Description German Cross In Gold Adolf Hitler established the War Order of the German Cross (Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), also known as the German Cross or Deutsches Kreuz, on September 28, 1941. It was given in two categories: silver for outstanding non-combat war service and gold for sustained acts of bravery or military leadership. The German Cross in Silver was superior to the War Merit Cross, while the German Cross in Gold was superior to the Iron Cross First Class and inferior to the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Swords First Class, which is inferior to the Knight’s Cross of the Swords War Merit Cross. There were two different variants of the German Cross: gold and silver. (the color of the laurel wreath around the swastika). Military members who consistently displayed bravery in battle or military leadership typically 6–8 acts were given the gold version of the medal. The silver version, which was given for numerous noteworthy contributions to the war effort, was seen as a continuation of the War Merit Cross with Swords. Only the gold version was permitted for wear when a person received both the silver and gold versions. According to Article 3 of the statute governing the German Cross, the recipient must already possess the Iron Cross (1939) 1st Class, the Clasp to the 1914 Iron Cross 1st Class, or the War Merit Cross 1st Class with Swords in order to be eligible for the German Cross in gold or silver. The German Cross was not a requirement for receiving either the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross or the War Merit Cross, therefore Knight’s Cross holders were eligible to receive the German Cross. Awards might be given to members of uniformed formations, such as police officers and railway workers, but civilians were not eligible. Since 30 August 1944, recipients of the Close Combat Clasp’s gold class have typically also received the German Cross in gold without the requirement for an additional reason, however, this is not always the case.
