My great grandfather, Carl Rinke, was a body guard for Kaiser Wilhelm
I and was knighted by the Kaiser as Herr von Rothbush.  Is there
further information on Herr von Rothbush being knighted and when?

I sent an e-mail to the "Deutsches Adelsarchiv" (German Nobility
Archive) in Marburg. In case they have some additional information I
shall let you know.

The family is not mentioned in "Adelslexikon" (Band 125, Adelslexikon
XII Rol-Schm, 2001):
http://www.starkeverlag.de/shopfactory/de/dept_27.html

Thanks for checking this out for me.  If not listed, could it be due
to the fact that he was later demoted due to "political reasons?"  He
did earn an Iron Cross Class 2 for duty in the Franco-Prussian War
during which he was wounded, according to my grandfather, Carl's son. 
When my grandfather, Willy Rinke, was baptized at St. Thomas Church in
Berlin, Dec. 16, 1883, Carl was listed as a disabled war veteran. 
Mary

fp-ga,
hope you asked them to check spelling variations:  Rotbusch.
It seems surprising to me that Wilhelm I would have ennobled a
bodyguard, but maybe Carl Rinke actually risked his life in the line
of duty.  Indeed, there were four attempts on W I?s life, two in which
a bodyguard could have played a role, but I could only find mention of
this for the one on 11. May 1878, where in the ?extrablatt? of  a
Berlin paper it is mentioned that after the two shots (one only grazed
the old monarch), his ?Leibjäger? (bodyguard) sprang from the
carriage, but he wasn?t  instrumental in saving the Kaiser?s life.
Marydon-ga, do you have any idea when Carl Rinke was born?
Seems also unusual that he would not have become just Herr von Rinke
...  However, there is a little place, now incorporated in the town of
Schmallenberg in Nordrhein-Westfalen, named Rotbusch, and probably
once spelled Rothbusch, and maybe he was allowed to take the name of
his home village.
There are a lot of streets named ?Am Rothbusch? in various towns.

Do you know when Carl died? Do you know the name of his wife?

Is there any written document mentioning his name "von Rothbusch" (if
so, which year)?

Yes, I am checking for Rothbusch and similar spellings.

HI Mary,
Your comment was posted while I was still writing.
Then  - on my hypothesis -  it could not have been attempt in 1878,
since Carl would have then already been wounded in the 1870-71
Franco-Prussian War, but maybe the attempt in 1861 in Baden-Baden,
although again the shots missed and in this German report( 
http://www.bad-bad.de/sehen/hirtenh.htm  )there is no mention of a
bodyguard.  The king was out walking (no doubt with a guard), met
someone and continued with him, when a young man accosted them and
then shot at the king.

Yes, if Carl had become an active socialist, he might have had his
title withdrawn.
I wonder if the web has a site with military orders awarded in the 1870-71 war?

I believe that the German word "Leibgardist" should, in this case, not
be translated as "body guard".

"Leibgarde" was one of the many regiments in the army, i.e. in this
case in the Prussian army.

It is indeed "unusual that he would not have become just Herr von
Rinke" (myoarin-ga).

Even if his title was later withdrawn the nobilitation would be
mentioned in books like the Adelslexion.

More information about Carl Frederich Christof Rinke (b. 21 Apr 1841
Demmin - d. 5 Apr 1884 Tempelhof). Parents: Handschuhmacher Rinke and
Christiane Kaufmann Rinke; Wife: Louisa Ida Henriette Riese Rinke
(daughter of Ferdinand Heinrich Riese) whom he married 6 Sept 1867 St.
Peter's Church, Altentreptow; children Elise, Georg, Paul and Willy
(my grandfather).  Carl joined the 2nd Garde Ulanen Regiment (1864),
then (date unknown) joined 2nd Prussian Army and received honorable
discharge 5 Oct 1872. His death certificate states "found dead in
Tempelof at 5:15 a.m."  His wife died in Berlin on 9 Aug 1886 when my
grandfather was only 3.  He and his siblings sailed from Bremen to
Baltimore and went to live with his mother's sister, Fredericka Riese
Jennerich, in Jeffersonville, IN.  My information about Carl's
knighthood and demotion is from a cassette tape my grandfather made in
1968 (he died in 1970).  He says: "Carl was the head of the Kaiser
Wilhelm der Grosse's bodyguards - Guarde du Corps - and was stationed
in Berlin and Pottsdam."

