Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original 1936 German Army commemorative beer stein belonging to Gefreiter K. Drescher, who attended a four month military farrier training course at the Heereslehrschmiede München, or Army Training Forge in Munich. Decorated with scenes of soldiers caring for horses, a horseshoe enclosing crossed farrier tools, the recognizable Münchner Kindl, unit and owner markings, and exact course dates, the stein provides an unusually detailed record of the specialized personnel responsible for maintaining the German Army’s enormous population of military horses.

The primary inscription surrounding the central Munich emblem reads:

Erinnerung a.d. Lehrkurs der Heereslehrschmiede München

This is an abbreviated form meaning:

In Memory of the Training Course at the Army Training Forge in Munich

The central emblem depicts the Münchner Kindl, the traditional symbol of the city of Munich. Its inclusion directly connects the stein with the location of the training course rather than merely serving as generic decoration.

The upper inscription reads:

2.R.R.10 - Torgau/Elbe

The R.R. abbreviation most likely refers to Reiter Regiment, or Cavalry Regiment. The marking therefore appears to associate Drescher with a formation or subunit of Reiter Regiment 10 connected with Torgau on the Elbe. The exact interpretation of the leading 2 has not been conclusively confirmed and may indicate a squadron or another internal unit designation.

The lower portion identifies the owner as:

Gefr. K. Drescher

This abbreviation stands for Gefreiter K. Drescher.

The dated inscription reads:

v.1.4.1936 - 31.7.1936

This records a course running from April 1, 1936, through July 31, 1936. The four month period is consistent with specialized technical instruction rather than ordinary short term unit training.

The painted decoration includes soldiers engaged in the care and handling of military horses. At the center is a horseshoe containing a crossed hammer and farrier pliers, immediately identifying the occupational specialty represented by the stein. These tools were essential to the military farrier, whose responsibilities went far beyond simply attaching horseshoes.

A trained Army farrier examined hooves, trimmed and balanced them, manufactured or modified shoes, treated routine hoof problems, and helped keep horses fit for service. Improper shoeing could quickly render an animal lame and therefore unavailable for transport, reconnaissance, cavalry duties, or the movement of artillery. Farriers worked closely with veterinary personnel but represented a distinct and highly skilled trade within the mounted and horse drawn Army.

Despite increasing mechanization during the 1930s, the German Army continued to depend heavily upon horses. They pulled artillery pieces, ammunition wagons, supply carts, field kitchens, ambulances, and other equipment. Specialized schools such as the Heereslehrschmiede München trained personnel whose work was essential to maintaining that mobility.

The stein retains its hinged metal lid, although the original figure or finial mounted on top has broken away and is no longer present. The remaining lid bears the inscription:

Reserve Hat Ruh

This traditional phrase may be translated as:

The Reservist Is at Rest

The hinge incorporates a German lion motif. The lid and hinge should be handled carefully because of the missing upper figure and the age of the surviving assembly.

The bottom of the interior contains a lithophane image depicting two women reading a letter. When the stein is held toward a light source, the translucent image becomes visible through the base. Lithophanes were a popular feature on German military commemorative steins and added a private or sentimental scene that could be viewed while drinking.

The stein measures approximately 10 ½ inches tall and has a base diameter of approximately 4 ¼ inches. The side is marked:

0/5L

This denotes a capacity of one half liter.

German military commemorative steins were privately purchased as reminders of a soldier’s service, unit, posting, or specialist training. The ornate Imperial era tradition declined during WWI but later returned in a generally more restrained and utilitarian form. Examples from the 1930s often emphasized the owner’s branch, occupational specialty, garrison, and period of service rather than the elaborate rosters and densely painted battle scenes associated with earlier reservist steins.

This example is especially desirable because it identifies the owner, regiment, training location, specialist farrier role, and exact course dates. Its scenes of military horse care, occupational horseshoe and tool emblem, Münchner Kindl, interior lithophane, and surviving hinged lid give it excellent visual and historical interest. The missing lid figure is fully disclosed, but the stein remains an impressive display piece for a German cavalry, veterinary and farrier service, military horse equipment, Torgau, Munich, or pre-WWII militaria collection.