4th Wurttemberg Infantry Regiment centennial medal acquired by a US soldier
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 1.625 inches (4.128 cm) | Width: 1.500 inches (3.81 cm) | Depth: 0.125 inches (0.318 cm)
Creator(s)
- Harold B. Goldberg (Subject)
Biographical History
Harold B. Goldberg (1922-2011) was born in Brooklyn, New York to Samuel and Rose Goldberg. Samuel and Rose were born in Russia and immigrated to the United States before the birth of their children. Samuel worked as a presser in a tailor shop. Harold had six siblings and the family spoke Yiddish and English at home. As a young adult Harold worked as a mail carrier and attended City College in New York. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The following day the United States declared war on Japan, and on December 11, Germany declared war on the United States. On October 31, 1942 Harold was drafted into the U.S. military. He entered the army on October 31, 1942 as a private, and received serial number 32613738. He served in Europe until the end of the war. Harold then returned home to New York where he married his wife Rita in 1952. The family lived in New York for the rest of their lives.
Archival History
The medal was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by the family of Harold Goldberg.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the family of Harold Goldberg
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
4th Wurttemberg Infantry Regiment No. 122 bronze centennial medal 1806-1906 brought back from the war by Harold Goldberg, an American soldier who served in Europe. The 4th Wurttemberg, also known as the 122nd Fusiliers, was formed in 1807 in the Army of the Kingdom, and then, German state of Wurttemberg, when it became part of the Imperial German Army. In 1906, it was renamed in honor of Emperor Franz Joseph. The regiment was disbanded in 1919, following the defeat of Germany and dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I (1914-1918.) The state was located in southwestern Germany, with Stuttgart as the capital.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Circular, shiny, bronze colored metal medal, 1.25 in diameter, with an embossed portrait bust of Kaiser Franz Joseph in left profile, an old man with bushy sideburns, wearing a decorated uniform, with German text circling the border. The reverse has an open laurel leaved wreath with text within and surrounding the wreath. The top of the medal has a soldered suspension loop and ring.
Subjects
- Jewish soldiers--United States--Biography.
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
- Souvenirs (Keepsakes)--Soldiers--United States--Biography.
- Soldiers--United States--Biography.
Genre
- Object
- Awards