Thanks to all who have made comments.  Hope the above helps - marydon-ga

Thanks for the additional information, and fp-ga, you hit the nail on the head,
"Leibgardist".  I didn't think of that, and all my speculations in the
other direction are "für die Katz'." (Mary, "worthless"). But as a
member of those regiments, the question of why Carl would have been
ennobled becomes more difficult, but maybe the archive will have an
answer.
"Head of Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse's bodyguard ..."   Wouldn't that
have been a member of an old Prussian military family, and not a the
son of glovemaker, even if he had been ennobled? Especially if he was
a disabled war veteran at the age of 30 after the war of 70-71?  And
"Wilhelm der Grosse" generally refers to "the great Kurfurst"
1620-1688, or - less often - to Wilhelm II, Kaiser from 1888 to 1918,
but not to his grandfather, ruler when Carl lived.
Greetings to you both,

Thanks to each of you for your comments.  This has been a mystery to
our family and, as you will note, these are the rembrances of an 85
yr. old man (Carl's son Willy) who was orphaned at age 3 and probably
received his information from his Aunt Fredericka.  That is not to say
there's no truth in what my grandfather said on the tape.  I have
copies of documents proving Carl and Louisa's marriage, Carl's name on
the Stemmerolle (showing his parent's names), Carl's pension record,
Carl's and Louisa's death certificates, a cousin has Carl's ribbons
and the Iron Cross and other medals, and a tin type showing an older
Carl in what appears to be the uniform of a senior prison offical -
with his battle ribbons & medals (and a ribbon with a medal tucked in
his jacket which may be the ribbon of the Iron Cross), but only my
grandfather's words on tape pronouncing "Herr von Rothbusch."  Mary

Unfortunately, the Adelsarchiv does not know anything about a "von
Rothbusch" family.

"Wilhelm der Große" does (did) refer to "Kaiser Wilhelm I." as you can
see from these links:
://www.google.co.uk/search?q=%22wilhelm+der+grosse%22

According to
http://www.ulanen.de/geschichte.htm

Lupold von Knebel-Doeberitz wrote a book about the first 60 years of
this regiment, i.e. about the years approx. 1819 to 1879:
Die ersten 60 Jahre des 2. Garde-Ulanen-Regiments : Im Auftr. d. Rgts
/ zsgest. v. Knebel-Doeberitz. - Berlin : Mittler, 1882. - VIII, 183
S. : 2 Marschroutenkt. + Mit vielen Kunstbeil.

This book would include the years Carl Rinke was in this regiment.
Perhaps he is mentioned in this book. In case one of the local
libraries has a copy I shall have a look.

As noted by myoarin-ga we do not yet know why Carl would have been ennobled.

Thanks fp-ga!  Herr von Rothbusch remains a mystery to me.  It would
be great if Carl Rinke was in the 2nd Garde-Ulanen-Regiments and is
listed in the book you mention.  I have a copy of the Altentreptow
Stemmerolle which shows Carl Frederich Christian (not Christof as in
other documents) Rinke with Christiane Kaufmann Rinke as Carl's mother
(his father was deceased), the date of July 1841 (I cannot read what
is under Gewerbe), then Demmin 1091 and finally in line 13, 1864, 2
guarde Ulnan and maybe Reg (?). It is not a very clear copy.   I do
not know why Carl would have been ennobled, either.  I only have my
grandfather's words to go by - and, at 85 perhaps his memory was
clouded.  Mary

Mary, fp-ga is doing great work (didn't check that site, but I believe you).
Kind of a pity that Carl wasn't really a bodyguard that saved W I's
life and was ennobled for it.
Good luck,

Thanks, myoarin-ga, maybe we'll find the answer to the mysterious Herr
von Rothbusch one day and discover if Carol Rinke was really knighted.
 Mary

Rinke is not mentioned in the book by Knebel-Doeberitz (1882).

A list is included in this book with all the 73 names of those
receiving the "Iron Cross" after the 1870/71 war.
The book mentions by name six of the eleven wounded during the
Franco-Prussian War ("elf Mann verwundet"):
http://www.ulanen.de/geschichte.htm

Rinke not being mentioned, it seems unlikely that he was in this
regiment at this time. However, I do not know in which regiment he
could have been while in the "2nd Prussian Army".

