Official decoration that was awarded to members of the delegation of Kaiser Wilhelm II to Palestine and two items that were printed for the inauguration of the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem. Germany, 1898.
1. Jerusalemkreuz ("Jerusalem Cross") decoration, made of silver inlaid with red enamel (with a red ribbon). At its center, the Imperial Crown of the Prussian German Emperor and the legend "IR [Imperator Rex – "Emperor King"], WII". On verso, the date of the inauguration of the Church of the Redeemer – 31.10.1898 (in Roman characters).
The decoration was awarded to those who traveled with Kaiser Wilhelm II on his 1898 visit to Jerusalem – courtiers, guards and escorts. According to the memoirs of one of the members of the delegation, Mathilde von Keller (1853-1945), on the night of the inauguration of the Church of the Redeemer, the Kaiser visited the tents of the delegation members and personally gave them the decoration. This decoration was one of three decorations in Prussian Germany that were to be worn obligatory with ordinary dress uniform.
2. A print depicting the inauguration of the Church of the Redeemer, by painter and lithographer Ismael Gentz – a member of the Imperial delegation. Published by Gustav Schauer, Berlin. Mounted on card; inscribed by the artist: "With gratitude, Ismael Gentz" (German).
3. Urkunde über die Einweihung der evangelischen Erlöserkirche in Jerusalem und Ansprache Sr. Majestät des Kaisers und Königs, 31. Oktober 1898. Berlin: der Evangelischen Jerusalemstiftung, [ca. 1898]. German.
A booklet with a facsimile of the illuminated manuscript which was signed by Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife, Augusta Victoria, on the day of the inauguration of the Church of the Redeemer, and with the text of the Kaiser's speech.
The inauguration of the Church of the Redeemer was the stated purpose of the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II to Palestine. The church was built during the years 1893-1898, on land that was given as a gift by the Turkish Sultan to Wilhelm's father, Friedrich III, on the ruins of a crusader church from the 12th century. The bell tower of the church, then one of the tallest structures in the city, was planned according to sketches made by the Kaiser himself. On 31.10.1898, the inauguration ceremony was held in the presence of the Kaiser and his entourage and was commemorated on countless postcards, medals, souvenirs and photographs.
Size and condition vary. Good overall condition.
Enclosed: [Das Neue Testament nach der deutschen Uebersetzung D. Martin Luthers], The New Testament Translated by Martin Luther, German edition published as a souvenir from the Kaiser's visit to Palestine. Missing title page and several additional leaves. [Presumably, Berlin: Heinrich Grund, 1899]. The book includes dozens of plates with pictures of Holy sites in Palestine and a map of Palestine.

Through the months of October-November 1898, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany toured some of the major cities of the Ottoman Empire, including Beirut, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Jaffa. The visit to Palestine, in particular, was regarded as one of the most salient events in the annals of the Land of Israel in the 19th century.
Preparations for the Kaiser's visit to Palestine had already begun in the summer of 1898. These included a massive municipal clean-up, the improvement and overhaul of infrastructure, the laying of a telegraph line, and other operations. In time for the Kaiser's arrival in Jerusalem, a number of municipal roads were widened. The authorities went as far as breaching a gap in Jerusalem's Old City Wall, adjacent to Jaffa Gate, to enable the smooth passage of the Kaiser's opulent carriage. In addition, the city streets – most notably HaNevi'im Street, where a special tent camp for the Kaiser and his entourage was to be temporarily constructed – were adorned with the flags of Germany and the Ottoman Empire, and with makeshift gates of honor.
The highlight of the Kaiser's visit to Jerusalem was the opening ceremony of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. But he also visited the German Colony, the Mt. of Olives, the Christian Quarter of the Old City, City Hall, and other sites. From a Jewish standpoint, perhaps the most historically important event in the Kaiser's itinerary was his meeting with Theodor Herzl.
Throughout his visit, Wilhelm was accompanied by his wife, the Empress Augusta Victoria, and a small entourage. The Kaiser rode either on horseback or in the imperial carriage. Following in the footsteps of his immediate entourage in Jerusalem was a parade of lesser-ranked officials, accompanied by cavalry regiments and "kawas" officials – ceremonial Ottoman-Empire bodyguards. Large crowds of people thronged to Jerusalem to witness the occasion. Many were willing to pay money for the privilege of occupying vantage points on rooftops and balconies overlooking the planned route of the procession.