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Deutsches Kreuz in Gold

The German Cross (Deutschen Kreuz) is build up out of 5 separate parts and although the name suggests otherwise, it has the shape of a large 8-pointed breast star with in the center a large black swastika which is outlined in silver. The name of this award comes from this 21,5 mm big swastika. This swastika is placed upon a red-bordered silver disk and upon this red border is a golden laurel leaf wreath mounted. The golden wreath measures 39 mm across and is made out of single laurel leaves that are bounded together with a silk lint. At the bottom of the wreath is a square box with the year 1941 impressed into it. This date refers to the year of institution and from underneath this wreath emerge the eight star points. These points are chemically blackened and have the appearance of sunrays. Underneath these points is a 63 mm large silver backing plate placed which has the same shape as the award, only it’s slightly bigger so it forms the outer line of the award. At the reverse are 4 or 6 rivets visible and through the number of rivets you can recognize if the award was made in Germany or Austria. The German Crosses with 4 rivets were made in Germany and the pieces with 6 rivets in Austria. Further is there at the reverse a large width pin with a standard hook construction placed. If the award is marked with the LDO-number of the producer, then it is stamped in either the front or backside of the pin. To prevent damaging the award during combat, there was also a cloth version made. This cloth version has a metal wreath and the backing cloth colour is the same as the tunic colour of the corresponding Army branch. Fieldgrey is for the Army (Heer) and Waffen-SS, bleu-grey for the Air Force, (Luftwaffe) Marine bleu for the Navy (Kriegsmarine) and black for the Armored forces.

The German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) was awarded for bravery and outstanding achievements in combat but where the Knight’s Cross wasn’t awarded for. The recipient did however already had to own the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1 Klasse) or Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1.Klasse with swords. The exact number of times that the German Cross in Gold was bestowed is still unknow at this time.

The OKW barred/stopped by decree the awarding of the Gernan Cross in Gold for "multiple remarkable services in troop leadership" from March 10th, 1945 on.

Bidermann, Gottlob-Herbert* August 28th, 1920
† September 1st, 2010

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Grid List
Prahm, Karl-Heinz* October 2nd, 1919

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Preußner, Heinz* November 5th, 1905

Poppel, Waldemar* December 9th, 1916

Pohlmann, Alfred* October 10th, 1904

Prellberg, Werner* May 24th, 1896
† June 15th, 1960

Pötter, Joachim* January 1st, 1913
† November 17th, 1992

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Picht, Alfred* January 10th, 1914
† December 16th, 1978

Pfeifer, Hans-Hellmuth (Generalleutnant)* February 18th, 1894
† April 22nd, 1945
Plot: 49 Grave: 177

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Piffer, Anton-Rudolf "Toni"* May 16th, 1918
† June 17th, 1944

Putzka, Erich (Aufklärungsgruppe 121)* August 31st, 1912
† December 23rd, 1944

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Putz, Helmut (KG 27 'Boelcke')* May 8th, 1915
† December 8th, 1995

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Pütz, Ernst* December 16th, 1915

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Puttfarken, Dietrich* April 30th, 1920
† April 23rd, 1944

Puschmann, Herbert* August 10th, 1920
† February 3rd, 1944

Puchstein, Karl* November 16th, 1909
† July 3rd, 1993

Puchinger, Rudolf* March 29th, 1919
† June 19th, 1944

Prüger, Walter* December 12th, 1914
† July 6th, 1942

Protz, Joachim* October 24th, 1917

Prössl, Erwin* April 4th, 1915
† March 1st, 2015

Prominski, Hans* March 13th, 1915
† May 17th, 1977

Prollius, Ernst* August 31st, 1916
† September 1943

Proetzel, Bodo* March 10th, 1914
† September 10th, 2008

Pröbstl, Johann (Aufklärungsgruppe 121)* November 28th, 1918
† January 1st, 1941
Grave: UNK

Pritzel, Klaus* April 8th, 1913
† March 22nd, 1974

Priller, Josef "Pips"* June 27th, 1915
† May 20th, 1961

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Prieler, Josef* March 18th, 1922
† March 29th, 1945

