Here is a Bulgarian table medal showing the famous scene from the 1945 Moscow Victory Parade with a complete swastika and even "Adolf Hitler" on the declined ensign of the Leibstandarte. For comparison, I show a Polish medal with a swastika broken beyond recognition. I have the impression that the swastika was off limits in the Warsaw-Pact countries on any award as the devil's mark. The Bulgarians, due to their long alliance with Hitler-Germany, might have made an exception. I would appreciate any input that would correct this assumption.
I think the guy on the Soviet 20th anniv of the GPW medal, crushes a swastika with his foot, and on the Bulgarian 40 th anniv of the GPW medal there is a sword that shatters a swastika into pieces.
Maybe there are more?
Jan
Jan is correct. On the 20th Years of GPW medal is the statue of the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park (Berlin), with a soviet soldier holding a young female child in his arms whilst smashing a swastika at his feet with a sword.
vatjan Wrote:I think the guy on the Soviet 20th anniv of the GPW medal, crushes a swastika with his foot, and on the Bulgarian 40 th anniv of the GPW medal there is a sword that shatters a swastika into pieces.
Jan
Jan and Christophe,
you make my point. I cannot really see a swastika on the Soviet 20th anniversary medal, just broken pieces of something that could perhaps have been a swastika but on the Bulgarian 40th anniversary medal even the broken Swastika can still be recognized. Look at my original message and the unbroken swastika on the Bulgarian table medal.
Bulgaria did not suffer under a brutal German occupation, and it seems to have a different level of hatred for Hitler Germany. Even the Bulgarian partisans did not fight the German army but their own royal regime until the Soviet army arrived.
Well, I think all in all it is not that surprinsing, other countries that suffered from the Nazi regime do not have medals with swastika's either. As far as I know, not the UK nor France have a medal with a swastika. In Belgium only on the unofficial deportee's medal do we find one.(I will post it later).
So your theory about Bulgaria might be right.
Jan
d-riemer Wrote:Here is a Bulgarian table medal showing the famous scene from the 1945 Moscow Victory Parade with a complete swastika and even "Adolf Hitler" on the declined ensign of the Leibstandarte. For comparison, I show a Polish medal with a swastika broken beyond recognition. I have the impression that the swastika was off limits in the Warsaw-Pact countries on any award as the devil's mark. The Bulgarians, due to their long alliance with Hitler-Germany, might have made an exception. I would appreciate any input that would correct this assumption.
That thing on polish medal isn't actually svastika.
It is the symbol of "Rodło". It is a simplified picture ("plan") of Vistula river. I don't have the reference at hand right now, but unless I am mistaken it used to be a symbol of the Polish who lived in Germany before the war and later became a symbol of "Recovered Lands" (those gained after the war from Germany).
And a bit off topic... Swastika symbol (but a bit different from nazi one) is one of the most popular decorative motifs of the highlanders of Podhale region (it has pagan roots as well) and thanks to that it is met on military items related with podhale units.
Al,
you are right. Here is the description of the Rodla Medal in the book by R.A.Jonca that I cannot read, however there is nothing close to svastika in the text:
"Odznaką „MEDALU RODŁA" jest medal o średn. 38 mm, wykonany z tombaku posrebrzanego, oksydowanego. Na awersie, pośrodku umieszczony jest znak rodła z orłem piastowskim, z napisem na obrzeżu: NIE RZUCIM ZIEMI, SKĄD NASZ RÓD. Na rewersie, pośrodku umieszczona jest stylizowana mapa Polski oraz litery PRL, w otoku napis: BOJOWNIKOM — BUDOWNICZYM —POLSKOŚCI i herby Śląska, Pomorza, Warmii i Mazur."
I got the idea of the swastika a long time ago in the US but was always wondering how anybody was supposed to recognize the symbol as a broken swastika. Thanks for your help.
d-riemer Wrote:Al,
you are right. Here is the description of the Rodla Medal in the book by R.A.Jonca that I cannot read, however there is nothing close to svastika in the text:
"Odznaką „MEDALU RODŁA" jest medal o średn. 38 mm, wykonany z tombaku posrebrzanego, oksydowanego. Na awersie, pośrodku umieszczony jest znak rodła z orłem piastowskim, z napisem na obrzeżu: NIE RZUCIM ZIEMI, SKĄD NASZ RÓD. Na rewersie, pośrodku umieszczona jest stylizowana mapa Polski oraz litery PRL, w otoku napis: BOJOWNIKOM — BUDOWNICZYM —POLSKOŚCI i herby Śląska, Pomorza, Warmii i Mazur."
I got the idea of the swastika a long time ago in the US but was always wondering how anybody was supposed to recognize the symbol as a broken swastika. Thanks for your help.
Here's the translation of this description if You need it:
"The badge of the "Medal of Rodło" is the medal that measures 38mm i d, made of silver-plated, oxidized tombac. On the obverse, in the middle, there is a symbol of rodło with piast eagle, with writing on the ege: "We will not abandon the land from which our clan descends" (first words of a popular patriotic song from XIX century). On the reverse - text: "To Warriors - Builders - (don't think there's an equivalent - "Polskość" is the state of being Polish...)" and the emblems of Silesia, Pomerania, Warmia and Mazury."
Hope it helps.
