Protektorat Ehrenzeichen

[pavels_2005]

Hi,

I would like to show you this Protektorat pin. It is called - Der Ehrenschild des Protektorates Böhmen und Mähren mit dem Herzog-Wenzel-Adler. Was awarded in Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren during the WW2 ocupation to important government and civil persons. It comes with original case.

Any opinions welcome.

Best regards
Pavel

[pavels_2005]

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[pavels_2005]

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[SMV]

Footage of Award Ceremony- SS Gen. Karl Frank

Very nice textbook example with original issue box.

Thanks for sharing.

I translated and cut and pasted this interesting article with footage of award ceremony.



The issue of honoring active citizens of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was discussed several times in the Empire. Already in 1941, President Hacha had to indicate the possibility of honoring the loyalty of the Empire on the occasion of the abolition of the martial law by R. Heydrich. This proposal was supposedly discussed by KH Frank and Hitler, who strongly rejected it by pointing out the 1st St.. The war, when the Czechs betrayed the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The proposal appeared again in a situation report by R. Heydrich to Berlin's party leadership No. 79 of 18 May 1942. In Bormann's letter he emphasized that he was opposed to the establishment of some order for the citizens of the Protectorate, for that would give the Protectorate certain independence. He mentioned, however, the alternative to award some German medals with the subsequent possibility of German citizenship.

Yet in the years to come, under the influence of Germany's defeats on all fronts, there is a need to appreciate conscious loyal Bohemians and, in particular, members of the Protectorate government, and to strengthen the falling spirit and belief in the final victory of the Empire. That is why, by decree of 4 June 1944, the Minister of State Karl Hermann Frank honors the members of the Protectorate who have demonstrated their sense of duty in the field of industry, agriculture, technology and culture and their constant readiness to deploy to the Empire. The decoration was titled "Der Ehrenschild des Protektorates Böhmen und Mähren mit dem Herzog-Wenzel-Adler" (often the abbreviated name "St. Wenceslas Eagle" ) is used.

The Honorary Shield of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was founded in three stages:

III. Degree with golden wreath ( RRR! )

II. Degree with silver wreath ( RR! )

1st stage without wreath ( R! )

The preservation of this distinction as the most important patron of the Czech nation was not accidental, as the Germans constantly presented this historical personality as a loyal patron of the empire and thus used it for its propaganda purposes.



Historic depiction of the shield of St. Wenceslas with flaming eagle

The proposal for Shield was submitted by the Culture and Political Section of State Minister KH Frank. The proposal was sent directly to Hitler, who approved it through the secretaries of the Reich Ministry of Lammers and Meissner. Proposals for honorary candidates were submitted by the department of the state ministry through the Czech administrative authorities as a nutrition department or through the Association for Agriculture and Forestry or, as the case may be, a representative for Czech trade unions. The Shield was designed by a jury, including film expert AM Brousil and literary scientist Václav Tille. The number of honors awarded is not exactly known. The complete names of the bearers have not been preserved.

Estimation of produced and awarded specimens:

Stage .............................. made ...................... Granted

III. With golden garnet .................. 150 ....................................... .30

II. With a silver ring ......... .700 .................................... .100

I. Without Wreath ........................... .4000 .................................... .800

------------------------------

Total ........................... 4850 .................................... ..930

The first prize was ceremoniously held at the Czernin Palace in Prague on 17 June 1944 on the occasion of the second anniversary of the death of the Reich protector R. Heydrich, and on 17 July 1944 on the birthday of President Hácha, Wenceslas, September 28, 1944 and October 21, 1944.

Here you will find a film weekly from the first handover of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHLIyUz-DMU

In addition, at the turn of 1944 and 1945, several dozen specimens were awarded without ceremonial ceremony through the district and provincial authorities (landrats), only in the form of individual handover. In this case, most of the Czech citizens, who had nothing to do with politics, were already honored, only to fulfill the prescribed agricultural supplies or perform excellent performances in industry, technology or arts. There are a number of cases that the winners of various exhibitions of the livestock were invited in March or April 1945 to the district authorities to hand over this decoration. In the last months of the war, however, it was rather difficult for the honors to accept the award, given the approaching end. In the ranks of the population, the ownership of the St. Wenceslas Eagle was a sign of loyalty and collaboration with the Nazi regime and, after the war, brought a number of distinguished challenges. At the time of the ongoing Protectorate, however, it was unthinkable and perhaps life-threatening Shields to reject. Whether or not to accept an eagle meant to end up on the executioner's evening, as once Otakar Vávra explained to Arnošt Lustig, no one was tested. If Frank and Moravia wanted to compromise leading Czech personalities with this distinction, several of them succeeded. Vaclav Černý writes in the Czech Koruna Czech Scream that "it was not always clear who is the real collaborator. Professor Šusta was not, Václav Talich was not, Vlasta Burian was not ... "From the eagle holders were badly affected Václav Talich and Josef Šusta, a little less Pavel Poucha, almost no Otakar Vávra or Max Svabinsky. The grant at the beginning of 1945 ceased to exist and was later ceased to exist, because even KH Frank's protocols did not contain any further data. From the website: http://www.warcross.cz/wordpress/?p=4841

[Luko]

Hello guys, i see nice first class without wreath in it's case. I would like to show you two awards citations for this grade, which is the most rare item from all Ehrenschild matter. I know about many first class and also second and third class with wreaths in collections, but just try to find citation. Piece of art for sure.

I did deep research in czech archives on both persons and i was too lucky to find by one name even his period picture.

Has anyone this kind of citation? I will pay big money for it.

Cheers, Lukas.

[Bob Hritz]

Wonderful information on the awards and citations. Thank you.

Bob Hritz

[Luko]

Here is picture of hand made paper covers with embossed eagles. Very big award citations.


Cheers, Lukas.

[SMV]

Very, very nice Luko. These citations must be incredibly hard to find and they are pieces of art indeed, beautifully constructed.

Bob

SMV

[Luko]

Hello Bob, you are right, they are. First awards ceremonial was in Prag Castle on 17 of June 1944 directly from K. H. Frank to government and other most important people of former Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren.

Curiosity is, that e.g. Hacha or Krejci did not wear Ehrenschild all the time after they get them from Frank. I have pictures from later months and sometimes they wear it, but mostly they do not.

Next thing is some recipients were prosecuted after the war and had hard life for example famous actor Burian and some other. And that's why only very few citations survived to these days. You can easily imagine, that after the war this was one of the first thing you would burn.

Last awarded citation i have seen (actually one of two below) was on Hitler's last birthday - 20.04.1945. I can only imagine the feelings of recipient to get such award few days before the war ends...

Best, Lukas.