NVA in the Bundeswehr

[Ingsoc]

Are the veterans of the NVA who joined the Bundeswehr during the unification are allowed to wear the medals and decorations awarded to them by the DDR?

[Taz]

As far as i know it is not allowed to wear any NVA medals on Bundeswehr uniforms. After reunification in 1990 the East German Nationale Volksarmee
was mostly dissolved with most of the officers being dismissed and the ones that were kept demoted.
In fact there are not a great deal of Bundeswehr medals at all, most are the same design with a different bar added for example the Bundeswehr Einsatzmedaille the following bars.

Eddie

[Alfred]

Eddie is right,

when the wall in 1989 broke the DDR started dissolving the NVA. The title of
the last Defence Minster of the DRR was Minster for Defence and Demobilisation. His name was Rainer Eppelmann , he was a priest.
In 1990 short before the reunion the NVA had only 90.000 soldiers left (i think from about ~200.000).
This 90.000 soldiers were absorbed in the Bundeswehr, but most of them dismissed after a short time and it was not allowed to wear any NVA awards or medals.
If I remenber right 4.000 to 5.000 soldiers of all ranks (except Generals) were
transfered for a longer time to the Bundeswehr and some are still serving in the Bundeswehr.
But also the Bundeswerhr were reduced from 495.000 soldiers to 250.000 soldiers in 2005.

The Bundeswehr has only one medal/award for excellent or good service. It is called "Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr" and for conscript soldiers a round "Ehrenmedaille"

The ribbons which Eddie posted are ribbons for serving in another country during peace keeping operations of ther United Nations.

regards
Andreas

[abr]

Andreas,

Was the Iron Cross abandoned as miltary award?

[Alfred]

Yes, it was abandoned as miltary award after WW2.

In 1956 they introduced a denazificated version of the Iron cross (without swastika), but only for the vetrans who got it in WW2.

Generally, it was allowed to wear the military awards of WW2 as a denazificated version (so called 1956 version withou swastika) , it was /is not allowed to wear party or political orders of the third Reich.

[Gerd]

Andreas is spot on, except it was 1957, when the former TR-awards were reinstitutet.

Gerd

[Alfred]

Yes, it was abandoned as miltary award after WW2.

In 1957 they introduced a denazificated version of the Iron cross (without swastika), but only for the vetrans who got it in WW2.

Generally, it was allowed to wear the military awards of WW2 as a denazificated version (so called 1957 version withou swastika) , it was /is not allowed to wear party or political orders of the third Reich.

Thanks Gerd, to early for my reply

Attached is an example

[new world]

Here's a General from Bundeswehr wearing his de-nazified 1957 awards. Note Knight's Cross on top of medal bar.

William

[desantnik]

Are the veterans of the NVA who joined the Bundeswehr during the unification are allowed to wear the medals and decorations awarded to them by the DDR?

I don't know whether he is truly authorized to wear it, but I know a German (originally Bundeswehr) lieutenant colonel who earned DDR jump wings prior to the dissolution. He still wears his DDR wings (in addition to his Bundeswehr ones), but again this may not actually be permitted according to regs.

[Alfred]

Paul,

you are right. This could happen and is possible.
Rules are more strictly than behavior. I knew two DDR officer who served in the Bundeswehr and both wore no DDR medals. One of them studied at the military academy in Moscow and got the white academy badge, but he didn´t wear it.
And the parachute branch is a special branch, you can´t compare them with the rest of the Bundeswehr. They have their own habbits.

I also saw a young lieutenant wearing an soviet parachute badge. After the reunion of Germany there was one company on an airfield were you could make this badge by jumping. I heared they bought the rights from the soviet army.

So rules are in the book and sometimes nobody takes care.

regards
Andreas