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Prestel, Heinrich (Kampf-Geschwader 53)† August 21st, 1944
Grave: UNK

Preßler, Gustav* October 13th, 1912
† October 9th, 1985

Prentl, Josef "Sepp"* October 14th, 1916
† July 16th, 1994

Preinfalk, Alexander* February 6th, 1920
† December 12th, 1944

Preikschat, Aloys (Schlachtgeschwader 1)* April 3rd, 1919
† August 15th, 1943
Grave: UNK

Prante, Karl* March 16th, 1915
† October 8th, 1993

Pöthig, Georg* August 3rd, 1917
† October 4th, 1995

Pöhs, Josef* March 14th, 1912
† December 30th, 1943

Pörsch, Walter* January 13th, 1918
† December 27th, 1944

Porsch, Günther (Nahaufklärungsgruppe 2)* December 1st, 1918
† October 1st, 1969

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Poppenburg, Werner* June 20th, 1920
† December 5th, 1944

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Poppele, Erwin* March 19th, 1910
† November 23rd, 1943

Poppe, Hermann-Ernst (Schlachtgeschwader 2)* November 4th, 1915
† January 13th, 1944
Grave: UNK

Pölz, Hubert* January 24th, 1917
† January 7th, 1994

Pöllath, Konrad* November 26th, 1914
† November 13th, 1983

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Pöhls, Hans-Werner* August 21st, 1920
† September 10th, 1942

Pohle, Karl-Heinz* July 23rd, 1920
† December 4th, 1944

Pohl, Ritter von, Max (General der Flieger)* April 15th, 1893
† July 26th, 1951

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Plücker, Karl-Heinz* May 9th, 1921
† May 10th, 1944

Plötner, Walter* December 20th, 1920
† August 18th, 1942

Plocher, Hermann* January 5th, 1901
† December 8th, 1980

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Pliefke, Helmut* March 3rd, 1913

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Pletke, Walter* September 11th, 1910

Pleß, Helmut* November 2nd, 1918
† December 25th, 1999

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Plenzat, Kurt (Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann")* January 17th, 1914
† November 17th, 1998

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Platzer, Friedrich* October 26th, 1914
† March 16th, 1942

Platz, Werner (Wettererkundungsstaffel 5)* April 20th, 1907
† June 11th, 1944

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Placzek, Franz* November 5th, 1914
† March 17th, 1977

Piske, Herbert* November 22nd, 1921
† June 4th, 2010

Pirmann, Adolf* January 8th, 1895
† February 24th, 1985

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Pipan, Arthur* December 5th, 1919
† August 1st, 2009

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Pilz, Walter (Kampfgeschwader 55)* November 10th, 1919
† January 21st, 1996

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Pietzonka, Erich* October 4th, 1906
† December 18th, 1989

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Piesk, Roland (Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1)* March 3rd, 1920
† March 2nd, 1942

Piepereit, Günther August* February 26th, 1921
† July 20th, 1944

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Pielmeier, Hans* November 10th, 1915
† October 25th, 1993

Piech, Alfred† August 9th, 1943

Pickert, Wolfgang (General der Flakartillerie)* February 3rd, 1897
† July 19th, 1984

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Pichy, Gerhard (Stuka-Geschwader 77)* August 31st, 1919
† August 21st, 1944
Grave: UNK

Pichlmair, Johann* December 22nd, 1917
† October 15th, 2008

Pichler, Johann* December 15th, 1912
† February 16th, 1995

Philipp, Wilhelm* January 31st, 1916
† January 10th, 1986

Philipp, Kurt* April 25th, 1916

Pflanz, Rudolf 'Rudi' (JG 2 „Richthofen")* July 1st, 1914
† July 31st, 1942
Plot: 32 Row: 7 Grave: 276

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Pfister, Artur* August 20th, 1915
† April 5th, 1944

