{"product_id":"imperial-baden-leibgrenadier-regiment-109-enlisted-waffenrock-tunic-karlsruhe","title":"Imperial Baden Leibgrenadier Regiment 109 Enlisted Waffenrock Tunic Karlsruhe","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eOriginal Imperial Baden enlisted man's \u003cem\u003eWaffenrock\u003c\/em\u003e (regulation parade and walking-out tunic) of the \u003cem\u003e1. Badisches Leibgrenadier-Regiment Nr. 109\u003c\/em\u003e (1st Baden Life Grenadier Regiment No. 109), the senior infantry regiment of the Grand Duchy of Baden and the personal \u003cem\u003eLeibregiment\u003c\/em\u003e of the Grand Ducal House of Zähringen, garrisoned at Karlsruhe through the Imperial period of 1871–1918. The tunic is constructed of fine Prussian-blue (\u003cem\u003epreussischblau\u003c\/em\u003e) wool melton in the standard pattern of the Imperial Baden contingent — high stand collar, single-breasted front closed by eight crown-pattern buttons, rectangular Swedish-pattern cuffs (\u003cem\u003eschwedische Aufschläge\u003c\/em\u003e) in regimental red, and the embroidered shoulder straps that identify the regiment by name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe collar is the standard Imperial Baden two-piece pattern in regimental rose-red (\u003cem\u003eponceaurot\u003c\/em\u003e) wool melton, with three lengths of \u003cem\u003eDoppellitze\u003c\/em\u003e (double braid) applied to each side: silver-white woven braid bisected by a fine red center thread, in the \u003cem\u003eGardelitzen\u003c\/em\u003e (Guard braid) pattern that the Leibgrenadier 109 was specifically entitled to wear as the Grand Duke's Life Regiment — a privilege shared with only a small number of other line regiments across the Imperial Army. The collar Litzen are intact on both sides. Matching Litzen blocks are applied to each red Swedish cuff, each block terminating in the small white-metal cuff button at the top edge of the braid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe red shoulder straps are the principal regimental identifier and the iconic feature of the Leibgrenadier 109 uniform: red wool melton straps piped white at the rounded outer edge, each centered with a large yellow-gold embroidered royal crown (\u003cem\u003eKönigliche Krone\u003c\/em\u003e) executed in heavy silk floss — the symbol of the regiment's status as the Grand Ducal Leibregiment and its right to bear the crown on the shoulder in lieu of a regimental cypher or numeral. Each strap is closed at the inner end by a small white-metal regimental button stamped with the numeral \u003cem\u003e6\u003c\/em\u003e, indicating that the tunic was issued to a member of the \u003cem\u003e6. Kompagnie\u003c\/em\u003e (6th Company), part of the regiment's II. Bataillon at Karlsruhe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe front of the tunic is closed by eight large white-metal buttons stamped with the Baden royal crown in the regulation Baden infantry pattern, with matching cuff and shoulder-strap buttons throughout. The rear of the tunic carries the regulation skirt ornament of three buttons per side along the false-skirt seams, with the characteristic Baden-pattern red piping running vertically down the rear panels and curving inward to the lower button row — a decorative element carried over from the older nineteenth-century coatee construction and preserved in the M1895 Waffenrock. The interior is lined with grey-white twill cotton, with internal cloth pocket bags. No regimental depot or maker stamp is visible in the photographs; a buyer in-hand should check the inside collar lining and the lower skirt lining for stencil-style markings, which often appear faint on surviving examples and can yield additional issue and date information.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe 1. Badisches Leibgrenadier-Regiment Nr. 109 traced its lineage to the \u003cem\u003eKarlsruher Grenadier-Compagnie\u003c\/em\u003e of 1803, was elevated to \u003cem\u003eLeibgrenadier-Regiment\u003c\/em\u003e status in 1813 in recognition of service in the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon, and entered the Imperial German Army under the 1871 unification as the senior infantry regiment of the Baden contingent. The regiment carried number 109 in the consolidated Imperial line and served as the personal regiment of the reigning Grand Dukes of Baden — Friedrich I (reigned 1856–1907) and Friedrich II (reigned 1907–1918) — with the Grand Duke himself holding the post of \u003cem\u003eRegimentschef\u003c\/em\u003e (Honorary Colonel-in-Chief). The regiment was permanently garrisoned at Karlsruhe, the Baden capital, and formed part of the 28. Division within the XIV. Armee-Korps of the Imperial Army. Its parade duties at the Karlsruhe court included ceremonial guards at the Schloss, escort for visiting royalty, and the principal role in Baden state ceremonies and reviews. The regiment served on the Western Front through the 1914–18 conflict, taking part in operations in Alsace-Lorraine and the Vosges and in the long defensive engagements of the middle and late war years, before being dissolved with the wider Imperial Army in November 1918.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe combination of \u003cem\u003eGardelitzen\u003c\/em\u003e, embroidered shoulder-strap crown, and \u003cem\u003eLeib\u003c\/em\u003e designation together places this regiment within the small category of Imperial German line units that were entitled to wear Guard-pattern braid and royal symbols on the strength of their household-regiment status — a category that included the Saxon Leibgrenadier-Regiment Nr. 100, the Mecklenburg-Schwerin Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 89, and a handful of others. Among these, the Baden 109 is among the most actively collected today, both for the distinctive yellow-on-red shoulder crown that no other regiment carried in this exact combination and for the strong historical association with the Baden Grand Ducal house at Karlsruhe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eCondition is honest and consistent with a piece that saw period service, was retained as a veteran's keepsake at the close of the Empire, and has been preserved without significant restoration. The blue wool body retains good color throughout, with the characteristic warm dark navy tone of original Imperial-period dyed melton. There is scattered moth nibbling visible in the wool, including at least one small clear moth hole on the rear panel visible in the close-up photograph; the damage is light by the standards of surviving Imperial-period wool uniforms and does not significantly affect the visual presentation. The red collar and cuffs retain strong color with the Litzen fully intact on both sides. Both shoulder straps are present with the embroidered crowns fully intact, the embroidery threads bright, and the regimental 6 buttons properly fitted. All eight front buttons, cuff buttons, and rear-skirt buttons appear present and original to the tunic. The interior lining shows expected age-staining at the neck and underarms consistent with original wear, with some fraying of the collar lining at the upper edge where it has separated — a common period-wear pattern that is easily stabilized if desired but does not threaten the structural integrity of the garment. No alterations or post-period replacements are apparent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eImperial Baden uniforms are scarcer on the collector market than their Prussian and Bavarian counterparts, reflecting both the smaller size of the Baden contingent and heavier post-1918 attrition among smaller-state uniform survivals. Within the Baden category, the Leibgrenadier 109 enlisted Waffenrock is the foundational item of any collection focused on the Grand Duchy and one of the most readily identifiable Imperial-period tunics in the entire German Army, owing to the unmistakable yellow-crown-on-red shoulder strap. The piece fits directly into a Grand-Duchy-of-Baden grouping within the collect-by-state framework and provides the central anchor for any Baden infantry uniform display.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49566368858351,"sku":"15-32","price":1795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/9169\/5855\/files\/15-32_1.jpg?v=1779219805","url":"https:\/\/derrittmeister.com\/products\/imperial-baden-leibgrenadier-regiment-109-enlisted-waffenrock-tunic-karlsruhe","provider":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}