The Collector’s Encyclopaedia · Decorations · Commemorative awards

Annexation Medals: History, Grades and Collector’s Guide

Austria Medal commemorating 13 March 1938 (the Anschluss)
Sudetenland Medal commemorating 1 October 1938
Memel Medal commemorating the return of the Memel territory (1939)
Recipients Soldiers, officials and party members who took part in or contributed to the annexations
In the collection No pieces currently available

The annexation medals commemorate the territorial expansion of Nazi Germany before the war: Austria in March 1938, the Sudetenland in October 1938 and the Memel territory in March 1939. They are propaganda objects as much as awards.

What Was the Annexation Medals?

The medal commemorating 13 March 1938 was given for merit in the “Anschluss” of Austria, including to Austrians who had taken part directly or who had been members of the NSDAP while it was banned in Austria. The medal commemorating 1 October 1938 was given to those who took part in the occupation of the Sudetenland. Its reverse reads “1. Oktober 1938” with the slogan “Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer”; the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum records Richard Klein as the designer. A third medal commemorated the Memel territory, annexed from Lithuania in March 1939.

Who Awarded It, and Which Documents Go With It?

Awards were accompanied by printed certificates, and the medal should appear in the Wehrpass of military recipients. See award documents.

What Should Collectors Watch For?

  • Cases and packets are often later additions.
  • Clasps added to the Sudetenland medal for later events must be checked separately.
  • Memel medals are scarcer than the other two.

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

These medals celebrate the dismantling of neighbouring states. I describe them as evidence of that policy, not as campaign souvenirs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Anschluss medal commemorate?

The annexation of Austria on 13 March 1938.

What does the Sudetenland medal commemorate?

The occupation of the Sudetenland from 1 October 1938.

Who designed the Sudetenland medal?

Richard Klein, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

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