Artur Becker Medal.

[Taz]

This FDJ medal was awarded from 1960 in Gold, Silver and bronze for outstanding achievements in the socialist youth federation since 1960.
Artur Becker joined the Free Socialist Youth as a young man in 1919, 1920 the Communist Youth Federation and 1922 the Communist party of Germany (KPD).
During the time of the occupation of the Ruhr district he was involved in active resistance.
Since 1926 he was an active politician, first as director/conductor of the communist youth at Niederrhein (1926 to 1928), starting from 1928 as a member of the executive committee the communist youth-international, from September 1930 to 31. March 1933 as (the youngest) a member of the German Reichstag (for the constituency Duesseldorf west) and 1931 to 1932 as a chairman of the central committee of the communist youth federation of Germany.
With the pursuit of the political opponents by the National Socialists he was forced to emigrate and fled to Moscow. Later he organized the fight for the Spanish republic. Starting from August 1937 he participated in armed fights, starting from spring 1938 as Politkommissar of the Thälmann battalion of the international brigades.
On 1st April 1938 he was seriously wounded and taken into franquistische captivity.
In accordance with the legend started in the the 1960s by the the GDR he was shot in Burgos after several weeks of interogation on
16th May 1938. However no proof could be presented for this statement.
Today's research is inclined to accept that Artur Becker died due to the suffered stomach wound shortly after his capture.