regimental stein originally belonging
to Light Cavalryman Vilsmeier was
named to the Royal Bavarian 2nd Light
Cavalry Regiment Taxis. Vilsmeier was
garrisoned with his regiment at Dillingen
from 1904 to 1907. (figure 25) This regi-
ment was raised on 29th June 1682 along
with the 1st Light Cavalry Regiment, mak-
ing them the two oldest cavalry regiments
in the Bavarian Army. The name Taxis in
the unit designation refers to the family
Turn und Taxis of Regensburg, probably
one of the wealthiest families in Europe
that at one time owned the Holy Roman
Empire Postal System. The regiment
fought against France from 1813 to 1815,
against Prussia in the Seven Weeks War
in 1866 and four years later with Prussia
in 1870 and 1871, in the Franco-Prussian
War. The finial on this stein is a Light
Cavalryman on a leaping horse and the
thumblift is a crowned Bavarian rampant
lion. On the face is a Light Cavalryman
on a leaping horse over a cartouche con-
taining a picture of Colonel Albert Maria
Lamoral, Prince of Turn und Taxis, who
was named the honorary Colonel-in-Chief
of the regiment on 26th July 1885. On
the right is a large scene of a charging
Light Cavalry Squadron. On the left is a
farewell scene with a tall church steeple
in the background.
Epilogue:
Without question, the Imperial German
and Royal Bavarian Cavalries were the
most conspicuous branches of their
respective armies. They had earned their
reputations for gallantry in the wars of the
Nineteenth Century. And all those men in
their parade uniforms certainly did turn
heads, especially the young ladies’. But it
did not last. As mentioned, Twentieth
Century technology had finally caught-up
with the cavalry, and when war did come
in 1914, those young men most likely
could be found in their grey uniforms in
the trenches, knee deep in the mud, in an
extended war of attrition. What a dramat-
ic change from better times before the
war - times when they were universally
acclaimed, and times when beer steins
were popular souvenirs among the young
men completing their military training.
Yes, what a dramatic change that must
have been!
* For an explanation as to the rational for
distinguishing between the Imperial
German and Royal Bavarian Armies,
please refer to the asterisk at the end of
Part One of this two part series that
appeared in the September issue of
Prosit.
References:
(The) Cavalry, James Lawford,
Indianapolis, IN, USA
Cuirassiers and Heavy Cavalry, D.S.V.
Fosten, London, UK
Formationsgeschichte und
Stellenbesetzung, Günter Wegner,
Osnabrück, D
Hussars and Mounted Rifles,
D.H.Hagger, New Malden, UK
Lancers and Dragoons, R.J. Marrion,
London, UK
Regimental Beer Steins, 1890-1914, R.
Ron Heiligenstein, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Regimental Steins, Major John L. Harrell,
Ret., Frederick, MD, USA
Ruhmeshalle Unserer Alten Armee, Dr.
Martin Lezius, Leipzig, D
(The) Soldier Kings: The House of
Hohenzollern, Walter Henry Nelson,
London, UK
figure 24
figure 25
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December 2005