Original WW1 German Hesse – Darmstadt War Decoration of Honour in Iron / Ernst Ludwig Badge (“Bloody Ludwig”) post WW2 made example, IN VERY NICE CONDITION – PERFECT PIN DEVICE, THE HOOK SEEMS REPAIRED, INTACT FINISH, NICE ST&L (STEINHAUER UND LUECK) MADE POST WW2 EXAMPLE WITH TYPICAL ST&L HARDWARE, A VERY RARE AWARD EVEN IN POSTWAR TYPE (IF NOT RARER THAN THE WW1 VERSION). FEW FACTS ABOUT POST WW2 MADE IMPERIAL GERMAN & FOREIGN AWARDS. After WW2 wear and display of former Nazi decorations were strictly prohibited in Germany. As Germany split apart into East and West Germany, each of these new countries issued directives concerning the status of former awards and decorations of Nazi Germany. Within East Germany, these awards were all abolished with a new era of German Communist decorations created to take their place. However, in West Germany, pre 1933 issued awards were fully accepted to wear & display, therefore these awards (including foreign awards) were continuously produced after the end of the war by major manufacturers, such as Steinhauer & Lück, Deumer or Souval. In 1957 the West German government authorised replacement Iron Crosses with an Oak Leaf Cluster in place of the swastika, similar to the Iron Crosses of 1813, 1870, and 1914, which could be worn by World War II Iron Cross recipients. The 1957 law also authorised de-Nazified versions of most other World War II-era decorations (except those specifically associated with Nazi Party organizations, such as SS Long Service medals, or with the expansion of the German Reich, such as the medals for the annexation of Austria, the Sudetenland, and the Memel region). HISTORY OF THE AWARD. War Decoration of Honour in Iron (HESSEN-DARMSTADT – Kriegsehrenzeichen in Eisen) 1917. The war honorary sign in iron was donated on 13 March 1917 by Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse on the occasion of his 25th anniversary. The decoration was awarded about 2000 times to proven Hessian fighters. The recipients should have previously received the Iron Cross and the Hessian Medal of Honour and been wounded at the front. Therefore, the award received the nickname “Bloody Ludwig”. It was made of various materials such as blackened iron, tombak, zinc, silver, silver-plated iron and coloured copper. This item is in the category “Collectables\Militaria\World War II (1939-1945)\Medals/ Ribbons”. The seller is “a..anderson” and is located in this country: GB. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany
- Country/ Organization: Germany
- Issued/ Not-Issued: Issued
- Type: Medals & Ribbons
- Conflict: World War I (1914-1918)
- Service: Army
- Era: 1914-1945