DDR Fighter Against Fascism - group

[kimj]

Here's the latest addition to my collection, a small lot to a fighter against fascism. It started out as a single boxed K?mpfer gegen Faschismus medal on Ebay. I sent a mail and found out it came with a document. I sent a couple of more mails after I had won the auction and found that I had a group. Not bad, as I have had my eye on a "K?mpfer.." medal for a while but other stuff always sidetracked me. I like the size of the documents, very big compared to the soviet that I'm used to.

Were do I find the DDR award regulations? All I have now is a Bartel catalogue and it doesn't help much beside ID-ing what the name of the medal actually is. Are there any books that have the actual regulation in it? I mean like the McDaniel/Schmidt book in soviet collecting. Do I have to find the Gesetzblatt myself? If so - fine..... but what year and numbers....

/Kim

[Ed_Haynes]

Oh . . . . . . . . . very nice!!!!

[Paul R]

This is the first time I have seen this medal in a bona fide group! You have my envy!!

[Guest Rick Research]

Bartel/Karpinski "Auszeichnungen der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik" (1979) says

created 22 February 1958 for:

people recognized as victims of the Nazi regime, who took part in anti-fascist struggle before and after 1933 in Germany;

people who belonged to the International Brigades who continued opposition after the armed struggle of the Spanish Civil War;

people from any of the "overrun" countries who had taken part in armed resistance to "Hitler-fascism;"

people who organized resistance in exile IF their emigration and employment was at the orders of the Communist Party;

as long as all potential people above had maintained their anti-fascist attitude in the strengthing of the DDR.

There was an annual pension (unspecified amount). The 1958 ribbon was 28mm wide. After that it was 24mm.

[Ulsterman]

Ooooohhhh nice!

What do the documents say??

[kimj]

Thanks for the comments gentlemen! Rick: thanks for the regulations. I found a site in German that also has some info on the medal. It claims that the "Ehrengeld" was 500 each year. Probably a welcomed extra income. I still would like to see the source from where the website and your book got their info. I'll put that research on my to-do-list.

Mr B?rner was active in SPD or KPD from 1919. I have his "ehrenurkunde" for 50 years of faithful party work, someone has written 1969 on it. The graffiti is not originally part of the text, but I'm glad it was added. It helps me sort out his chronology. Some time during 1933-45, I think, he was put in KZ Sachsenhausen. I'm 100% sure but will look into this possibility. Later in life he got a "ehrennadel der organe der rechtspflege", a pin from the justice department? My German needs a bit of work...

Any way here are some closeups. The main document for the K?mpfer-medal and one from the committee of antifascist fighters.

/Kim

[Ulsterman]

If he was in Sachsenhausen then his file should be available.

I read that the KZL archives have been opened and it's now possible to research individual prisoners.

[kimj]

That's what I hope. I have requested research from the archive in Sachsenhausen. When/if it turns up anything I'll post it here. Hopefully I'll add to the history of it. Even if it takes a couple of months...

/Kim

[speedytop]

Hi Kim,

that is the source, Post 67:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=7707...60&start=60

And these are the regulations, on page 9 and 10:

Regards

Uwe

[kimj]

Hi Uwe.

That's great info! Was the text the same from 1958 untill 1978? There must have been one printed in 1958 too.

This sonderdruck must be hard to find. Have you seen any for sale? Otherwise I'll have to get me a xeroxed copy from the parlament's library, I think they have all the DDR gesetzblatt.

/Kim

[Gordon Craig]

Kim,

A really interesting group. I am especially interested in the document and medal from the committee of antifascist fighters. Would you please post a close-up picture of the medal.

Regards,

Gordon

[speedytop]

Gordon,

the original signature on the document is from Otto Funke, the leader of the "Zentralleitung" (central administration) of this committee in Berlin.

My medal was awarded 1977 to a former "Stabsfeldwebel" of the MfS.

Kim,

this medal must be changed with the "Ehrennadel der Organe der Rechtspflege" to the better case.

Regards

Uwe

[kimj]

Here's mine Gordon. Slightly different from Uwe's.

Uwe I'm not sure that the medal should be in the Ehrennadel-box. The boxes have small marks from the medals already there. Also the antifascist suspension pin doesn't fit the Ehrennadel-box.

Did the committee award other medals?

BR

Kim

[speedytop]

Hi Kim,

I can only say, that both medals in my collection are in such cases, with a pushbutton as with your case in the upper row.

Yes, there is another medal, but not wearable.

Regards

Uwe

[Gordon Craig]

Uwe, Kim,

Thanks to you both for posting your medals. Interesting to see them together for comparison. Be nice to see a close up of the inserts in both boxes for comparison purposes.

Regards,

Gordon

[kimj]

This Friday I got a reply from the Sachsenhausen archive. Unfortunately most files and all the index cards of the prisoners were burnt by the SS. So no records about mr B?rner in what's left. Should be interesting to see if something can be found on mr B?rner elsewhere. I guess time will tell.

/Kim