Waffenbrüderschaft

Medal of the Brotherhood of Arms

 

The medal was to represent "the appreciation of achievements and merit that contribute to the strengthening of the relations between the socialist brother armies and the development of common cooperation". The Minister of National Security and Minister of National Security attended the award ceremony on the occasion of the Arms Brotherhood Week or immediately after the awards were made. To award the medal included a certificate and a financial contribution.

 

The medal of the Waffenbrüderschaft was an award of the German Democratic Republic and was founded on 17 February 1966 (as well as the Scharnhorst Order) by the Council of Ministers of the GDR and awarded until the dissolution of the GDR in 1990. With the foundation date, the medal was also taken over for the Ministry of State Security.

 

 

 

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Classification levels

The Foundation for the Medal for Arms Brotherhood was awarded in three classes:

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 Gold level (highest level)

 

 Silver level (middle level)

 

 Bronze level (lowest level)

 

 

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Medal for Arms Brotherhood could be bestowed to:

• Members of the National People's Army

• Members of the MfS (as award)

• Members of other armies of the Warsaw Pact

• Guests from the friendly (socialist) countries, also civilians for the "improvement of cooperation"

 

 

 

 

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Wearing Method

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The Brotherhood of Weapons medal was worn on the left side of the chest on a pentagonal band clasp.

 

Material and appearance

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The diameter of the medal was about 35 mm for all 3 levels. It was usually made of non-ferrous metal and was gilded, silvered or held in bronze according to its purpose. On the front side there are three stylized heads of soldiers on the right side, with the middle one symbolizing an NVA soldier. To the right is the head of a member of the Red Army. All heads together symbolize the allied armies of the Warsaw Pact next to the banner of the Red Star, which represents the socialist countries under (military) leadership of the Red Army. Below the red star are four missile tips pictured, intentionally or not, facing west from the viewer. The back of the medal consists of the state coat of arms of the GDR with the capital letters in capital letters: “Class brothers, brothers in arms and Invincible”, the words are separated by a pentagonal star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Band color

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In the middle of the 24 mm wide, light-gray band of the pentagonal band-shaped clasp, one, two or three 1.5 mm wide orange stripes were woven; their distance was 1.5 mm from each other. Until July 15, 1968, the Gold medal was worn on a single-banded belt. After that, this band became the volume of the bronze medal.