Political decorations of the Nazi Party

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Decorations of the NSDAP. Plate from Organisationsbuch der NSDAP, 1943
* Golden Party Badge, small version for wear on suit jacket; Blood Order; Golden Party Badge, large version for wear in uniform* Nazi Party Long Service Award (bronze, silver with women's ribbon, gold with ribbon bar);* Coburg Badge; Nuremberg Party Day Badge; Brunswick Rally Badge Organisationsbuc00nati 0 orig 0106 ORGANISATIONSBUCH DER NSDAP 1943 Parteigen. Polit. Leiter Uniformen Symbole Tafel 4 Ehrenzeichen Goldenes Blutorden Dienstauszeichnung Coburger Reichsparteitag 1929 SA-Treffen 1931 etc Publ. dom. EDIT.jpg
Decorations of the NSDAP. Plate from Organisationsbuch der NSDAP, 1943
* Golden Party Badge, small version for wear on suit jacket; Blood Order; Golden Party Badge, large version for wear in uniform* Nazi Party Long Service Award (bronze, silver with women's ribbon, gold with ribbon bar);* Coburg Badge; Nuremberg Party Day Badge; Brunswick Rally Badge

Political decorations of the Nazi Party were medals and awards issued by the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) between 1920 and 1945. Political awards were authorised for wear on any paramilitary uniform of Nazi Germany, as well as civilian attire, but were generally discouraged (but not forbidden) on Wehrmacht military uniforms. The Waffen-SS freely wore both political awards and military decorations on their uniforms.

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Civil decorations were considered the lowest order of medals, after military decorations and political decorations of the Nazi Party. Civil decorations were authorised for display on civilian clothing and paramilitary uniforms of the Nazi Party; however, their wear was often prohibited on active duty military uniforms of the Wehrmacht; the notable exception to this were sports badges, which were granted the same status as military qualification awards.

The public wear of all Nazi Party awards was banned in Germany after 1945. [1]

Political decorations

The various degrees of Nazi Party decorations were as follows:

The German Order
(Awarded with and without Swords)
Germanorder.jpeg
Golden Party Badge The Blood Order
ParteiabzeichenGold.jpeg
Bloedorde 1934 Duitsland.jpg

German Order

This was the highest award that the Nazi Party could bestow on an individual. Adolf Hitler regarded this award as his personal decoration to be bestowed only upon those whose services to the state, party, and the people, he deemed worthy. There were eleven confirmed recipients of this award between 1942 and 1945. [2] [3]

Golden Party Badge

The first 100,000 members who had joined and had uninterrupted service in the Nazi Party were given the right to wear the Golden Party Badge (Goldenes Parteiabzeichen), shown above. Those badges had the recipient's membership number on the back (Adolf Hitler had badge #7). Other Golden Party Badges (with the initials A.H. on the back) were awarded at the discretion of Hitler to certain members of the party who merited special attention. An identical badge was awarded each year on 30 January to persons who had shown outstanding service to the Party or State. [4]

Blood Order medal

The Blood Order (German : Blutorden), officially known as the "Decoration in Memory (of the Munich putsch) of 9 November 1923" (Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 9. November 1923), authorised by Hitler in March 1934, was one of the most prestigious decorations in the Nazi Party. [5]

Party awards

The leaders of Nazi political districts (known as the Gauleiter ) were empowered to bestow Gau badges for a variety of services rendered to the local political organisation. The badges were issued in silver and gold, with some in bronze. They were rarely issued in gold with diamonds. [6]

In November 1936, Hitler gave new "orders" as to the "Orders and Awards" of the Nazi Party to be bestowed. The top NSDAP awards are listed in the order: 1. Coburg Badge; 2. Nuremberg Party Day Badge; 3. Brunswick Rally Badge; 4. Golden Party Badge; 5. The Blood Order; followed by the Gau badges and the Golden Hitler Youth Badge. [7]

SS and police decorations

Germanic SS decorations

Awards specific to individual nationalistic Germanic SS organisations were as follows: [6]

SA decorations

NSFK decorations

Hitler Youth decorations

Hitler Youth awards were as follows: [9]

Other German sports decorations

Civil awards

Diplomatic awards

All German Eagle decorations were awarded both with and without swords and could be upgraded to a gold version and also gold with diamonds. The German Eagle was intended as an award for foreigners while the Special Grade (without degree) was awarded to Germans.

