Spain Cross

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Spanish cross in silver with swords
Illustration of the Spain cross from the Reichsgesetzblatt from August 10, 1939

The Spanish Cross was donated on April 14, 1939 by decree by Adolf Hitler and was intended for soldiers of the German Wehrmacht who had served on the side of the Falangists General Franco in the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War . The opening words of the regulation read: As a visible expression of my appreciation and my thanks for the merits of German volunteers in the overthrow of Bolshevism in the Spanish freedom struggle, I am donating the "Spain Cross in 3 Classes".

Articles of Association

The statutes of the Spanish Cross, also issued on April 14, 1939, then regulated the further procedures. The Spain Cross was donated in three classes. However, there was still a special class, namely the Spain cross in gold with diamonds for particularly outstanding military achievements.

All classes were awarded either in two forms, for the 3rd and 2nd class with and without swords, whereby the Spanish cross in gold and with diamonds was only awarded with swords.

3rd grade Spain cross in bronze without swords with swords
2nd Class Spain cross in silver without swords with swords
1st Class Spain cross in gold with swords with diamonds, as a special setting

Awarded the Spanish Cross with Swords

The statutes of the Spanish Cross then further specify the conditions under which the Spanish Cross could be awarded with swords. So it was determined that the Spanish cross with swords

  • First awarded to the volunteers of the Condor Legion is ,
  • Will be awarded the second to the crew of the vessels involved in these combat operations in Spanish waters of the German Navy could .

Awarded the Spanish cross without swords

The Spanish cross in silver or bronze without swords, however, was awarded to:

  • 1. courier plane,
  • 2. Wehrmacht members who have been on business in Spain with the Condor Legion or on ships of the Kriegsmarine in Spanish waters for at least three months,
  • 3. German civil volunteers of the Condor Legion and the official German agencies working with it on the same order.

Appearance and way of wearing the Spanish cross

The Spanish Cross is made of bronze , silver-plated or gold-plated Maltese cross in the respective steps , in the corners of which an Air Force eagle flying to the right with outstretched wings and the swastika in its claws can be seen. A swastika is depicted in the overlying circular medallion. If the Spanish cross was awarded with swords, two crossed swords are led through the middle section under the national emblem. The Spanish cross in gold with diamonds with swords is made of silver and gold-plated. In the ring around the swastika there are 14 brilliant-cut diamonds, each 0.07 carat ; a total of 0.98 carats attached. The Spain cross was worn as a plug-in cross on the right side of the chest. The statutes stipulated that it should be worn directly under the Order of Blood (if awarded).

Suggestion scheme

The proposals for the award of the Spanish Cross were then sent by the Chief of the High Command of the Wehrmacht through the Minister of State and Chief of the Presidential Chancellery to Hitler for a decision. All of the entrusted received a certificate that showed Hitler's signature as a signature. The Spanish cross remained in the possession of the bereaved as a souvenir after the borrower died. The other regulations were then regulated in the implementation ordinance. Among other things, it was regulated that the Spanish cross

  • is awarded in silver with swords to those persons who also had contact with the enemy in the course of fighting,
  • is awarded in gold with swords to those persons who had particularly distinguished themselves in the course of these fighting through boldness, courage and bravery,
  • is awarded in gold with swords and diamonds to those people who, in contrast to other people, had set themselves apart through outstanding and exemplary deeds.

Award

The award of the recipient of the Spanish Cross with swords in gold with diamonds took place on May 31, 1939 in Hamburg by Hermann Göring in an appeal. In these cases, however, the award date had been postponed to June 6, 1939, since the victory parade of the Condor Legion was held on that day in Berlin , specifically at the Brandenburg Gate .

In total, the Spanish Cross in all its levels with or without swords was awarded 26,116 times, which were divided as follows:

bronze silver gold

without swords: 7,869 awards

with swords: 8,462 awards

without swords: 327 awards

with swords: 8,304 awards

with swords: 1,126 awards

with diamonds: 28 awards

Others

The Spanish Cross is one of the National Socialist awards, the use of which is not permitted in Germany under the law on titles, medals and decorations of July 26, 1957.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ordinance on the Foundation of the Spain Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1359
  2. ^ Statute of the Spain Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1360, Article 1
  3. ^ Statute of the Spain Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1360, Article 1, Paragraph 3
  4. ^ Statute of the Spain Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1360, Article 1, Paragraph 2
  5. ^ Statute of the Spanish Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1360, Article 2, paragraphs 1 and 2
  6. ^ Statute of the Spain Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1360, Article 3
  7. ^ Statute of the Spain Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1360, Article 4, paragraph 1
  8. ^ Statute of the Spain Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1360, Article 4, paragraph 2
  9. ^ Jörg Nimmergut: German medals and decorations until 1945. Volume 4. Württemberg II - German Empire. Central Office for Scientific Order Studies , Munich 2001, ISBN 3-00-00-1396-2 , p. 2091
  10. ^ Statute of the Spain Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1360, Article 5
  11. ^ Statute of the Spain Cross of April 14, 1939, Reichsgesetzblatt No. 139 of August 10, 1939, page 1360, Articles 6, 7 and 8