Sailor Niklas's beer mug

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Sailor Niklas's beer mug.

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A beer mug (Reservistenkrug) dedicated to the service in the period 1907-1910 in the 1st flotilla of torpedo boats on the high seas (1. Hochsee-Torpedobootsflottille). The mug was made by order of reservist sailor Niklas (Mtr. Nicklas). His name is written in the lower part of the central side of the circle, framed by a phrase divided into two parts "As a souvenir ... //...about my service!"
Above the reservist's name, there is a naval standard with the motto "GOTT MIT UNS" (God is with us).
To the left and right of the mug's handle, we see the names of the owner's fellow officers, along with their positions and naval ranks. The list is presented in columns.
To the right of the handle:
•Kap.2 See (Captain 2nd Rank)
Blichow
•Lt. z. See (Lieutenant-zur-See / Fleet Lieutenant)
Herking
•Fz. See (Fenrich-zur-See / Midshipman)
Platen
•O. Maat (Ober-mat / Senior Sailor)
Paulsen
•Masch. (Machinist)
Gerlach
•O. M. (Ober-mat / Senior Seaman)
Schwerin
This is followed by a fragment of a well-known German naval patriotic song: MAGST RUHIG SEIN. LIEB VATERLAND.... (You can sleep peacefully, beloved Fatherland...)
The list of fellow soldiers continues with the names of ordinary sailors:
•Mtr. Albers (Seaman Albers)
- Bartels
- Drenker
- Ellerich
- Eschborn
- Fabersen
- Flemisch
- Granzow
- Hagen
To the left of the handle:
Mtr. (Sailor) Jahn
•Janssen
• Kalthoff
• Lahusen
• Larsen et al.
In the middle of the list of sailors' names is the phrase: "Fest steht die Wacht am Nordseestrand!" "The guard stands firmly on the shore of the North Sea!").This is a modified quote from the famous 19th-century German patriotic hymn "Die Wacht am Rhein" ("The Watch on the Rhine"). In the original, the chorus goes as follows: "Fest steht und treu die Wacht am Rhein!" ("Firmly and faithfully stands the Watch on the Rhine!").
The original hymn was written by Max Schneckenburger in 1840 during the Rhine Crisis, when there was a threat of a French invasion. The song called for German unity and the defense of their borders.
The "North Sea" variant is often found on sailors' regimental beer mugs (Reservistenkrug).

The massive pewter lid is topped by a figurine of a sailor-standard-bearer of the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) with the naval flag of the German Empire.
The lever of the lid's lifting mechanism is designed as a lion with a shield. This is the military symbol of Bavaria. This implies that the reserve sailor Niklas was from the Bavarian lands.

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