1st Class Collar Set of the 2nd Type, as awarded to foreign dignitaries, with the rank of ministers upwards, belonged to Armeegeneral Heinz Kessler, former Minister of Defense of the German Democratic Republic. Collar Chain, 95 cm., gilt Silver composed of 16 oval medallions bearing the coat of arms of North Korea, 17 round medallions with waving borders, centered by a stylized flower, all connected by triple segments of chain, a larger, separate link in the form of North Korea’s coat of arms, 37 x 27 mm., fitted with ring and hook to mount it to the collar chain and to which to append the Order’s Badge 60,0 mm., gilt Silver in the form of a reversed, five-pointed beaming star, each tip, with triple ball-finial, flanked by polished beams, the centre bearing a five pointed star, within enameled border with the colours of the Korean flag, the reverse, fitted with a hook pointing downwards and raised Korean inscription with the indication of the class “1”; in the original case of issue with fitted inner compartment and Korean coat of arms in gilt metal to the outer lid, with the original award document dated July 14th, 1988 (decision of the Central Committee, in the name of Comrade Kim Il-Sung) and the date of the award, on July 15th, in the original, dark brown leather folder.
An outstandingly rare set, awarded to one of the most prominent military personalities of the Warsaw Pact, with an absolutely certain provenance, also proven by the award document, excellent condition.
Biographical note: Heinz Kessler (1920-2017), born from a family of socialist-communist ideals, joined the communist youth movements, drafted in the Wehrmacht in 1940, in 1941 deserted consigning himself to the Soviet troops, fighting within units of the Red Army, until the end of hostilities with Germany (due to his desertion, his mother was convicted and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp until the end of the war). Once returned to Germany, he entrered the SED party, becoming a member of its Central committee, and beginning his career in the forming armed forces of the SBZ (Sovjetische Besatzungszone) and from 1949, the DDR. Appointed as chief of the Air Force and of the Aerial Defense in 1956 and in 1957, he became Deputy Minister of Defense. In 1967, promoted to Generaloberst, he became Chief of the DDR General Staff and member of the Supreme Defense Council of the Warsaw Pact, receiving also the appointment to Chief of the Main Political Direction of the NVA.
In 1985, at the unexpected death of Armeegeneral Heinz Hoffmann, a short struggle began to take the post of Minister of Defense. At first, the hopes of the military establishment was towards Generaloberst Horst Stechbarth, a man of excellent military and human qualities, but Kessler was more linked to the “inner circle” of the SED and its political leaders and eventually he took the place of Minister.
He was present to the last Honour Parade for the 4th Anniversary of the DDR on October 7th, 1989. Soon his career ended with the fall of Erich Honecker and his closest staff, after the turbulent session of the Central Committee, where Egon Krenz and his politica allies dismissed the SED’s “old guard” as a whole.
Kessler was also arrested in 1990 and charged for his responsibilities and involvement in the death of DDR citizens attempting to leave the Republic. He was able not to serve all his inprisonment, due to his age and health. His later life was of intense activity in the support of former members and the traditions of the dissolved DDR armed forces and write books and essais in defense of his actions as a military and political leader, along with his deputy minister – later revealed as a Stasi-informant – Generaloberst Fritz Streletz (born 1926 – still living). His rapidly failing health, needed to him to spend his last 3 years of life at a nursing home.
provenance: Armeegeneral’s Kessler’s son. I RR!