Widow Cross with screwdisc

[Christian J]

Anyone seen one of these before?

[Alex K]

H, no its a new one on me. no maker mark?

Alex

[Peter J]

Why on earth would a widow need a screw-back badge?

KR

Peter

[Guest Rick Research]

Quite a normal self-purchased style for lapel wear-- much like the miniatures of the Mutterkreuz. There are also Frontk?mpfer and Kriegsteilnehmer version found in screwbacks. Apparently men also liked this as a large "fashion statement" if they had no other awards for the standard buttonhole lapel ribbons.

I do not know which of the Freiherrn von Gablenz was Police President, since his Wer Ist's entry modestly omits his first name and birth data and states only that he took that post in February 1933. Whichever one he was, he seems rather unusually not to have been a member of the SS.

[Peter J]

Rick, I just realized that I'm ignorant to the fashion of wearing these decorations (not the first time I might add ). To my understanding, they were worn in their normal size on uniform together with others on a medal-bar or as a single medal-bar, as well as ribbon-bar(s). The chains, ribbon-rosettes, miniatures and half-miniatures were for civilian clothes. This is were I'm lost, I don't know the correct position for a pin-back version of a this decoration, nor do I know if it was worn on uniforms as well (I'm taking about all three versions, not just the cross for widows).

KR

Peter

[Kev in Deva]

You could always go for the pin-back

Kevin in Deva

Edited May 13, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Christian J]

H, no its a new one on me. no maker mark?

Alex

Not that i can see. It went on eBay for the astounding price of 54Euro, a tad much for me so i didn't get it.

[Gerd Becker]

Not that i can see. It went on eBay for the astounding price of 54Euro, a tad much for me so i didn't get it.

Well i think, that is a killer piece and the first one, i have ever seen. Well worth the asked price with document, if you ask me...

[Christian J]

Well i think, that is a killer piece and the first one, i have ever seen. Well worth the asked price with document, if you ask me...

I tried to snipe it at 51Euro but alas i failed

[Gerd Becker]

I tried to snipe it at 51Euro but alas i failed

I bet, it was a Hindenburg Cross Collector, they sometimes pay everything to get a piece like this. There are some very rare variations out there. The Bronze version for example is quite expensive now too.

[Guest Rick Research]

These little no-ribbon versions were just an unofficial style for civilian clothes.

[Kev in Deva]

These little no-ribbon versions were just an unofficial style for civilian clothes.

Hallo Rick,

excuse what might seem a stupid comment but the screwback and the pin back look like full size versions to me

Kevin in Deva

[Tom Y]

Why on earth would a widow need a screw-back badge?

KR

Peter

The Ehrenkreuz f?r Eltern was for next of kin, regardless of sex. I used to have a stickpin with both Frontk?mpfer and Eltern, obviously not for a woman.

[Peter J]

Thanks Rick. Perhaps I should emphasize that I don't have any reservations about the design or appearence of this type of decoration, only the fact that it's a widow-cross. The cross with or w/o swords could of course be worn on the lapel of a jacket. However, female garments rarely featured these lapels, leaving the more likely option of wearing it directly on the chest. I can accept this from a male, but having a slight insight in the female character, I doubt any woman would ruin her garment by punching a big hole in it, in order to attach the screw-disk. Just my two cents

In addition to Tom's response, this cross was awarded to woman.

P.S. Is the cross shown here a normal size cross or a half-miniature (31mm)? D.S.

KR

Peter

Edited May 13, 2007 by Peter J