Bulgarian Commemorative Medal for Participation in the First World War – Unteroffizier from Oberhausen (Rhld.)

Original Bulgarian award certificate (Свидетелство) issued by the Kingdom of Bulgaria, Ministry of War, documenting the award of the Medal for Participation in the War of 1915–1918 to Unteroffizier Heinrich Pleumann, of Oberhausen/Rheinland, Germany. The certificate is dated Sofia, 23 May 1941 and records that Pleumann participated in the Bulgarian campaign of 1915–1918. In recognition and remembrance of his participation, His Majesty the King of Bulgaria awarded him the commemorative medal worn on a red ribbon.

This is a particularly interesting document because Pleumann was a German veteran, rather than a Bulgarian serviceman. The Bulgarian Medal for Participation in the War 1915–1918 was instituted on 9 December 1933 as a commemorative award for participants in the First World War. The red ribbon specifically denoted front-line veterans, while variants with additional central stripes were used for indirect participants and next-of-kin.

The award was also distributed to veterans of the former allied armies, including German, Austrian and Hungarian participants. Sources record that approximately 200,000 medals were sent abroad for presentation to former personnel of these allied armies. This makes a certificate actually issued to a German WWI veteran living in Germany particularly appropriate and collectible.

An especially attractive feature is the original Bulgarian 150-lev revenue/postage stamp affixed to the certificate, together with the embossed official seal of the Bulgarian Ministry of War. The funds raised through these special stamps were used for the planned construction of a new building for the National Military History Museum in Sofia, giving the stamp a direct connection to Bulgarian military heritage.

The certificate is signed by the Lieutenant General and Minister of War, with an additional signature from the official identified as Head of the Department for the Military Museum, Monuments, etc. The combination of the Bulgarian royal heading, Ministry of War documentation, original seal, revenue stamp and German recipient makes this an unusually attractive piece of international WWI veteran documentation.

The date of 23 May 1941 is also noteworthy. By this point Bulgaria was already closely aligned with the Axis powers and had joined the Tripartite Pact in March 1941. Only weeks earlier, Bulgarian forces had entered territories in the Balkans following the German-led campaigns of April 1941. This certificate therefore represents a fascinating intersection of Bulgarian WWI commemorative policy, German-Bulgarian military relations and the continued recognition of veterans more than two decades after the First World War.

Condition

Original large-format certificate with horizontal and vertical folds, age-related toning, light foxing/discoloration and general handling/storage wear. There is some edge wear and a small loss around the left perforation/filing hole, but the elaborate Bulgarian printing remains very attractive. The original 150-lev stamp, Ministry of War seal and signatures are all present.