I found this article in my Volkischer Beobachter, North German Edition, March 9, 1942.
I used Babelfish to translate it and tried to change words around to make more sense but it still isn't very accurate. Some of the words would not translate w/ the software. Please let me know if you know what they mean and I'll update the post. I'm sure someone who speaks German could translate is much better but it's pretty long. Anyone who wants a better scan of the original article just drop me a line.
Oakleaves with Swords and Brilliants
The Highest German Bravery Award
In times of war the interest in medals and decorations is naturally general. In the foreground is the Iron Cross, that decoration, which was donated in the liberation struggle against Napoleon and now already in three wars the target of each soldier was, and which meant today, donated by the Führer as a medal again the most beautiful and worthiest honor of male courage.
The Führer again did not only donate the Iron Cross, but also substantially extends. With the creation of the Knights Cross to the Iron Cross it introduced a quite new term into those class designation of the medals. The term " Knights Cross " always. But it did not express, which we understand today by it. In accordance with their emergence from the old Knight Medals, still today most - foreign - are in Grand Cross, komtur and Knights divided to medals, to which in particular in younger time still manifold partitionings came: Großkreuz in Gold, Grosskomtur, GroßOffizier, Offizier etc.
The Knights Cross is most comparable with the " Pour le merit ", the highest bravery medal, which the former German Emperor had to assign as a King from Prussia. Few know, since also the Pour le merit was lent in different gradations: When knew increase of the Honor Oakleaves as well as the Crown and Oakleaves in addition are lent, additionally still another Großkreuz existed.
The award of Oakleaves to a medal forms thus nothing new. Oakleaves of the Knights Cross to the Iron Cross resemble in its form even exactly that of the Pour le merit.
On the other hand is award of the Swords to increase of the honor again is somewhat basically new. Many medals of the German national gentlemen knew the addition of the Swords as characters for the fact that the medal for military earnings/services was lent. With the Swords to Oakleaves, of the Knight Cross of the Iron Cross it concerns a substantial high staggering of the honor, which equals a secondary award of Oakleaves.
Also the Brilliants as an honor actually form a new creation. The high degree and the scarce value of this honor is situated already in the nature of this jewel, and there, those are only completely few medals thereby from the beginning already decorated are. By far most medals will fall in Brilliants only for special merit or services lent. The honor became more valuable in each regard, but it - as also with Oakleaves - became a class moderately higher not naturally ranked in the individual classes the decorations with Oakleaves and those with Brilliants before the simple, was however still under the simple decoration of the next higher grade.
Now with the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross Oakleaves, Oakleaves with Swords, and Oakleaves with Swords and Brilliants distinguishes for a statutory determined high staggering form, more again away one walks on here.
The Grand Cross of the Iron Cross is as separate honor there; it is in most cases not attainable also for an owner of Oakleaves to the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Swords and Brilliants and forms thus nature-moderately no high staggering of the Knight Cross. Oakleaves to the Knights Cross of the E.K. with Swords and Brilliants are the highest German bravery honor, for personal application are thus awarded, while the Grand Cross for successful warfare is on quite different line.
It may still be worthwhile itself now, a short view of the production course of the Iron Crosses to throw after Oakleaves and Swords from solid Silver are pronounced, become them on two pages fixed soldered together. The carrying ring of the medal is soldered on the rear side of Oakleaves and the Swords. After thereby operate are terminated at the piece, it is polished. The so-called of white-simmered Oakleaves takes place on that: it is abgekocht in a solution by soda and thereby receives its beautiful, matt silver-white finish on the whole surface. Afterwards blattrippen and outside edges of Oakleaves and the Swords shining polishes the two blattrippen of Oakleaves to be supposed the " L " of the Queen Louise to represent.
From this processing step the production of Oakleaves with Swords and Brilliants deviates substantially. To punch for Oakleaves and the Swords to assistance are also taken here, in order to manufacture the coinages. Afterwards however the jewel juwelengoldschmied prepares the whole article for the accommodation of the brilliant. The Oakleaves and the Swords are provided on the rear side with an edge, on which all place Oakleaves and Sword-accessed, which are to be decorated with brilliant, is perforated, so that the stones from the rear side light becomes more effective and so does their fires. On that the jewel juwelenfasser sets to 52 Brilliants to it to be paid attention there must that the ribs and the closely set Brilliants is not spoiled, must this work is very carefully executed and can only be done correctly by particularly good skilled workers.
The Knights Cross of the E. K. is manufactured, similarly to the E.K. 1. and E.K. II., as follows: the edge is minted from solid Silver, the black center piece from iron. After assembly both divide the edge white one simmers and the iron blackened. The carrying ring is soldered on before. The outside edge of the silver frame is polished, during the Perl-staff-like, serrated outside edge remains white.
Everything received still divides with the medal manufacturer its last processing. In Knights Crosses struggle hooked, the ribbon pulled through and the crosses are packed in cases and the Praesidialkanzlei Führer - the medal Ordenskanzlei of the German Reich - set. For Oakleaves, Oakleaves with Swords as well as Oakleaves with Swords and Brilliants there is everyone times a separate case from black saffian.
