BACKGROUND: On March 10^TH 1813, Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III established the Iron Cross as a temporary gallantry award for bestowal during times of war. Originally the Iron Cross was introduced in three grades with a Grand Cross intended for award to Senior Commanders for successfully leading troops in combat and the First and Second classes for award to all ranks for bravery or merit in action. The Iron Cross’s were reinstituted by King Wilhelm I on July 19^TH 1870 for award during the Franco-Prussian War and again on August 5^TH 1914, by King Wilhelm II for award during WWI. On September 1^ST 1939 Adolf Hitler once more reinstituted the Iron Cross series of awards in the First, Second and Grand Cross Classes and established the new Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Hitler reserved the right to personally authorize bestowal of the Knight’s Cross and all ranks were eligible for the award. Originally the criteria for bestowal of the Knight’s Cross was outstanding personal bravery or decisive leadership in combat but this was later expanded to include personnel who had continually demonstrated exceptional acts of courage or an extremely high success rate on the battlefield. The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross was the most coveted award of the Third Reich period and those presented with it were elevated to the status of a national hero. In total it is estimated that roughly 7,360 Knight’s Crosses were awarded during WWII, a relatively small number when one considers the amount of troops fielded and the magnitude of the war. Of Note: On June 3^RD 1940 a higher echelon of the Knight’s Cross was established with the introduction of the Knight’s Cross with Oak-Leaves and on July 15^TH 1941 an additional two higher grades of the Knight’s Cross with Oak-Leaves were introduced with the establishment of the Knight’s Cross with Oak-Leaves and Swords and the Knight’s Cross with Oak-Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Finally on December 29^TH 1944 Hitler established the final grade of the Knight’s Cross with the Golden Oak-Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Also of Note: The Grand Cross of the Knight’s Cross was only awarded once to Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and the Knight’s Cross with Golden Oak-Leaves, Swords and Diamonds was also only awarded once to Oberstleutnant Hans-Ulrich Rudel. With the high regard that bestowal of a Knight’s Cross carried and the personal recognition and prestige that accompanied the award it was basic human nature to want to display it prominently, not only by wearing the actual award but also in numerous other acceptable manners. During the Third Reich a large variety of commemorative and decorative items were available for private purchase and the manufacturers took advantage of Hitler’s cult of personality and the NSDAP’s, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), popularity by offering every type of conceivable product ranging from hair ornaments, plates, wristwatches, pocket knives, candy, finger rings, desk and wall ornaments etc., etc., etc., all decorated with NSDAP symbols, likeness’s of Hitler and the ubiquitous swastika. Many of these items became quite popular and were a outwardly visible sign of an individual’s convictions and loyalty. The bestowal of awards during the Third Reich were regulated by the Statutes of Titles, Orders and Decorations and with the widespread use of commemorative and decorative items featuring the assorted awards, as early as May 1933, Propaganda Minister Dr. Paul Josef Goebbels was forced to prohibit the use of many of the NSDAP symbols as some were deemed to be to "tacky", and degraded the items they were actually suppose to promote. Regulations of July 1^ST 1937 dictated that the sole, legal, authority for bestowal of all decorations and awards lay with Adolf Hitler and the Reichs Chancellery. Although the Statutes of Titles, Orders and Decorations held the ultimate decision in all matters of awards the OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), was given control over the bestowal regulations of all military awards as long as they conformed to the appropriate statute. The Statutes of Titles, Orders and Decorations also had regulations that oversaw the unauthorized wear, production and distribution of awards and decorations and presumably these regulations would have also involved the displaying of commemorative and decorative items to a certain degree. The unauthorized production, distribution, procurement, wear, or display of awards was punishable by fines and/or jail sentences. Although we have no definite proof, in likelihood the regulations would have also restricted the commercial reproduction of the assorted awards, which would presumably indicate that this wall plaque would have been privately purchased by a recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. This example is a privately purchased, commercially produced, commemorative all plaque utilizing the likeness Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Very nicely detailed, carved and stained, softwood construction, simulated likeness of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross including the suspension "ribbon", is roughly, 14 1/4" tall and 11 1/4", (36.2cm x 28.5cm), wide, at it’s most extended points with the actual cross being roughly, 9", (22.8cm), square. The detailing includes, small, simulated, fold creases to the ribbon, the correctly shaped, narrow, vertical, ribbon suspension ring, the cut-out, semi-circular, ribbon medal loop, the ribbed, inner, frame edge of the cross and the high relief, canted swastika, and re-institution date, "1939". The piece appears to be all hand carved and the detailing is quite exacting. The "red" base portion of the ribbon and the inner, "black" portion of the cross have a nicely toned, stain which is slightly darker then the natural softwood, which is featured as the "white" stripes on the ribbon and the "silver", frame of the cross. The vertically grained softwood base has subtle, hairline cracks that run up both of the horizontally extended arms of the cross and continue upwards onto the ribbon. The hairline cracks have glue repairs to the reverse .The cross has no visible markings by the manufacturing artisan. Very nicely detailed piece that would make a great addition to a display.

GRADE ***3/4                             PRICE $