Award for bravery and merit for members of the Eastern peoples

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II class with swords
- silver -
Ostvölker silver 2nd class mS.jpg

Band buckle Avers ( Replica )

Bronislaw W. Kaminski on whose tunic the 1st class of the award under the EK1 can be recognized

The award for bravery and merit for members of the Eastern peoples was a German military award during the Second World War . The medal was awarded to the members of the Slavic " auxiliary peoples " who, in the sense of the National Socialist racial ideology, were considered unworthy to receive the same awards as the German soldiers of the Wehrmacht . The latter could receive the medal as a "commemorative badge", provided they served as cadre and leadership staff of "Eastern People's Units".

History of origin

After the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, numerous Soviet citizens and soldiers of the Red Army who had been taken prisoner of war volunteered to take part in the “fight against Bolshevism ”. As the war went on, the Wehrmacht, Ordnungspolizei , Waffen-SS and Organization Todt increasingly made use of this considerable reservoir. Many of these volunteers, classified as "Slavic subhumans" according to the Nazi racial ideology, were employed as " Hiwis ". At the same time, closed armed units, mostly battalion strength, were set up.

This created the need to publicly honor members of the "Eastern peoples" who are in the German relief service in the case of exemplary duty. In rare cases, these soldiers were awarded the Iron Cross (EK) and the War Merit Cross. In February 1942, the Army High Command made it clear that only the infantry assault badge and the wound badge could be awarded to these soldiers. Instead, by decree of July 14, 1942 , Adolf Hitler endowed the honor and merit award for members of the Eastern peoples . From May 1943, the medal could also be awarded to members of the Schutzmannschafts battalions, the SD and the security police. Hitler reluctantly allowed the award of the medal to German soldiers from October 29, 1942, but only as a "commemorative badge". Before that, there were protests by German soldiers from units with members of the Eastern peoples. The circle entitled to the award should remain limited to German leadership and management personnel of "Ostvolk units". The prerequisite for receiving the award for bravery was possession of the Iron Cross, namely the EK II. For the 2nd class in silver of the "Ostvolk" award and EK I. for the I. class in silver. With regard to the award of the Merit Award , a similar provision has been in effect for German holders of the War Merit Cross since February 1944. German holders of the War Merit Cross I. Class could be awarded the Order 1st Class in silver without swords and holders of the War Merit Cross II. Class could be awarded the Order II. Class in silver without swords. From May 28, 1943, members of the Eastern peoples were also officially allowed to be awarded the Iron Cross and War Merit Cross, provided they had already been awarded the comparable class of the Bravery and Merit Award for members of the Eastern peoples .

The peculiarity of this military medal was that the three levels of the second class, as the only one of the military medals of the Third Reich, could be awarded up to three times. It was the only honor and merit award without a swastika.

The medal should actually be bestowed with the honorary award of division commander or higher SS and police leader and with the merit award by the Reich Minister for the occupied eastern territories . The Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories was later no longer responsible for merit awards. In practice, the medals were awarded by the battalion or regimental commander and subsequently approved and a certificate issued by the division commander or higher SS and police chief. Sometimes there was a bottle of schnapps and a watch when the order was awarded.

It is estimated that around 100,000 people were awarded the honorary and merit award for members of the Eastern peoples . The order of the second class in bronze and silver was awarded frequently. While the medals of the 1st class were awarded very rarely.

Order levels and classes

  • The order is divided into two classes, with the first class as a cross section in two levels ( gold , silver ), the second class on the ribbon in three levels (gold, silver, bronze ).
  • The medal was awarded with and without swords. The award with swords was for bravery or combat commitment and those without swords for merit.
Award for bravery and merit for members of the Eastern peoples
I. class II class
... in gold ... in silver ... in gold ... in silver ... in bronze
Award for bravery and merit for members of the Eastern peoples in silver.jpg ru: Просьба за изготовлением и перемещеним картиу!
Field buckle with swords DEU Ostvolk Medal 1Kl Gold swords BAR.svg DEU Ostvolk Medal 1Kl Silver swords BAR.svg DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Gold swords BAR.svg DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Silver swords BAR.svg DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Bronze swords BAR.svg
without swords DEU Ostvolk Medal 1Kl Gold BAR.svg DEU Ostvolk Medal 1Kl Silver BAR.svg DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Gold BAR.svg DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Silver BAR.svg DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Bronze BAR.svg

Appearance of the award

The award has the shape of an eight-pointed ray cross. The center is decorated with a six-leg, against the clockwise running sun gear in the form of a rosette. The award of bravery was issued with two swords inserted into the halo, the award of merit without. Depending on the occasion of the award, the accompanying certificate was entitled either Award of Bravery for members of the Eastern peoples or Award of Merit for members of the Eastern Nations ; this was followed by information about the class and level awarded.

The second class ribbon in bronze is grass green. The version of the II. Class in silver also has two white edge stripes [see illustration], while the version of the II. Class in gold is also provided with two red edge stripes. The ribbon of the award for bravery also has two crossed swords on the field buckle; following the award stage in gold, silver or bronze.

The design of the order comes from Elmar Lang from the company Gebrüder Godet & Co. in Berlin. The idea came from Heinrich Doehle , Undersecretary of State and Head of the Order's Chancellery of the Führer and Reich Chancellor in the Presidential Chancellery . The draft was brought into its final form at the request of Adolf Hitler.

Women

Marij Studenikowa was the first woman to receive the Order of the Second Class with Swords in January 1944 for her work on the front lines as a nurse in the 1st Cossack Division .

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Ostvolk Medal  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann: Awards of the German Empire. 1936-1945. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2002, pp. 57-60
  2. ^ Rolf Michaelis: The bravery and merit award for members of the Eastern peoples (= German awards 5). Leonidas-Verlag, Barsinghausen 2007, p. 22 ff
  3. ^ Rolf Michaelis: The bravery and merit award for members of the Eastern peoples (= German awards 5). Leonidas-Verlag, Barsinghausen 2007, p. 40