I used Babelfish to translate it and tried to change words around to make more sense but it still isn't very accurate. Some of the words would not translate w/ the software. Please let me know if you know what they mean and I'll update the post. I'm sure someone who speaks German could translate is much better but it's pretty long. Anyone who wants a better scan of the original article just drop me a line.
Oakleaves with Swords and Brilliants
The Highest German Bravery Award
In times of war the interest in medals and decorations is naturally general. In the foreground is the Iron Cross, that decoration, which was donated in the liberation struggle against Napoleon and now already in three wars the target of each soldier was, and which meant today, donated by the Führer as a medal again the most beautiful and worthiest honor of male courage.
The Führer again did not only donate the Iron Cross, but also substantially extends. With the creation of the Knights Cross to the Iron Cross it introduced a quite new term into those class designation of the medals. The term " Knights Cross " always. But it did not express, which we understand today by it. In accordance with their emergence from the old Knight Medals, still today most - foreign - are in Grand Cross, komtur and Knights divided to medals, to which in particular in younger time still manifold partitionings came: Großkreuz in Gold, Grosskomtur, GroßOffizier, Offizier etc.
The Knights Cross is most comparable with the " Pour le merit ", the highest bravery medal, which the former German Emperor had to assign as a King from Prussia. Few know, since also the Pour le merit was lent in different gradations: When knew increase of the Honor Oakleaves as well as the Crown and Oakleaves in addition are lent, additionally still another Großkreuz existed.
The award of Oakleaves to a medal forms thus nothing new. Oakleaves of the Knights Cross to the Iron Cross resemble in its form even exactly that of the Pour le merit.
On the other hand is award of the Swords to increase of the honor again is somewhat basically new. Many medals of the German national gentlemen knew the addition of the Swords as characters for the fact that the medal for military earnings/services was lent. With the Swords to Oakleaves, of the Knight Cross of the Iron Cross it concerns a substantial high staggering of the honor, which equals a secondary award of Oakleaves.
Also the Brilliants as an honor actually form a new creation. The high degree and the scarce value of this honor is situated already in the nature of this jewel, and there, those are only completely few medals thereby from the beginning already decorated are. By far most medals will fall in Brilliants only for special merit or services lent. The honor became more valuable in each regard, but it - as also with Oakleaves - became a class moderately higher not naturally ranked in the individual classes the decorations with Oakleaves and those with Brilliants before the simple, was however still under the simple decoration of the next higher grade.
Now with the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross Oakleaves, Oakleaves with Swords, and Oakleaves with Swords and Brilliants distinguishes for a statutory determined high staggering form, more again away one walks on here.
The Grand Cross of the Iron Cross is as separate honor there; it is in most cases not attainable also for an owner of Oakleaves to the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Swords and Brilliants and forms thus nature-moderately no high staggering of the Knight Cross. Oakleaves to the Knights Cross of the E.K. with Swords and Brilliants are the highest German bravery honor, for personal application are thus awarded, while the Grand Cross for successful warfare is on quite different line.
It may still be worthwhile itself now, a short view of the production course of the Iron Crosses to throw after Oakleaves and Swords from solid Silver are pronounced, become them on two pages fixed soldered together. The carrying ring of the medal is soldered on the rear side of Oakleaves and the Swords. After thereby operate are terminated at the piece, it is polished. The so-called of white-simmered Oakleaves takes place on that: it is abgekocht in a solution by soda and thereby receives its beautiful, matt silver-white finish on the whole surface. Afterwards blattrippen and outside edges of Oakleaves and the Swords shining polishes the two blattrippen of Oakleaves to be supposed the " L " of the Queen Louise to represent.
From this processing step the production of Oakleaves with Swords and Brilliants deviates substantially. To punch for Oakleaves and the Swords to assistance are also taken here, in order to manufacture the coinages. Afterwards however the jewel juwelengoldschmied prepares the whole article for the accommodation of the brilliant. The Oakleaves and the Swords are provided on the rear side with an edge, on which all place Oakleaves and Sword-accessed, which are to be decorated with brilliant, is perforated, so that the stones from the rear side light becomes more effective and so does their fires. On that the jewel juwelenfasser sets to 52 Brilliants to it to be paid attention there must that the ribs and the closely set Brilliants is not spoiled, must this work is very carefully executed and can only be done correctly by particularly good skilled workers.
The Knights Cross of the E. K. is manufactured, similarly to the E.K. 1. and E.K. II., as follows: the edge is minted from solid Silver, the black center piece from iron. After assembly both divide the edge white one simmers and the iron blackened. The carrying ring is soldered on before. The outside edge of the silver frame is polished, during the Perl-staff-like, serrated outside edge remains white.
Everything received still divides with the medal manufacturer its last processing. In Knights Crosses struggle hooked, the ribbon pulled through and the crosses are packed in cases and the Praesidialkanzlei Führer - the medal Ordenskanzlei of the German Reich - set. For Oakleaves, Oakleaves with Swords as well as Oakleaves with Swords and Brilliants there is everyone times a separate case from black saffian.