Ever wonder how they made Mother Crosses

[Richardxyz]

I recently bought a Kraft Durch freude brochure from Ebay and the seller very kindly gave me some other bits and pieces. Of which there was another magazine which has a two page article about the Mother Cross and pictures of its manufacture. If people are interested I will scan the article so it can be translated and read. Here are some pics.

[Richardxyz]

pic2

Here is another one

[Richardxyz]

pic3

Must have been quite a repititive job!

[Lorenzo Brown]

Hi Richard. I would be very interested in seeing a scan of the article. Also some larger scans of the pictures. Thanks.

[George Stimson]

Those same pics are also in Angolia's For Fuhrer and Fatherland - Political and Civil Awards of the Third Reich.

George

[Richardxyz]

I hope this isn't too big!

[Richardxyz]

..the other page

[d-riemer]

The pictures are more interesting than the article that contains mainly Nazi propaganda: lots about the German mother and her efforts in strengthening the German race, her trust in the Führer and faith in the future of the Third Reich.

The benefits and honors associated with the Mutterkreuz are listed: she must be saluted by members of the Hitler Youth (I don't remember this from my days in the HJ possibly because women were usually not wearing the Mutterkreuz on the street; the army officers we had to salute when we were in uniform were more apparent), she will be seated in chairs of honor at government events. she will receive preferred service in government offices, preferred seating in public transportation ("seats will be offered to these mothers by every respectable German"), preferred acceptance in homes for the elderly.

The quality of the Honor Cross is achieved by issuing contracts only to shops with qualified and certified craftsmen. The German Labor Front (DAF = union substitute) placed orders for 3 million Crosses to be awarded on the Day of the German Mother (May 21, 1939).

The pictures show the multi-step fabrication process consisting of stamping out the metal cross, coining the metal, manually depositing the enamel colors and firing them one color at a time, grinding and polishing the fired enamel.

[Radcollector]

Hello richard,

thanks for shareing the pictures with us,I like the fact that the envolope that it came in is pictured,does anyone have a mothers cross with that style of envolope?

Yancy

[anguspm]

Hi Yancy,

I've one of those envelopes but unfortunately no cross to go in it!

Shown below is a pic as the article doesn't show it being blue.

regards,

Angus

[Radcollector]

Hello Angus,

thanks for the picture,I dont yet have a mothers cross but when i get one im definately getting one with that style envelope.


Yancy

[Rich Yankowski]

Mutters Crosses

Thanks for posting a very interesting thread!I've always liked the Mutters Crosses,maybe it's the enamel.Here are some of mine.

[d-riemer]

Here is a document for the mothers cross 3rd class (bronze, 4 or 5 children)

[Radcollector]

very nice display Rich!

Yancy

[Lorenzo Brown]

Can somebody please post the weight and dimensions of authentic crosses in gold, silver and bronze?
Also...Which firms made the Mother's crosses?

Thanks.