Lothar Berger – Infanterie-Regiment 84 & Brigade z.b.V. 100 (Eichenlaub)

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Lothar Berger. Generalmajor Lothar Berger (31 December 1900, Halberstadt, Saxony † 5 November 1971, Bad Schwartau, Schleswig-Holstein) was a German Army officer who rose to the rank of Generalmajor during the Second World War. A front-line leader from the campaign in France to the desperate battles of 1945, he was decorated with the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves as well as Romania’s Order of the Star.

Awards and Decorations:

• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, 151st award) – 5 August 1940, as Major and Kommandeur of III./Infanterie-Regiment 84, 4. Infanterie-Division, VIII. Armee-Korps, 7. Armee, Heeresgruppe C.

  Awarded for his exemplary leadership during the French Campaign. On 14 May 1940, Major Berger led his assault companies in the crossing of the Maas near Yvoir under heavy fire. Days later, on 17–18 May, his battalion achieved another decisive success by penetrating the fortified works near Berelles on the French–Belgian border.

• Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross (Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, 806th award) – 28 March 1945, as Oberst and Kommandeur of Brigade z.b.V. 100, XXXX. Panzer-Korps, 4. Panzer-Armee, Heeresgruppe Mitte.

  Recognized for his distinguished leadership of Brigade z.b.V. 100 during the heavy fighting in early 1945.

Career Highlights:

• Joined the Reichswehr after the First World War and developed into an experienced infantry officer.

• Rose to prominence in the 1940 French Campaign, where his battalion’s bold river crossing and breakthrough earned him the Knight’s Cross.

• Decorated by Germany’s Axis ally Romania in 1942.

• Commanded Brigade z.b.V. 100 in the last year of the war, for which he was awarded the Oak Leaves in March 1945.

• Promoted to Generalmajor before the war’s end.

• Survived captivity and lived in West Germany until his death in 1971.

Item Details:

• Authentic postwar signature of Generalmajor Lothar Berger. Writting on reverse.

• Signed on a postwar photograph.

• Condition: Clear, well-preserved autograph.

Collector’s Note:
Berger’s dual Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and his Romanian decoration make his signature particularly sought-after. From the Meuse crossing of 1940 to the last desperate battles of 1945, his career illustrates the trajectory of a combat-proven officer who fought on both the Western and Eastern Fronts.