The Collector’s Encyclopaedia · Decorations · Civil awards

Long Service Awards: History, Grades and Collector’s Guide

Long Service Awards – example from the Autographs & Militaria collection
Example from the collection: Frosted Silver Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen 25 Jahre – Original Faithful Service Cross
Wehrmacht award Dienstauszeichnung, with the inscription “Treue Dienste in der Wehrmacht”; grades for 4, 12, 18 and 25 years
Civil award Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen, for long public and private service; silver grade for 25 years
Typical paperwork Award certificates; entries in service records
In the collection 2 pieces currently available (see below)

Long service awards are among the most common German decorations of the 1930s and 1940s. There were two main families: the Wehrmacht long service award for soldiers, and the Faithful Service Decoration (Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen) for civilians.

What Was the Long Service Awards?

The Wehrmacht award was given in grades for years of service. A 4-year medal in the collection of Museum Wolmirstedt carries the inscription “Treue Dienste in der Wehrmacht” and the numeral 4 on the reverse. Higher grades marked 12, 18 and 25 years.

The civilian Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen rewarded long service in public offices and private employment. The Prussian Privy State Archives hold the award of the silver grade for 25 years to Johannes Schultze, dated 1938, showing how such awards were documented.

Who Awarded It, and Which Documents Go With It?

Certificates were printed forms issued by the responsible authority; many carry facsimile signatures. See award documents and original signature or facsimile.

What Should Collectors Watch For?

  • Grade and years must match the certificate.
  • Wehrmacht medals carry the arm-of-service emblem on the ribbon.
  • Finishes vary; “frosted” and aged finishes are not in themselves signs of a fake.

Legal note. In Germany the 1957 Orders and Decorations Act allows Second World War awards to be worn only without National Socialist emblems, which is why “1957 pattern” versions without the swastika exist. The public display of Nazi symbols is restricted in Germany, Austria and several other countries. Owning, buying and selling original decorations as historical objects is treated differently from country to country, so check the law where you live and where you ship.

Collector’s Note

Long service awards are modest pieces, but they record decades of working life. I like them best with the paperwork that names the recipient.

Related Entries and Pieces

Pieces in the Collection

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Frequently Asked Questions

What years did the Wehrmacht long service award mark?

4, 12, 18 and 25 years.

What was the Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen?

A civilian award for long service in public and private employment.

Are long service awards rare?

No; they are among the commonest awards of the period.

Historical Responsibility Notice: this entry documents historical figures and artefacts of the National Socialist period for collecting, preservation, education and research. It does not endorse or glorify any ideology, and it is written in memory of the victims of the regime.

References & Further Reading