Medal of the Brotherhood of Arms

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Medal of the Brotherhood of Arms of
the GDR

Medal Buckle - Large

Obverse
GDR Brotherhood in Arms Medal.jpg
Bronze, silver, gold

The Medal of the Brotherhood of Arms was an award of the German Democratic Republic and was donated by the Council of Ministers of the GDR on February 17, 1966 (like the Scharnhorst Order ) and awarded until the GDR was dissolved in 1990. On the foundation date, the medal was also adopted for the Ministry of State Security .

Graduation

The foundation of the medal for brotherhood in arms took place in three stages. These goods:

  • GDR Brotherhood in Arms Medal - Gold BAR.png Gold level (highest level)
  • GDR Brotherhood in Arms Medal - Silver BAR.png Silver level (middle level)
  • GDR Brotherhood in Arms Medal - Bronze BAR.png Bronze level (lowest level)

Grant authorization

The medal for brotherhood in arms could be awarded to:

  • Members of the People's National Army
  • Members of the MfS (as an award)
  • Members of other armies of the Warsaw Pact
  • Guests from friendly (socialist) foreign countries, including civilians for the "improvement of cooperation"

The medal served primarily to “recognize achievements and merits that contribute to the consolidation of the relations between the socialist brother armies and the development of mutual cooperation”. The award ceremony was held by the Minister of National Defense or, for members of the State Security, the Ministry of State Security on the occasion of the Week of the Brotherhood in Arms or immediately after the achievements to be awarded. The award of the medal included a certificate and a financial donation.

Carrying method

The medal for the Brotherhood of Arms was worn on the left side of the chest on a pentagonal ribbon clasp (based on the Russian model).

Material and appearance

The diameter of the medal was approx. 35 mm for all 3 levels. It usually consisted of non-ferrous metal and was gold-plated, silver-plated or bronze, depending on the purpose of the award. On the right side of the front there are three stylized heads of soldiers, the middle one symbolizing an NVA soldier. The head of a member of the Soviet Army can be seen on the right . All heads together symbolize the allied armies of the Warsaw Pact next to the Red Star banner , which represents the socialist countries under (military) leadership of the Soviet Army. Four missile tips are depicted under the red star, intentionally or not, facing west from the viewer. The back of the medal consists of the GDR's national coat of arms with the inscription in capital letters: Class Brothers, Brothers in Arms and Invincible The words are separated by a pentagonal star.

Ribbon color

In the middle of the 24 mm wide, light gray ribbon of the pentagonal, ribbon-covered clasp, one, two or three 1.5 mm wide orange stripes were woven; their distance was 1.5 mm from each other. Until July 15, 1968, the gold level medal was worn on a ribbon with only one stripe. After that, this ribbon became the ribbon of the bronze medal.

Others

In the earlier production stages of this medal, the usual edge ridge was missing until 1984.

literature

  • Günter Tautz: Orders and Medals. State awards of the German Democratic Republic. Bibliographical Institute, Leipzig 1983.
  • Frank Bartel: Awards of the German Democratic Republic from the beginning to the present. Military publishing house of the GDR , Berlin 1979.