Hessen Bravery Medal

Hessen Bravery Medal. Unnamed as issued. Obverse: The bust of Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig, facing left, with the inscription 'ERNST LUDWIG GROSSHERTZOG VON HESSEN' around the circumference. Reverse: 'FUR TAPFERKEIT' (For Bravery) in the centre on two lines within a wreath of half laurel and half oak leaves. The medal is fitted with a loose ring suspender and a piece of 30 mm pale blue ribbon which has 5 mm orange stripes near each edge.

Originally the General Honor Decoration, founded in 1843. It was awarded without regard to rank 'For Bravery' and was the grand duchy's standard military award, being the equivalent to the Prussian Iron Cross Second class. It was a relatively common award. Although limited by statute to subjects of Hesse or to those serving in Hessian units, this provision was commonly ignored. The receipt of the Iron Cross was not a prerequisite. As the archives at the Hessian capital, Darmstadt, were destroyed in the Second World War, it is not known exactly how many were Bravery Medals awarded, but an estimate of 150,000 has been made. The medals were originally made of silver, but as the first World War progressed, less expensive metals were used, such as silvered Kriegsmetall. This medal forms part of a collection assembled by the Memorial in the 1920s for display.