The China Medal (''China-Denkmünze''), was a medal of the German Empire. It was established on 10 May 1901 by

Kaiser Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and List of monarchs of Prussia, King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication on 9 ...

, in his capacity as

King of Prussia The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...

and German Kaiser. There were two versions of the medal one in

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

and a variant in

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

. The bronze medal was a reward for service by German troops and civilians during the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

. The steel medal was awarded to people contributing to the war effort at home and the sailors of the merchant fleet transporting the soldiers to China. The initial design came from Wilhelm II himself and was executed by professor

Walter Schott Walter Schott (18 September 1861, Ilsenburg - 2 September 1938, Berlin) was a German sculptor and art professor. Life His father, , was a well-known metallurgist who was the manager and inspector at the smelters of Count Heinrich zu Stolberg-W ...

. The medals were produced by the company Mayer & Wilhelm in Stuttgart. There were also 14 medal clips awarded for involvement in battles.

References

{{Reflist Orders, decorations, and medals of the German Empire Boxer Rebellion campaign medals 1901 establishments in Germany Awards established in 1901 German campaign medals