Iron Cross 1st Class, maker Steinhauer & Lück, Lüdenscheid. Three-piece construction with soldered-on setup. Reverse pin is maker marked with PK code “4.” Condition is very good to excellent: light signs of age, frame nicely polished and intact. Comes complete with its original case, also in very good condition.
On the inside of the case lid, under the lining, a handwritten inscription was found:
Name: Erwin Gebel
Rank: Hauptmann (Captain)
Unit: most likely Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 49 (“Reg 49” clearly visible)
City: Breslau (today Wrocław, Poland; formerly a German city until 1945)
Years: 1939–1945
A very interesting set, not only due to the excellent preserved condition of the cross and case, but also because of this personal inscription, directly linking the decoration to its historical owner and to the city of Breslau/Wrocław.