Mutterkreuz Bronze 3rd Class – Original German Mother’s Cross 1938 with Ribbon

Description

This original Mutterkreuz in Bronze, the Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter 3rd Class (German Mother’s Cross), was the grade awarded for four or five children. It retains its blue and white enamel, bronze-toned sunburst, the reverse dated 16 December 1938 with the facsimile signature, and a notably long length of its blue-and-white ribbon.

What is the Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter?

The Cross of Honour of the German Mother was instituted by decree of 16 December 1938, and the first awards were made in May 1939, presented on Mother’s Day. It was issued in three grades:

The award was an instrument of the regime’s population and racial policy. Recipients were nominated by Party or state officials, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum records that they had to be of “pure German origin” and judged of good character politically and socially. The cross is therefore not a neutral family honour: it is a material document of who the state chose to reward and, by implication, whom it excluded.

How is it identified?

The cross has elongated arms with blue enamel centres and white enamel borders, set over a radiating sunburst. The central medallion carries the period emblem within the inscription DER DEUTSCHEN MUTTER (“To the German Mother”). The reverse reads 16. Dezember 1938, the date of institution, not of the individual award, above a facsimile of Hitler’s signature. The signature is part of the die; it is not a handwritten autograph.

The bronze grade is described by the Australian War Memorial as bronze with an “antique” finish and glass enamel, worn from a 10 mm blue ribbon with white edge stripes. No maker mark is visible on INS99, which is usual for this decoration.

Why collect it?

The Mutterkreuz belongs to the civil and social history of the period rather than to the military award system. It sits naturally alongside award documents, genealogical papers and other civil material that show how ideology reached into private family life. Related pieces in the collection include the bronze Mutterkreuz with its 1939 award document (DOC134), a 1939 Mother’s Cross award document (DOC165), and the higher silver and gold grades.

Collector’s Note

On a bronze Mutterkreuz, check the enamel first: chips to the white borders are the most common damage. The enamel on this Mutterkreuz is substantially preserved, and the long ribbon helps the Mutterkreuz display well.

Condition

Good to very good condition:

• Bronze-toned finish retained, with natural darkening and patina.
• Blue and white enamel substantially preserved, with light surface wear and minor marks visible under strong light.
• Central medallion and inscription clearly defined.
• Reverse date and facsimile signature clearly visible.
• Suspension intact.
• Long length of ribbon in the correct pattern, strongly coloured, with storage folds and slight edge wear.
• No major structural damage visible.

Supplied as the cross and ribbon only: no packet, case or award document. All photographs show the actual piece offered and form part of this condition description.

Frequently asked questions

How many children did the bronze grade require?
Four or five.

What does 16 Dezember 1938 mean?
It is the date the decoration was instituted, not the recipient’s award date.

Is the signature on the reverse hand-signed?
No. It is a facsimile struck as part of the design.

Is it a military decoration?
No. It was a civil award.

Historical Responsibility Notice

This item is offered exclusively as a historical artefact for collecting, preservation, education and research. Period political symbolism is visible because it forms an integral part of the original design. Autographs & Militaria does not endorse or glorify the ideology or political system it represents.

References & Further Reading

• Australian War Memorial, Cross of Honour of the German Mother – Third Class (RELAWM30389) – material, ribbon, inscriptions and award criteria.
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Bronze Cross of Honor of the German Mother medal, 3rd Class Order (2017.254.1) – institution decree, grades, first awards and eligibility.