Another DDR medal

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Hot on the heels of the medal that I posted yesterday, this is another from a small lot I recently purchased... this one is the: 'Waffenbruderschaft' (Brotherhood in Arms) in bronze. Established in February 1966, the medal was awarded to soldiers and civilian employees of the East German military organisations, Stasi, and members of Warsaw Pact armed forces and friendly socialist countries. The medal came in the three grades of bronze, silver, and gold, and was usually presented along with a monetary award. This bronze example was presented to Oberstleutnant Jurgen Weith on 7th October 1973. The accompanying Urkunde is a rather diminutive 17cm X 11cm when opened, and the case is the usual crappy plastic variety which was so prevalent in the 1970's onwards. Click (twice) on images to enlarge.

Cheers,
Steve

[Blitzvogel]

The cases might be crappy, but they are neat for storing other things, like badges, insignia, pins etc...

[HARRY THE MOLE]

The cases might be crappy, but they are neat for storing other things, like badges, insignia, pins etc...

and medals!

[Watchdog]

Here is another Waffenbruderschaft (Armed Brotherhood ) medal from the estate I recently acquired of a late Oberstleutnant who was an engineer (Pionere) officer with 4 motorisierte Schutzendivision (4MSD) in Erfurt. This one, also a bronze grade was issued close to the end of his career and has a more usual style of Urkunde.
The stylised, almost cartoon like image on the obverse is very iconic of the communist symbolism of the period and the legend on the reverse; Klassenbruder, Waffenbruder, Unbesiegbar (Class brothers, Brothers in arms,Invincible) is also iconic of the rhetoric of the period but seems now to be somewhat ironic.

The phrase used to express the main criterion for awarding this medal is "for strengthening the combat alliance of fraternal nations" or words to that effect (memory fades, "do you suffer from short term memory loss?" "I can't remember" )

The silver and gold Urkunden are in the same format.



Anyway, for comparison.

Regards

Mark

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I just love the front artwork of the medal!

[Watchdog]

I just love the front artwork of the medal!

Yep, it's so different from the usual DDR symbology. Almost "pop art"