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Description: | whole: A ribbon of yellow silk overlaid with black printed text and image.
image: At the top a portrait bust of August von Mackensen. Below this an allegorical scene showing the Russian bear entangled in barbed
wire being attached by two eagles (one the Imperial German, the other the double-headed Austro-Hungarian eagle). Between the two eagles a
fist throwing lightning.
text: Vivat Mackensen
2. Mai
Sieg bei Gorlice
West-Galizien
Zum Besten des Roten Kreuzes
Verlag Amsler u Ruthardt. Berlin W8
The Vivat Band commemorates the Gorlice-Tarnow offensive which began on 2 May 1915. The German offensive started to
relieve Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarian army. Under the command of August von Mackensen the campaign led to the collapse of the
Russian lines.
The earliest known examples of Vivat Bander date from the eighteenth century and were produced in Prussia and allied German States. They
remained popular into the 1870s and were revived in 1913 in Germany to commemorate an array of events and anniversaries. During the First
World War considerable numbers of Vivat Bander were produced in Germany and Austria-Hungary. Most of the examples in the extensive IWM
collection were printed for the German Red Cross and other War Charities to raise funds.
During the First World War Vivat Bander commemorate specific battles and events as well as celebrating German and Austro-Hungarian monarchs
and commanders. They usually comprise of alternating images and text often including portraits and using historical and allegorical
imagery. Printed on coloured silk they were popular collector’s items and survive in fairly large numbers. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | Allegory Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive 1915 German Red Cross August von portrait / personification Charities events / anniversaries Eastern Front commemorative First World War Mackensen | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Verlag Amsler u Ruthardt. Berlin W8 | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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