German Mother’s Cross in Bronze – Mutterkreuz 3rd Class with Long Ribbon

Description

This Mutterkreuz bronze medal is the 3rd Class of the Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter, complete with a long length of its blue and white neck ribbon. The cross has deep blue enamel centres within white enamel borders, bronze-coloured rays between the arms and the inscription “DER DEUTSCHEN MUTTER” around the centre. The reverse is cleanly struck with “16. Dezember 1938” and the facsimile signature of Adolf Hitler.

Who Received the Mutterkreuz Bronze Medal?

The Cross of Honour of the German Mother was instituted in December 1938 in three grades. According to the Deutsches Historisches Museum, the bronze grade was for mothers of four or more children, silver for six or more and gold for eight or more, so in practice the bronze cross marked mothers of four or five children. It was available only to mothers of German nationality who could prove “Aryan” descent and whose children were considered “hereditarily healthy”; families the regime labelled as racially “alien”, “hereditarily ill” or “asocial” were excluded. By 1939, three million women had received it.

What Makes This Example Attractive?

• Enamel: strong blue and good white enamel, with only small age marks.
• Finish: an even, unpolished bronze tone on the rays, centre ring and reverse.
• Reverse: a particularly crisp date and signature.
• Ribbon: a long neck ribbon, so the cross can be displayed much as it was worn.

Collector’s Note

The Mutterkreuz bronze medal is the grade collectors encounter most often, so presentation is what sets one example apart from another. Here, the combination of a sharp reverse, bright enamel and a long ribbon makes it a good display piece. No maker’s mark is visible in the photographs. To compare grades, see our Mutterkreuz silver 2nd Class (INS102) and gold Mutterkreuz (INS78), or the bronze cross with its award document, DOC134. For background, see my guide to WWII German medals.

Condition

• Blue and white enamel intact, with small spots and age marks visible on close inspection.
• Bronze-coloured finish with natural patina and light handling marks.
• Suspension intact.
• Ribbon with fraying, loose fibres, folds and minor discolouration, mainly towards one end.

Please study all three photographs of this Mutterkreuz bronze medal, which form an essential part of this condition description. Sold exactly as shown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which grade is this?

The bronze grade (3rd Class).

Does the date on the reverse show when it was awarded?

No. 16 December 1938 is the date the decoration was instituted and appears on every example.

Is the ribbon included?

Yes. The long blue and white ribbon shown is included.

Historical Responsibility Notice

This Mutterkreuz bronze medal is offered as a historical artefact for collecting, preservation, education and research. The central swastika and facsimile signature are an original part of the decoration. The award served National Socialist racial and population policy, and Autographs & Militaria does not endorse or glorify that ideology. For our approach to this material, see collecting Third Reich material responsibly.

References & Further Reading

• Michaela Kipp, Das Mutterkreuz, LeMO, Deutsches Historisches Museum, 2014.
• Autographs & Militaria, WWII German medals.