[Below: Here is a very interesting group of award documents spanning one remarkable soldier's career. His name was Karl Engel and his journey began during the Spanish Civil War. This first document was awarded by Spain to the Germans who helped them fight the communists. This document is for the Medal for the Campaign of 1936-1939 (Spanish: Medalla de la Campaña 1936-1939), the document being dated September 30, 1938. The document itself is very large and made of a very thick paper. It's really quite beautiful.]

[Below: Close-up.]

[Below: The Medal for the Campaign of 1936-1939.]

[Below: Award box.]

[Below: This second award document (a German award/document), larger than normal German award documents, is also for the Spanish Civil War, awarded June 6, 1939. It says:

'Im Namen
des
Deutschen Volkes
verleihe ich
dem Gefreiten Karl Engel
als Anerkennung
für Seine Leistungen als Freiwilliger
im Spanischen Freiheitskampf
das
Deutsche Spanien-Kreuz
in Silber mit Schwertern'

(On behalf of
of the
German people
I bestow
to Private Karl Engel
in recognition of
his achievements as a volunteer
in the Spanish War of Independence
the
German Spanish Cross
in Silver with Swords).]

[Below: The beautiful Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords.]

[Below: This third award document is dated January 30, 1943. It says:

'In Namen des Führers
und Obersten Befehlshabers
der Wehrmacht
verleihe ich dem
Wachtmeister
Karl Engel
geb. 28.3.1912
das
Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse
mit Schwertern'

(In the name of the Führer
and Supreme Commander
of the Wehrmacht
I award the
Sergeant
Karl Engel
born 28.3.1912
the
War Merit Cross 2nd Class
with Swords).]

* This is signed by General der Flieger [General of the Flyers] Richard Putzier.

[Below: Richard Putzier.]

[Below: The War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords.]

[Below: This fourth award document is dated January 30, 1944. It says:

'In Namen des Führers
und Obersten Befehlshabers
der Wehrmacht
verleihe ich
dem
Oberwachtmeister
Karl Engel
das
Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse
mit Schwertern'

(In the name of the Führer
and Supreme Commander
of the Wehrmacht
I award the
Staff Sergeant
Karl Engel
the
War Merit Cross 1st Class
with Swords).]

*This is signed by Luftwaffenbefehlschaber Mitte Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff.

[Below: Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff.]

[Below: The War Merit Cross 1st Class with Swords.]

[Below: This fifth award document is dated November 9, 1944. It says:

'In Namen des Führers
verleihe ich
dem
Oberwachtmeister
Karl Engel
23./Fsch.Flak-Rgt. H.G. das
Eiserne Kreuz
2. Klasse'

(In the name of the Führer
I award the
Staff Sergeant
Karl Engel
23./Fsch.Flak-Rgt. H.G. the
Iron Cross
2nd Class).]

*Note that this is signed by the Generalmajor und Kommandierender General of the elite Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 'Hermann Göring', the Luftwaffe's only armoured division. By this time Karl Engel was also a member of the legendary group.

[Below: The Iron Cross 2nd Class.]

[Below: This sixth document is not an award certificate, instead it is a sad death certificate from September 20, 1942 for Karl Engel's brother Josef. Its poor shape tells that it was probably carried with his brother for many years. It says:

'Für
Führers, Volk und Vaterland
Starb den Heldentod
am 28.7.1942
der Mtr. Ob. Gefr.
Josef Engel
Im Auftrage
des Oberbefehlschabers der
Kriegsmarine ist darüber diese
Urkunde ausgestellt worden.'

(For
Führer, Volk and Fatherland
Died a heroic death
on 28.7.1942
the Mtr. Ob. Gefr.
Josef Engel
On behalf of
of the Commander-in-Chief of the
Kriegsmarine this
certificate has been issued).]

[Below: Eagle close-up.]

[Below: Ink Kriegsmarine stamp close-up.]

[Below: Hmm... this looks pretty unassuming at first glance. It's a large, heavy folder. It opens up like a large greeting card to reveal this...]

[Below: Beautiful! This is a school award. It says:

'Zur Erinnerung an die Schulzeit auf dem Staatlichen Gymnasium in Fulda.'

(In memory of school days at the state grammar school in Fulda)]

[Below: I love the vibrant colors! Being closed for 80 years really kept the colors sharp.]

[Below: This is an award document for The Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918, commonly known as the Hindenburg Cross, although incorrectly called this. This is signed by the police president in Kiel.]

[Below: Beautiful ink stamp.]

[Below: The medal itself. It came in three grades, one with a wreath and swords (as seen here), one minus the wreath and swords, and a black version for next of kin. It also was awarded to presumably higher ranked soldiers in a red or black case.]

[Below: This large certificate is made of thick paper and says:

'Entlallungs-Zeugnis'
(Discharge certificate).

Further down the student is evaluated overall:

Körperlich: sehr gut
Charakterlich: sehr gut
Geistig: gut begabt
Gesamterfolg: gut'

(Physical: very good
Character: very good
Mental: well gifted
Overall success: good)

It states that the pupil, Irmgard, is graduating from the 8th grade.

[Below: Here it lists the classes and her grades. The lessons are:

'Religionslehre, Sprachlicher Ausdruck, Rechtschreiben, Lesen, Heimatkunde, Erdkunde, Naturekunde, Geschichte, Rechnen, Formenkunde, Zeichnen, Schreiben, Singten, Turnen, Nadelarbeiten, Werkunterricht'

(Religious Education, Linguistic Expression, Spelling, Reading, Local History, Geography, Natural History, History, Arithmetic, Form Studies, Drawing, Writing, Singing, Gymnastics, Needlework, Handicraft Lessons)]