| Civil Defence Decoration Luftschutz Ehrenzeichen | |
|---|---|
 Second and first class | |
| Type | Civil award |
| Awarded for | services to German air defence |
| Presented by |  Nazi Germany |
| Status | Obsolete |
| Established | 30 January 1938 |
 Ribbon bar | |
The Civil Defence Decoration (Luftschutz Ehrenzeichen) was a German civil award created by Adolf Hitler on 30 January 1938.
It was awarded for meritorious service in German air raid protection. It was open both to members of the Reichsluftschutzbund, the principal German air raid precautions organisation, and others involved in this work, including police, fire and emergency services. It was usually necessary to have at least four years service before an award could be made. [1]
It was bestowed in two classes: [2]
The reverse of both classes bore the date 1938, the year the decoration was instituted. [4] Both classes were worn on the left chest on a light purple ribbon with black-white-red borders. [2]
About 200 1st class crosses were awarded. The second class was more common. [5]
The wearing of Nazi era decorations was banned after Germany's defeat in 1945. The Civil Defence Decoration was among those re-authorised for wear by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957, [6] [7] re-designed to remove the swastika symbol. [8]
Awards and decorations of Nazi Germany were military, political, and civilian decorations that were bestowed between 1923 and 1945, first by the Nazi Party and later the state of Nazi Germany.
The War Order of the German Cross, normally abbreviated to the German Cross or Deutsches Kreuz, was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repeated acts of bravery or military leadership; and in silver for distinguished non-combat war service. The German Cross in Gold ranked higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, while the German Cross in Silver ranked higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords.
The Narvik Shield was a World War II German military decoration awarded to all German forces that took part in the battles of Narvik between 9 April and 8 June 1940. It was instituted on 19 August 1940 by Adolf Hitler. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) published the order the same day. It was bestowed by General Eduard Dietl, the commander of Army Group Narvik.
The Close Combat Clasp was a World War II German military award instituted on 25 November 1942 for participation in hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters. Intended primarily for infantry, other Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS, ground Luftwaffe units and paratroopers were also eligible.
The Danzig Cross was a Nazi decoration of the Free City of Danzig. The Cross was instituted on 31 August 1939 as a two grade decoration by Danzig Gauleiter Albert Forster. It was awarded to those, both in Danzig and in the wider Reich, who contributed to building up the Nazi Party in the Free City prior to its incorporation into Germany on 1 September 1939.
The West Wall Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany. It was instituted on 2 August 1939 and was given to those who designed and built the fortifications on Germany's western borders, known as the Westwall or, in English, the Siegfried Line, between 15 June 1938 to 31 March 1939. On 13 November 1939 eligibility was extended to include servicemen of the Wehrmacht who served on the Westwall for at least ten weeks. In all 622,064 medals were awarded until 31 January 1941, when awards of the medal ceased.
The Honour Roll Clasp was a decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. There were different versions for the Army (Heer), Air Force (Luftwaffe) and Navy (Kriegsmarine).
The Clasp to the Iron Cross was a white metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I, and who again qualified for the decoration in World War II.
Medal for Gallantry and Merit for Members of the Eastern Peoples was a military and paramilitary award of Nazi Germany. Established on 14 July 1942, it was bestowed on personnel from the former Soviet Union, who volunteered to fight alongside German forces. The Medal is sometimes called the Ostvolk Medal or Eastern People's Medal,.
The Awards and decorations of the German Armed Forces are decorations awarded by the German Bundeswehr, the German government, and other organizations to the German military and allied forces. Modern era German military awards have been presented since the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949.
The Wehrmacht Long Service Award was a military service decoration of Nazi Germany issued for satisfactory completion of a number of years in military service.
The Social Welfare Decoration was a German Civil Award created by Adolf Hitler on 1 May 1939 for services in the social sector.
The Hitler Youth Badge was a political decoration of Nazi Germany, awarded for various degrees of service to the Hitler Youth, (Hitler Jugend). The badge was first created in 1929, with formal regulations for presentation as a decoration formalized from 1933. In addition, the Hitler Youth introduced a number of other awards for merit and proficiency.
The Cholm Shield was a World War II German military decoration awarded to those who fought in the Cholm Pocket on the Eastern Front between 21 January and 5 May 1942. It was instituted on 1 July 1942 and is the rarest of the German combat shields, with approximately 5,500 recipients. Awards ceased to be bestowed on 1 April 1943.
The Lapland Shield was a World War II German military decoration awarded to military personnel of General Franz Böhme’s 20th Mountain Army which fought a two-front campaign against advancing Finnish and Soviet Red Army forces in Lapland between November 1944 and the war’s end in May 1945. It was awarded to men who had "honorably served" for six months in the region or had been wounded during operations there. It was authorized in February 1945 and was the last officially instituted German campaign shield of the war.
The Crete Cuff Title, or Crete Cuff Band, was a World War II German military decoration awarded to Wehrmacht servicemen who took part in the battle of Crete between 20 and 27 May 1941.
The Africa Cuff Title, or Africa Cuff Band, was a World War II German military decoration awarded to members of the Wehrmacht who took part in the North African campaign of 1941–43.
The Metz 1944 Cuff Title, or Metz 1944 Cuff Band, was a World War II German military decoration instituted to reward members of the Wehrmacht who took part in the 1944 battle of Metz.
The Courland Cuff Title, or Courland Cuff Band, was a World War II German military decoration awarded to Wehrmacht servicemen of Army Group Courland who served in the Courland Pocket.
The Warsaw Shield,, or Warsaw Arm Shield, was a planned World War II German military decoration intended for award to Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS servicemen who took part in the suppression of the 1944 Warsaw uprising. Although authorised, with the conditions of award and the design approved and announced, production had not begun prior to the end of the war and the award was never issued.
