German Cross

German Cross Deutsches Kreuz
German Cross in Gold (left) and Silver (right)
Type	Military Order
Awarded for	Gold: for repeated exceptional acts of bravery or troop leadership Silver: for continued distinguished acts of service in the war effort
Presented by	Nazi Germany
Eligibility	Military personnel
Campaign(s)	World War II
Status	Obsolete
Established	28 September 1941
Total	~24,204 in Gold ~ 1,114 in Silver[1]
German Cross in Silver, Gold, and with Diamonds. Post-war de-nazified versions below.
Precedence
Next (lower)	Iron Cross (1939) 1st Class Clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st Class War Merit Cross 1st Class with Swords

The War Order of the German Cross (German: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or Deutsches Kreuz, was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repeated acts of bravery or military leadership; and in silver for distinguished non-combat war service. The German Cross in Gold ranked higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, while the German Cross in Silver ranked higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords.^[2]