Pfeiffer, Alexander (KG 4)* December 25th, 1916
† April 26th, 1944

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Pfeifer, Kurt (Stuka-Geschwader 2)* November 13th, 1921
† July 25th, 1943

Pfeifer, Josef* May 23rd, 1913

Pfeffer, Alfred* December 25th, 1919
† January 14th, 1945

Pfau, Eugen (Aufklärungsgruppe O.b.d.L.)* September 20th, 1912
† October 4th, 1942

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Petzold, Joachim* February 26th, 1913
† July 23rd, 1991

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Petzold, Ernst* August 6th, 1914
† April 20th, 1999

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Petry, Ernst* July 29th, 1914
† June 26th, 1944

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Petersen, Peter* November 30th, 1906

Petersen, Karl-August (Kampfgeschwader 27)* May 26th, 1912
† November 23rd, 1980

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Petersen, Karl* October 28th, 1920
† September 25th, 1992

Petersen, Herbert* June 12th, 1919
† January 14th, 1944
Grave: UNK

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Petersen, Erich Karl Alexander* August 25th, 1889
† July 4th, 1963

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Peters, Werner* October 15th, 1911
† November 28th, 1944
Plot: 26 Row: 4 Grave: 117

Peters, Rolf* September 15th, 1922
† October 17th, 1944
Plot: 1 Row: 10 Grave: 13

Peters, Kurt (Kampfgeschwader 3)* December 13th, 1908
† December 21st, 1941

Peters, Kurd (WL-Aufklärungsgruppe 22)* August 7th, 1914
† July 24th, 1957

Peters, Karl* January 2nd, 1914
† December 12th, 1954

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Peters, Josef Richard* February 20th, 1920
† December 11th, 2004

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Peters, Holger* April 12th, 1922
† September 22nd, 1943

Peters, Hans* January 17th, 1918
† July 29th, 1944
Plot: 40 Grave: 3

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Peters, Ernst-August* November 24th, 1914

Petermann, Viktor* May 26th, 1916
† May 19th, 2001

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Peterburs, Hans* October 9th, 1912
† January 11th, 1944

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Peter, Erich (Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann")* September 19th, 1920
† April 25th, 1945

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Peteani, Josef* August 18th, 1918
† September 4th, 1942

Pentzien, Hans* July 8th, 1914
† May 3rd, 2007

Pellikan, Josef* April 19th, 1919

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Pekrun, Dieter* July 15th, 1917
† July 18th, 2005

Peißert, Herbert* June 25th, 1919
† September 4th, 1942

Paulsen, Karl-August (Kampfgeschwader 30)* January 23rd, 1915
† June 17th, 2007

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Paul, Erwin* March 3rd, 1919

Pätz, Erich* June 6th, 1915
† October 25th, 1943

Patuschka, Dr., Horst* May 22nd, 1912
† March 6th, 1943

Pattberg, Rudolf* September 1st, 1915
† August 10th, 1944

Patschkowski, Otto* January 5th, 1916
† July 15th, 1943

Patry, Walter* April 15th, 1917
† January 22nd, 1945

Pasquay, Fridtjof* July 3rd, 1905
† November 25th, 1941

Pasewaldt, Georg* September 19th, 1900

Parisius, Heinrich (Aufklärungsgruppe 13)* July 6th, 1910
† February 11th, 1945

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Paringer, Georg* May 1st, 1889
† December 2nd, 1943

Papendick, Heinz (Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet")* April 19th, 1920
† March 2nd, 1944

Pape, Werner (Lw-KG 51)* September 14th, 1921
† March 14th, 1944

Pape, Kurt-Albert* May 12th, 1917
† July 7th, 1943

Pape, Albert* July 3rd, 1913
† February 16th, 1944

Panzert, Georg* October 24th, 1913
† March 18th, 1945

Panse, Werner (Schlachtgeschwader 1)* December 19th, 1921
† June 23rd, 1995

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Palmer, Paul* December 16th, 1914

Palitza, Georg* May 8th, 1921
† May 8th, 1979

Pahl, Richard (Kampf-Geschwader 51)* February 6th, 1920
† April 19th, 1944
Plot: ZGP Grave: 9