Are you sure about the word "Stemmerolle"? Could it be "Stammrolle"?

Thanks for looking this up, fp-ga!  I went back and looked at the copy
I have (which is a copy of a copy and not everything is very clear -
plus, I do not know German) and, you are correct, it is Stammrolle. 
Carl Rinke's Iron Cross is on a white ribon with two black stripes. 
There is a crown at the top of the cross, a large "W" in the center
and "1870" at the bottom.  There are two other medals that hang on a 4
inch metal bar covered with two separate ribbons.  The ribbon one the
left is 1-1/4 inches wide with alternating stripes of white, black,
red, black and white.  The medal hanging below this ribbon is a bronze
circle 1-1/2 inches in diameter with a cross similar to the iron cross
stamped on it.  There is a ring of leaves in the center inside the
cross, and in the very center, the dates 1870 & 1871 are stamped. 
Between each arm of the cross is a design of spears.  On the back side
of this medal is a 6-pointed star and and around the edge are the
following words:  "Gott war mit uns", "Gott mit uns".  In the center
is a crown over the letter "W" and under the "W" are the words "Dem
siegreichen Heere".  On the rim of this medal are the words "Aus
erbeutetem Geschuetz".

The second medal was on a 1-1/4 inch ribbon and is also bronze.  The
ribbon is black with narrow white and gold stripes on each side.  The
medal is in the shap of an iron cross 1-5/16 inches from arm to arm
with a 1 inch diameter center circle.  The outer part of this circle
has leaves on it.  Inside the circle is another circle 3/4 inch in
diameter and in the center of that is the German eagle with its head
turned to the left.  The eagle sits on the barrel of a cannon which is
pointed to the right and it has a crown on its head.  On the reverse
are these words:  "Gott war mit ums" and "Ihm sei die Ehre".  In the
center is a 1 inch diameter with a circlet of leaves and "Prussens
siegreichem Heere".  In the very centr is an ornate "R" and below that
a "W" entwined with leaves.

Hope this helps some in identifying Carl Rinke's service and prehaps
why he received the iron cross and was knighted.

Thanks so much for all your input!  Mary

Mary, thank you for your detailed description.

Does this look like the second medal?
http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/1866.htm

Is there anything written on the side showing the eagle (e.g.
"Königgrätz, den 3. Juli 1866")?

This could be the first medal:
http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/kdm.htm

However, according to your description the words are "Gott war mit
uns, Gott mit uns", i.e. not ""Gott war mit uns, Ihm sei die Ehre".

Do you have any documents belonging to these medals, such as 

http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/kdmu.htm (first medal)

or

http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/1866u.htm (second medal)


The "Iron Cross":
http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/ek.htm
and
http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/eku.htm

Thank you fp-ga for this information.  The answers to your questions are 

1.  Does this look like the second medal?
http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/1866.htm - Yes!

2.  Is there anything written on the side showing the eagle (e.g.
"Königgrätz, den 3. Juli 1866")?  Yes, that is what is shown on the medal.

3.  This could be the first medal:
http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/kdm.htm  - the front
of this medal is exactly as shown, and so is the inscription on the
edge of the medal.  But the ribbon and back are not the same as the
one shown on line.

4.   Unfortunately, we do not have the documents belonging to these
medals.  My grandfather was orphaned at age 3 and went from Berlin to
Bremmen to Baltimore to Louisville, Kentucky by the Ship Hermann and
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  Then by ferry and carriage to
Jeffersonville, Indiana.  He was raised by his mother's sister. 
Unfortunately, many documents did not survive this journey.  I have
only photos of the Iron Cross and the two medals.  My cousin has
possession of the medals.  His mother was the last surviving child of
my grandfather so she inherited what documents survived.  Her
granddaughter found them, copied them, and I had them translated  -
but, unfortunately, there were no documents concerning the medals.

The Iron Cross ribbon on Carl Rinke's Iron Cross did not match the
ribbon on any of those shown on the websites you gave me.  It is on a
white ribbon with two narrow black stripes.

Thanks again for all your help!  Mary

Re: Carl Rinke's 1st medal:  Looking more closely at the ribbon which
is overlapped by the ribbon on the second medal, I think the ribbon is
the same as the one shown on a round medal at
http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/1866.htm on the next
page of information with the caption "Verleihungsurkunde zur
Kriegsdenkmuze 1870/1871 fur den Premier - Lieutenant Ottomar von
Kohne-Deminski."

