WWI Iron Cross 2nd Class medal awarded to a Jewish veteran
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 7.190 inches (18.263 cm) | Width: 1.690 inches (4.293 cm) | Depth: 0.120 inches (0.305 cm)
Creator(s)
- Walter Joseph (Subject)
- Konigliches Munzamt Orden (Manufacturer)
Archival History
The WWI iron cross medal was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1989 by Brigadier General Bernard Feingold.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Bernard Feingold
Scope and Content
The Iron Cross was awarded to Walter Joseph, a German Jew, for his military service in World War I.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Black painted metal alloy cross pattee style medal with a silver colored reeded border on the front and reverse. The front is embossed with an imperial crown in the top arm; a W cipher for King Wilhelm II in the center; and the year the award was reinstituted, 1914, in the bottom arm. The reverse is embossed with the FW cipher for King Friedrich Wilhelm III in the top arm; a cluster of 3 oak leaves in the center, and the year of first issue, 1813, in the bottom arm. There is a loop on the top arm with a suspension ring. The maker’s mark, KO, for Konigliches Munzamt Orden, the Royal Mint in Berlin, is engraved on the suspension ring. The medal is attached to a black with two thin white bands grosgrain ribbon.
People
- Joseph, Walter.
Subjects
- Military decorations--Germany.
- World War, 1914-1918--Participation, Jewish.
- Jewish soldiers--Germany.
Genre
- Object
- Military Insignia