Germany - Third Reich: Cross of Honour of the German Mother, 3rd Class in Bronze with full length of original ribbon.
Condition: evidence of Verdigris to the reverse, now cleaned, Good Very Fine
In recognition of the substantial importance a woman’s role and motherhood was in support of a strong German Reich nation, the Cross of Honour of the German Mother was introduced by decree in Berlin on 16 December 1938 by Adolf Hitler. The preamble of the statutory decree declared: 'As a visible sign of gratitude of the German nation to children-rich mothers I establish this Cross of Honour of the German Mother'.
The crosses were awarded annually on the second Sunday in May (Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day), but also extended to include other national annual occasions of celebration. So despite its institution in 1938, the first awards were rendered in May 1939. The 3rd Class in Bronze was eligible for mothers with four to five children, the 2nd Class in Silver was eligible for mothers with six to seven children, and the 1st Class in Gold was eligible for mothers with eight or more children.
