Emanuel Bolldorf

He was the commander of the 22nd Landwehr regiment. I could only obtain the most primary information about him. Almost nothing about his wartime activities, despite the fact that he was a very well-decorated officer as a lieutenant colonel. He was born in the small town of Stanau (now Stankov, in the south of Bohemia, near the Austrian border), in 1869. He lived a long life, dying in 1953 in Klosterneuburg, Austria.

The photograph of him was taken on November 17, 1917. I found a description of an outstanding battlefield action. Emperor Charles bestowed upon him a noble title (von Grazigna) for this. For the successful defense of a height east of Gradiska, when he repelled the attack of two Italian regiments, personally leading the regiment’s command staff, and recaptured lost positions, while capturing 12 officers and 300 enemy soldiers. According to a document dated September 27, 1918, he received the title of knight from the emperor at that time.

The 22nd Landwehr Regiment was from Bukovina, and its headquarters were in Czernowitz in peacetime. The photo in the post is interesting because the small horn badge number 22 can be seen on the commander’s cap. It means then, that these badges were worn not only by the Feldjagers, but also by soldiers of the Landwehr regiments. I am attaching the plate badge of the 22nd regiment to the post, on which the name Grazigna is also listed among the names of battlefields.