Original German WWII Medal & Insignia Grouping with 1939 EKII & Mother’s Cross – 11 Items Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is a very nice collection of German WWII Era awards & insignia, with some from the Weimar and Pre-WWII NSDAP period. These were most likely brought home by a WWII USGI during or after the war, as medals from Germany were very popular collectors items.

This is a set of 11 items, some of which are military awards, though some are definitely civilian, and others are badges and/or tinnies. They are all in nice displayable condition, with moderate wear. Some have their original ribbons, while others have lost them. As best we can tell, the set consists of the following:

– German WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, or EKII) without ribbon.
– German WWII Faithful Service Decoration 1st Class Cross for 40 Years of Service in excellent condition.
– German WWII Cross of Honor of the German Mother in Bronze (3rd Class) with ribbon.
– German Honor Cross of the World War 1914 – 1918 (Hindenburg Cross) Medal for Widows and Parents.
– German WWII National Socialist German Combatants’ Federation (Stahlhelm)) (NSDFBSt) tinnie pin.
– German WWII National Socialist War Victim’s Care NSKOV donation Pin
– German WWII National Socialist State Veteran’s Association NSRKB Tinnie
– German WWII DEUTSCH IST DIE SAAR 1934 (The Saar is German) Tinnie, issued to commemorate the return of the Saarland Coalfields to Germany. Features shaking hands beneath an eagle and swas (hook Cross)
– German WWII TAG DER ARBEIT 1934 (Labor Day 1934) Tinnie maker marked on reverse.
– German WWII Large Reichsadler badge with Iron Cross and Crossed Swords. Silver washed bronze with a missing pinback.
– German WWII small gold washed bronze Reichsadler pin with intact bent clasps on the reverse.

This is a great set of medals and other awards from Germany. A great way to start your collection!

Below are descriptions for some of the awards:

German WWII Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz) 2nd Class:
The Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz, abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and NSDAP Germany (1933–1945). It was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia in March 1813 backdated to the birthday of his late wife Queen Louise on 10 March 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars (EK 1813). Louise was the first person to receive this decoration (posthumous). The recommissioned Iron Cross was also awarded during the Franco-Prussian War (EK 1870), World War I (EK 1914), and World War II (EK 1939, re-introduced with a swas added in the center).

The Iron Cross was normally a military decoration only, though there were instances of it being awarded to civilians for performing military functions. Two examples of this were civilian test pilots Hanna Reitsch who was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and 1st Class and Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg, who was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class, for their actions as pilots during World War II.

Please note the edge seam for authentication, which is not present on reproductions. Iron crosses were commonly constructed from an iron core sandwiched in a surrounding two part silver frame, normally the seam of these two silver parts is visible around the edge of the cross as is seen on this fine example.

The Cross of Honor of the German Mother (German: Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter), referred to colloquially as the Mutterehrenkreuz (Mother’s Cross of Honour) or simply Mutterkreuz (Mother’s Cross), was a state decoration conferred by the government of the German Reich to honour a Reichsdeutsche German mother for exceptional merit to the German nation. Eligibility later extended to include Volksdeutsche (ethnic German) mothers from, for example, Austria and Sudetenland, that had earlier been incorporated into the German Reich.

The decoration was conferred from 1939 until 1945 in three classes: bronze, silver, and gold, to Reichsdeutsche mothers who exhibited probity, exemplary motherhood, and who conceived and raised at least four or more children in the role of a parent. A similar practice, that continues to this present day, was already established in France since 1920, by conferring the Médaille de la Famille française (Medal of the French Family), a tribute to the French mother who raised several children in an appropriate way.

Faithful Service Decoration First Class Cross for 40 Years of Service –  A fullsize frosted silver with an oak leaf wreath and black enameled Swas (hook cross) on original ribbon. The Civil Service Faithful Service Medal (Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen für Beamte Angestellte und Arbeiter im öffentlichen Dienst) was a NSDAP Germany medal of honor that was founded on 30 January 1938, in two grades, to reward civilians and military in the employ of the German public services for long and faithful service.

All officials, employees, and laborers at any level of the public service (local, regional or national) who complete 25 or 40 years service were eligible. The second class award was for 25 years of service was a silver cross, with a silver wreath and a black enameled swas in the center of the cross. The first class award was for 40 years of service was a gold cross, with a gold wreath and a black enameled swas in the center of the cross.

The reverse of both classes was stamped with Für treue Dienste (For faithful Services). in German black letter typeface. The ribbon for the medal is cornflower blue.

Hindenburg Cross award for Widows and Parents:
The Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (German: Das Ehrenkreuz des Weltkriegs 1914/1918), commonly, but incorrectly, known as the Hindenburg Cross was established by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, President of the German Republic, by an order dated 13 July 1934, to commemorate the distinguished deeds of the German people during the First World War. This was Germany’s first official service medal for soldiers of Imperial Germany who had taken part in the war, and where they had since died it was also awarded to their surviving next-of-kin. In this case it was a black painted award für Witwen und Eltern (for Widows and Parents).

Shortly after its issuance, the government of NSDAP Germany declared the award as the only official service decoration of the First World War and further forbid the continued wearing of German Free Corps awards on any military or paramilitary uniform of a state or NSDAP Party organization.