Original German WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 EKII with Named Award Document & Ribbon - 138th Gebirgsjäger Mountain Troop Regiment

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an lovely example of a German WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 (Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse 1939) by desirable maker Fritz Zimmermann, with an original rayon red, black, and white ribbon. Also included is the original besittzzeugnis "possession/award" certificate!

The award document indicates that it was awarded to Gefreiten Gabriel A m a n n of 2. / Geb. Jäg. Rgt. 138, short for 2. Kompanie / Gebirgsjäger Regiment 138, or "2nd Company, 138th Mountain Trooper Regiment". Gefreiter (Exempted) is a Mannschaften (enlisted personnel) rank equivalent to a U.S. Army Lance Corporal. The location it was presented is given as Div.Gef.St., short for DivisionGefechtsStand (Division command Post), and it was awarded 15. 7. 1941..

There is no Dienſtſiegel (official seal) stamp in the lower corner, though it is possible that it faded away. We think we can see traces of a signature on the lower left, and the bottom indicates that the signature is of the Generalmajor u. Kdr. 3. Geb. Div (Major General and Commander of the 3rd Mountain Division), which at the time would have been Generalmajor Hans Kreysing, who ended the war with the rank of General der Gebirgstruppe. We believe that the stamp was simply missed when issued, and perhaps some lighting techniques can make the faded signature more legible.

The document measures about 7 3/4" x 5 1/2", (about 20cm x 14cm), printed on heavy-weight paper with black print and typed in particulars. It is in good condition, showing light staining, and was folded in half at one point, and then partially folded into quarters.

The Iron Cross itself is a very nice example with crisp beading, and the silvering to the frame has a lovely lightly tarnished patina and looks great! The matte black core paint on the iron center on both sides is still in excellent condition, showing just a bit of wear on the raised portions, with no flaking or wear through to the base metal. The original ribbon is properly threaded through the hanger ring, and shows light wear and staining from age and use, with a bit of fraying at the end. The hanger loop is also marked with Präsidialkanzlei des Führers Lieferant (Presidential Chancellery Supplier) number 6., which represents maker Fritz Zimmermann of Stuttgart, Germany. Most EKIIs we see are unmarked, so this is a real treat!

Please also note the edge seam for authentication, which is not present on reproductions. Iron crosses were commonly constructed from an iron core sandwiched in a surrounding two part silver frame, normally the seam of these two silver parts is visible around the edge of the cross as is seen on this fine example.

The basic design of the WWII crosses is a central Tatzenkreuz (cross pattée) struck from iron and mounted in a silver frame which has a raised crenulated decorative border. The obverse of the cross bears the date 1939 under a "mobile" swas. Second class crosses would have a ring at the top where a ring was attached, and had more markings on the back. The first class award, however, was meant to attach directly to the front of the uniform.

A lovely example of the most iconic of all German awards, complete with an original award document and ribbon, ready to research and display!

Gebirgsjäger material is among the most popular of all German WWII items. They were the light infantry part of the alpine or mountain troops (Gebirgstruppe) of Germany and Austria. The word Jäger (meaning "hunter" or "huntsman") is a characteristic term used for light-infantry or light-infantryman in German-speaking military context.

The mountain infantry of Austria have their roots in the three Landesschützen regiments of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The mountain infantry of Germany carry on certain traditions of the Alpenkorps (Alpine corps) of World War I. Both countries' mountain infantry share the Edelweiß insignia. It was established in 1907 as a symbol of the Austro-Hungarian Landesschützen regiments by Emperor Franz Joseph I. These troops wore their edelweiss on the collar of their uniforms. When the Alpenkorps came to aid the Landesschützen in defending Austria-Hungary's southern frontier against the Italian attack in May 1915, the grateful Landesschützen honored the men of the Alpenkorps by awarding them their own insignia: the edelweiss. Together with the Fallschirmjäger (Paratroopers) they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army.

There is no more iconic German military award than the Iron Cross. The long history of this order began during the Napoleonic Wars. King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia instituted the “Eisernes Kreuz” (Iron Cross) in March of 1813. The award criteria changed somewhat with time, but generally speaking, Iron Crosses could be awarded for individual acts of bravery, or for leadership achievements on the battlefield. The design was created by a Karl Friedrich Schinkel, his choice of the black cross with silver outline was derived from the heraldic emblem of the Teutonic Knights. This central Tatzenkreuz (cross pattée) struck from iron and mounted in a silver frame which has a raised crenulated decorative border.

There were a number of different type and grades of Iron Cross awards throughout its long history, but the basic details of the most widely awarded grades: The Iron Cross 1st Class and Iron Cross 2nd Class- remained the same. The first class award was a breast badge, with fittings on the reverse to allow it to be worn on the uniform. These fittings varied widely over time and from maker to maker, and could be a simple in and catch, a screw post and retaining disc, or more elaborate setups. The second class award was suspended from a ribbon, originally in the Prussian colors of black and white, later in the Reich colors of black, red and white.

On the original versions of these crosses, in 1813, the front of the iron core of each grade was bare, and only the second class award had ornamentation: a crown over the initials “FW” representing the King, a sprig of oak leaves, and the date 1813. The core was redesigned in 1870, when the cross was re-instituted during the Franco-Prussian War. The reverse ornamentation on the Iron Cross 2nd Class remained the same, but the front of the core on both grades now bore another crown, a “W” representing Kaiser Wilhelm, and the date 1870. This pattern repeated again when the cross was reinstituted for WWI- everything stayed the same, only the date 1870 was replaced with 1914.

The final reinstitution of the cross came in 1939. For this version, the front of the core for both grades bore a swas and the date 1939. The oak leaves, crown and royal initials were removed from the reverse, with only the date 1813 remaining as a reminder of the legacy of this award. In WWII, hundreds of thousands of Iron Cross First Class awards were bestowed, and four and a half million Iron Cross Second Class awards. Iron Crosses were made by a large number of authorized manufacturers. Some variants of these awards were mass produced in huge numbers. Others were made in very limited quantities.