I have a photo of a tintype showing Carl Rinke with these two medals
on his jacket, along with a roundish emblem (shield?) with an Imperial
Eagle in the center.  He has on a coat which appears to be double
breasted with 12 buttons - 6 on each side.  He has boots on (his
trousers cover all but the bottom part of the boots).  There is what
appears to be a small button on the upper part of the jacket on his
right side near the neck which does not seem associated with the
double breasted part of his jacket.  We think this photo may have been
taken about 1884.

Hope this helps - thank you for all your input!  Mary

fp-ga - I went back to
http://s115255626.alturo-host.de/t-online2/koehne/1866.htm and
enlarged the medal and ribbon.  I am convinced that this is the same
medal and ribbon that Carl Rinke had.  I cannot find the photo I took
of the back of this medal, but, perhaps I wrote down the wrong
inscription and the right hand inscription is "Ihm sei die Ehre" since
everything else on the medal and ribbon is the same as the one I
enlarged from the website.  Even the six pointed star representing the
star of the Ulanen Guards is there.

Thanks again for all the information on Carl's medals!  Now if we
could just find out if Carl was, in fact, Herr von Rothbush!  Mary

You both probably have recognized that the medals with "Gott war mit uns..."
are service medals for the participants 1866 and 1807-71, and not
awards for individual heroism.
But I just keep wondering:
the "von Rothbusch" could not have just been a fabrication.  There
must be some reason for your granddad's telling of it.  He wouldn't
have just made it up; he wanted to pass on oral history as he learned
it, ...  ??

Yes, myorin-ga, I, too believe that Grandpa was reciting things he
learned from his aunt Fredericka Riese Jennerich (wife of Gottlieb
Jennerich), or perhaps his sister Elise who was 15 yrs. older than he.
 I don't think he made it up, either.  There were too many other
things he said on the cassette tape (made in 1968) about how he and
his siblings traveled here, how he was raised, and how his mother died
(she had vericose veins and bled to death - I understand back then
women with vericose veins had an implement they would use to "bleed"
the veins), etc.  I have documents confirming most of the things he
said - death certificates and the like.  I even have the original
charcoal enhanced photograph of Carl and his wife.  He is a dashing
mustached blond and she is the most beautiful dark haired woman I ever
have ever seen (ala Liz Taylor).

I realize that the two smaller medals in question are service medals
for participants in 1866 and 1870-71, but what they do is confirm what
my grandfather said about Carl being in the Franco-Prussian War and,
my grandfather's statement on the tape that Carl was injured in that
war is confirmed by my grandfather's Baptisal certificate listing Carl
as an injured military veteran.

Oh, if now we could confirm Carl's "Herr von Rothbusch!"

Thanks so much for replying - Mary

Detailed descriptions of both medals are in the book "Deutsche Orden &
Ehrenzeichen bis 1945" ("all wearable German medals and decorations
awarded by the state until 1945", "indispensable work of reference"):

http://www.orden-gutachten.de/html/handbook.html

http://www.joerg-nimmergut.de/html/handbook.html

Volume II (1997):
http://www.orden-gutachten.de/html/volume2.html

http://www.joerg-nimmergut.de/html/volume2.html

p. 1082 "Erinnerungskreuz für 1866":
Four different versions of this medal were awarded, i.e. four
different inscriptions:
1) "Königgrätz ..."
2) "Der Main-Armee ..."
3) "Treuen Kriegern ..."
4) "Pflichttreue ..."

More on Königgrätz / Sadowa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sadowa


p. 1083 "Die Kriegsdenkmünze für den Feldzug 1870-71":
I could only find the inscription "Gott war mit uns, Ihm sei die
Ehre". I didn't find "Gott war mit uns, Gott mit uns".


As pointed out be myoarin-ga these were "service medals for the participants".

I haven't yet examined the different colours of the ribbons.

Should I be able to find out how best to continue with the research I
shall let you know.

Thank you so very much fp-ga for your continued interest in this
investigation of my great grandfather's medals and possible title.  I
truly appreciate your help.

I feel that I must have copied down the "Gott mit uns" from the back
of the 1870-71 medal incorrectly.  I will continue searching for the
photograph I took of the back of those medals and perhaps solve that
mystery at least.

I will read your referenced websites thank you for sending them.

Mary