The Hans Beimler Medal (german: Hans Beimler Medaille) was a
GDR
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
decoration. The medal was instituted on 17 May 1956 and was awarded to East Germans who fought in the
Spanish civil war on the side of the republicans.
The medal was named after
Hans Beimler, the first
commissar
Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means 'commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and Eas ...
of the German Communist contingent and the
XI International Brigade in Spain.
The medal was presented in the name of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
Placement
The medal was displayed on the upper left chest when worn and was positioned between the
Medal for Fighters against Fascism and the
Clara Zetkin Medal
The Clara Zetkin Medal was a national award in the German Democratic Republic.
It was created by the country's Council of Ministers on 18 February 1954 in order to honour the life and work of Clara Zetkin, whom the Marxist
Marxism is a ...
in the order of precedence.
Design
Medal
;Obverse
The medal is round, on the front there is a depicting of Hans Beimler surrounded with its name and the dates of his birth and death (1895–1936).
;Reverse
On the center of the reverse there is a three-pointed star, the emblem of the
International Brigades
The International Brigades ( es, Brigadas Internacionales) were military units set up by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The organization existed f ...
surrounded with the words "INTERNATIONALE BRIGADEN" (INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES) and "KAMPFER SPANIENS FREIHEIT 1936–1939" (FIGHTERS FOR SPANISH LIBERTY 1936–1939).
Ribbon and Bar
The medal is suspended from rectangular ribbon bar (the ribbon is in full length in the version for army members) of red, yellow, and violet horizontal strips in equal proportion, these were the colors of the
Spanish Republican Flag
The flag of the Second Spanish Republic, known in Spanish as ', was the official flag of Spain between 1931 and 1939 and the flag of the Spanish Republican government in exile until 1977. Its present-day use in Spain is associated with the mode ...
.
On the outer edges of both sides are narrow vertical strips of black, red, and gold, the colors of the
German Flag.
See also
*
Awards and decorations of East Germany
*
Spanish Cross
References
{{Reflist
Orders, decorations, and medals of East Germany
Awards established in 1956
1956 establishments in East Germany
Military awards and decorations of the Spanish Civil War
German campaign medals
Germany–Spain military relations