Cross Of Auschwitz.

[Taz]

(Krzyz Oswiecimski)

This Order was instituted by the State Council (Rada Panstwa) on March 14th, 1985.
Although the Cross bears the name Auschwitz it was was awarded to honor all prisoners of Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps established by the Germans in WW2, initialy awarded to the members of the camps Resistance.
It could also be awarded to other countries citizens and could be awarded posthumously. A recipient's conduct during the detention must have been honorable.

It is a silver Greek cross with arms, 42 x 42 mm.
On the obverse are barb wire and camp fence poles. The year 1939 is on the left, 1945 - on the right arm. In the center there is a red enameled triangle with the letter P, as worn by Polish nationals imprisoned in the camps.
The reverse bears the inscription PRL / WIEZNIOM / HITLEROWSKICH / OBOZOW KONCENTRACYJNYCH (People's Poland to prisoners of nazi concentration camps).

The ribbon is 40 mm wide with eleven alternate stripes of blue and gray depicting the colour of the clothing worn by prisoners interned in the Nazi concentration camps