Labor and trade decorations

German Red Cross awards

Notes

Related Research Articles

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood Order</span> Award

The Blood Order, officially known as the Decoration in Memory of 9 November 1923, was one of the most prestigious decorations in the Nazi Party (NSDAP). During March 1934, Hitler authorized the Blood Order to commemorate the 9 November 1923 coup attempt of the Nazi Party. The medal is silver, with the obverse bearing a depiction of an eagle grasping an oak leaf wreath. Inside the wreath is the date 9.Nov. and to the right is the inscription München 1923–1933. The reverse shows the entrance of the Feldherrnhalle in relief, and directly above is the angled swastika with sun rays in the background. Along the top edge is the inscription: UND IHR HABT DOCH GESIEGT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German Cross</span> Military award 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Party Badge</span> Nazi award

The Golden Party Badge was an award authorised by Adolf Hitler in a decree in October 1933. It was a special award given to all Nazi Party members who had, as of 9 November 1933, registered numbers from 1 to 100,000 and had unbroken Party membership. The recipient's party number was inscribed on the reverse of the badge. Only 20,487 men and 1,795 women were awarded the badge on these terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demyansk Shield</span> WW2 German military decoration

Demyansk Shield was a World War II German military decoration awarded to Wehrmacht personnel who fought in the Demyansk pocket on the Eastern Front in the early months of 1942. The pocket of German troops had been encircled and cut off by the Red Army around Demyansk (Demjansk), south of Leningrad, and was successfully defended with the aid of an airbridge. The shield was instituted on 25 April 1943 by Adolf Hitler and was not bestowed after 1 July 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narvik Shield</span> Award

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Medal</span> German campaign medal

The Eastern Medal, officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal, was a military award of the Wehrmacht which was created by ordinance of Adolf Hitler on 26 May 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spanish Cross</span> Nazi German campaign award

The Spanish Cross was an award of Nazi Germany given to German troops who participated in the Spanish Civil War, fighting for nationalist general, later Spanish caudillo, Francisco Franco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudetenland Medal</span> Decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period

The 1 October 1938 Commemorative Medal was commonly known as the Sudetenland Medal. It was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded during the interwar period, and the second in a series of Occupation Medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Close Combat Clasp</span> Award

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anschluss Medal</span> Nazi Germany commemorative medal

The Anschluss Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded during the interwar period, and the first in a series of Occupation Medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Assault Badge</span> Nazi German military decoration

The General Assault Badge was a military decoration awarded during World War II to personnel of the German Army, Waffen-SS and Ordnungspolizei who supported an infantry attack but were not part of specific infantry units and therefore did not qualify for the Infantry Assault Badge. It was instituted by General Walther von Brauchitsch on 1 June 1940.

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SA Sports Badge</span> Award

The SA Sports Badge was a decoration of Nazi Germany that was issued between the years 1933 and 1945. It was a political version of the much more generic German Sports Badge, which was also issued in great numbers by the Nazis. At its center was a 57mm high Roman broad sword, superimposed over a Nazi swastika encircled by an wreath of oak leaves. It was a pin-back badge, but there was a cloth version, as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuremberg Party Day Badge</span>

The Nuremberg Party Day Badge was a highly revered political decoration of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). It was the second badge recognised as a national award of the party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wehrmacht Long Service Award</span> Military award in Nazi Germany

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hitler Youth Badge</span> Political decoration of Nazi Germany

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazi Party Long Service Award</span> NSDAP medal for long service

The Nazi Party Long Service Award, sometimes called the NSDAP Long Service Award, was a political award in the form of a badge of the Nazi Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunswick Rally Badge</span> National award of the Nazi Party

Brunswick Rally Badge, also known as the Badge of the SA Rally at Brunswick 1931, was the third badge recognised as a national award of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). Through the regulations of 6 November 1936, a special Party Honour Badge commemorating the SA Assembly in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony on 17-18 October 1931 was created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cholm Shield</span> WW2 German military decoration

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.

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