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Pade, Gerhard (Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4)* June 21st, 1912
† October 20th, 1983

Prott von Uechtritz und Steinkirch, Werner* December 27th, 1914
† August 27th, 1944
Grave: UNK

Puttkamer, von, Karl-Richard* July 28th, 1902
† February 23rd, 1945

Puttkamer, Freiherr von, Hasso* June 3rd, 1912
† March 5th, 2006

Punzmann, Karl Anton Franz* September 23rd, 1918
† September 30th, 1988

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Pufpaff, Walter* February 28th, 1899
† January 3rd, 1942

Püchler, Carl* May 13th, 1894
† February 5th, 1949

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Prüss, Walter (Gren.Reg.76)* December 4th, 1911
† November 13th, 2003

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Prümm, Karl* July 12th, 1917
† January 10th, 1999

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Proß, Emil* October 13th, 1914
† August 15th, 1980

Proske, Hans-Joachim* June 11th, 1916

Pröscholdt, Hans-Joachim (Pz.jäg.Abt.43)* May 5th, 1916
† April 24th, 1945

Promberger, Franz (Panzergrenadier-Regiment 115)* February 29th, 1920
† January 4th, 1945

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Pröll, Karl* September 16th, 1910
† February 7th, 1974

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Proll, Herbert* December 17th, 1919
† July 20th, 1944

Proll, Gotthardt Ernst* November 14th, 1913
† 1987

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Prochazka, Alois* May 9th, 1915
† November 8th, 1987

Pröbstle, Lorenz* July 1st, 1913
† August 29th, 1942

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Prittwitz und Gaffron, von, Karl Wilhelm (SR 375)* May 6th, 1899
† November 4th, 1972

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Prinner, Josef* December 18th, 1894
† July 1st, 1964

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Primke, Ehrenfried* August 1st, 1917
† October 15th, 1943

Prill, Walter* July 22nd, 1914

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Prill, Günter* November 2nd, 1919
† December 17th, 1982

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Prieß, Helmuth* March 6th, 1896
† October 21st, 1944

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Prien, Hans* September 2nd, 1920

Priem, Otto* March 20th, 1912
† July 9th, 1990

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Preu, Theodor "Theo"* November 29th, 1896
† July 8th, 1974

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Pretzer, Max* September 14th, 1919
† February 25th, 1943

Pressler, Bruno-Hubertus* July 15th, 1916

Preis, Othmar* May 6th, 1916

Precht, Willi* May 8th, 1914

Praun, Albert* December 11th, 1894
† March 3rd, 1975

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Prantauer, Paul* February 27th, 1914

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Prager, Karl* September 19th, 1888
† July 28th, 1948

Pötzschke, Gerhard (Panzergrenadier-Brigade W)* January 1st, 1914
† March 28th, 1945

Postel, Georg-Wilhelm* April 25th, 1896
† September 20th, 1953

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Pössl, Walter* September 16th, 1909
† September 25th, 1944
Plot: 3 Row: 24 Grave: 1096

Pössinger, Michael „Michl" (Gebirgsjäger-Reg. 98)* January 18th, 1919
† May 23rd, 2003

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Pöschl, Franz* November 2nd, 1917
† January 25th, 2011

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Poschinger, Ritter von, Joachim* June 20th, 1913
† April 5th, 1945

Pörschmann, Johannes* February 3rd, 1915
† March 13th, 1945

Poppe, Walter (Generalleutnant)* August 8th, 1892
† August 17th, 1968

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Popp, Hellmut* June 28th, 1914

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Poncet, von, Hans* April 26th, 1899
† November 27th, 1983

Pollow, Dr.jur., Herbert* July 17th, 1906
† August 14th, 1942

Pollmann, Ottmar Anton (Grenadier-Regiment 481)* September 25th, 1917
† September 11th, 1991

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Poleck, Fritz Theodor Wilhelm Hans* November 8th, 1905
† November 27th, 1989

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Sources