Medals Database > By Country > Germany

The Anschluss Commemorative Medal

Nazi Germany Medals and Awards: The Anschluss Commemorative Medal

Average Price:

$200 to $400

(The cost varies based on the medal’s historical significance, the recipient’s background, and the condition of the medal)

The Anschluss Commemorative Medal (or Die Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938 in German) was a decoration of Nazi Germany instituted on 1 May 1938 and awarded during the interwar period.

The medal commemorated the annexation of Austria to the German Reich, or Anschluss. The move was the first in Hitler’s quest for Lebensraum, and it strengthened German flanks while weakening those of Czechoslovakia.

The medal, known as the “Anschluss medal“, was awarded to all those Austrians who contributed to or participated in the annexation as well as the members of the Austrian National Socialism movement. It was also awarded to German State officials and members of the German Wehrmacht and SS who marched into Austria.

The Anschluss Commemorative Medal Design

The Anschluss Commemorative medal is round, highly detailed, die-struck and based on the 1938 Party Day Badge and designed by Professor Richard Klein.

On the obverse of the medal, symbolic of Austrian adhesion to the German realm, a man holding the Nazi flag stands on a dais bearing the emblem of the “Third Reich”; he assists onto the dais a second man, on whose right hand a broken shackle still may be seen. On the reverse is the inscription “13. März 1938” (13 March 1938), the date of the Anschluss; the date is surrounded by the words, “Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Führer” (“One People, One Empire, One Leader”).

The Anschluss Commemorative Medal was awarded until 31 December 1940, and a total of 318,689 medals were awarded.

Find German Medals Online

Browse the listings below if you want to find the perfect addition to your collection or a meaningful gift for the history enthusiast in your life.

Right Now on eBay 
Clicking a link to eBay may result in a referral commission being paid if a purchase is made.
Loading...

Featured Articles about Germany