Frosted Silver Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen 25 Jahre – Original Faithful Service Cross

Description

This original Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen 25 Jahre is the silver second-class grade of the German Faithful Service Decoration, instituted on 30 January 1938 for twenty-five years of faithful public service. It is a notably bright example, retaining much of its frosted silver finish across the cross and oak-leaf wreath, with a strong black enamel centre and its cornflower-blue ribbon.

What is the Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen 25 Jahre?

The Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen (Faithful Service Decoration) was instituted on 30 January 1938 for officials, employees and workers in public service at local, regional and national level. The silver second class was conferred for 25 years of service, the gold-coloured first class for 40 years, and a later 50-year grade combined a silver cross with a gold wreath.

It is a civil long-service decoration, not a combat award. It recognised years of service in public administration, the railways, the post and other state employment, which makes it as relevant to collections of civil and administrative history as to medal collections.

How is the 25-year grade identified?

The decoration is a cross pattée with textured fields inside smooth raised borders, set over a circular oak-leaf wreath. The obverse centre carries the period state emblem in black enamel on a square panel; the reverse panel bears the Gothic inscription Für treue Dienste (“For Faithful Service”). The finish distinguishes the grades: silver for 25 years, gold-coloured for 40.

Reference examples measure approximately 46.5 mm high by 41 mm wide and are recorded as silvered base metal or bronze with enamel (MedalBook; Museum Wolmirstedt). No maker mark is visible on INS95, which is common for this decoration.

What makes this example stand out?

Surviving silver finish is the main condition factor for this decoration, and INS95 retains a bright, frosted appearance on the arms, borders, wreath and reverse. The black enamel contrasts strongly with the silvered metal. There are small areas of toning, most visible on one horizontal arm, but the overall presentation is considerably stronger than on many surviving examples.

For a more worn ribboned example of the same grade, see INS91; for a complete issue set, the cased 25-year Faithful Service Medal by C.F. Zimmermann (INS56); and for the higher grade, the 40-year gold Faithful Service Decoration (INS80).

Why collect it?

The Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen was awarded in large numbers and is not rare. Its appeal is that of a well-designed, immediately recognisable civil decoration documenting the vast public-service workforce of the period. A bright, well-preserved example such as this one makes the best display piece of the type short of a cased set.

Condition

Very good to excellent used condition:

• Extensive surviving frosted silver finish.
• Textured fields, raised borders and oak-leaf wreath sharply defined.
• Black enamel visually intact.
• “Für treue Dienste” reverse clearly legible.
• Suspension ring complete.
• Small areas of age toning, mainly on one horizontal arm.
• Deep blue ribbon with light handling and minor edge fraying.

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

Frequently asked questions

What does “Für treue Dienste” mean?
“For Faithful Service”.

Is it a military medal?
No. It was a civil long-service decoration for public-service personnel.

Is INS95 maker marked?
No maker mark is visible, which is common for this decoration.

Is it rare?
No. It was awarded in large numbers; condition is what distinguishes one example from another.

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

• MedalBook, Faithful Service Decoration, II Class – institution date, 25-year class, construction and dimensions.
• Museum Wolmirstedt via museum-digital, Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen, versilbert – silvered museum example, 4.5 × 4 cm.
• Instituting decree: Verordnung über die Stiftung des Treudienst-Ehrenzeichens, 30 January 1938 (recorded in the archive inventory of the Instytut Pamięci Narodowej, Warsaw).