Two Promotional Documents Knight`s Cross Recipient Theodor Preu

Measuring ca. 210x330mm, better than very fine condition with some fraying and folding creases. The first certificate is a so-called Offizierspatent (officer’s commission), a certificate of rank to Lieutenant for Theodor Preu of the 21st Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to Lieutenant on September 10, 1916. The certificate is dated to Vaux lez Tournai (Belgium) on May 19, 1918. The second certificate is a promotion certificate, stating that Theodor Preu of the 20th (Bavarian) Infantry Regiment has been promoted from Oberleutnant (Senior Lieutenant) to Hauptmann (Captain). The document is dated to Berlin on March 1, 1932 and signed in black ink by Reichswehrminister (Reich Minister of Defence) Wilhelm Groener (1867–1939), a recipient of the Pour le Mérite.

Footnote: Theodor Preu was born on November 29, 1896. He volunteered for service on September 1, 1914. In 1916, he was promoted to Lieutenant. He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class during the war. Afterwards, Preu was taken over into the Reichswehr and served in the 20th Infantry Regiment, and later on the Staff of the 5th Infantry Division. On April 1, 1937 he was promoted to Major and redeployed to the 17th Infantry Division. Preu would go on to take command of the 2nd Battalion of Infantry Regiment 21 in the 17th Infantry Division on November 1, 1939. Subsequently, he was wounded in action in France. After recovering, he became commander of the 1st Battalion on March 11, 1940. In December of that year, Preu was promoted to commanding the entire Regiment. Just short of a year later, on November 22, 1941 he was made Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) and was awarded the German Cross in Gold. On February 1, 1942 his promotion to Oberst (Colonel) followed. Preu earned the Knight’s Cross commanding Grenadier Regiment 21 in the 17th Infantry Division on January 9, 1944. Nine days later, he took command of Infantry Division 111. This post was short-lived, however, as he was placed in the Führer Reserve on March 5. In April, he commanded the 17th Infantry Division for a short time, from May to June it was Infantry Division 197, and on June 20, he became the commander of Infantry Division 296. However, that same month he was captured by Russian forces near Vitebsk, Belarus, and would only be released in 1948. Preu died on July 8, 1974.