Karl Marx Order.

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The Order of Karl Marx (German: Karl-Marx-Orden) was the most important order in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and was endowed with 20,000 marks.

The order was founded on May 5, 1953 on the occasion of Karl Marx's 135th birthday and on the recommendation of the Minister Council. It was granted to individuals, enterprises, organizations, and military groups for exceptional merit in relation to ideology, culture, economy, and other designations. Additionally, individuals from other countries were capable of receiving the order.

1953: Otto Grotewohl, Hermann Matern, Wilhelm Pieck, Wilhelm Zaisser
1961: Alfred Kurella
1962: Franz Dahlem, Herbert Warnke, Otto Winzer
1963: Willy Rumpf, Karl Maron
1965: Paul Fröhlich
1967: Karl Mewis, Wilhelm Kling
1968: Roman Chwalek, Kurt Seibt, Max Burghardt
1969: Lotte Ulbricht, Erich Honecker, Jürgen Kuczynski, Hermann Matern, Albert Norden, Willi Stoph, Paul Verner,
1970: Heinz Hoffmann, Erich Mückenberger, Erwin Kramer, Bruno Apitz, Harry Tisch, Otto Braun, Max Burghardt
1972: Klaus Gysi, Kurt Hager, Max Fechner, Erich Honecker, Max Spangenberg
1973: Ernst Albert Altenkirch, Friedrich Dickel, Ernst Goldenbaum, Erich Mielke, Fred Oelßner
1974: Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, Willi Stoph, Markus Wolf, Walter Arnold, Jurij Brězan, Fritz Cremer
1975: Horst Sindermann, Paul Wandel
1976: Luise Ermisch, Wolfgang Junker, Günter Mittag, Werner Walde, Ernst Scholz, Paul Verner
1977: Hilde Benjamin, Kurt Hager, Erich Honecker, Margot Honecker, Erich Mielke, Josip Broz Tito
1978: Werner Felfe, Hans Modrow, Joachim Herrmann, Elli Schmidt, Werner Krolikowski, Konrad Naumann
1979: Horst Dohlus, Johannes Chemnitzer, Gerhard Grüneberg, Heinz Keßler, Peter Edel
1980: Heinz Hoffmann, Alfred Lemmnitz, Siegfried Lorenz
1981: Erwin Geschonneck, Peter Florin, Albert Norden, Paul Gerhard Schürer
1982: Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, Kurt Hager, Erich Honecker, Erich Mielke, Paul Scholz
1983: Lotte Ulbricht, Gerhard Beil, Friedrich Dickel, Egon Krenz, Oskar Fischer, Theo Balden
1984: Alfred Neumann, Willi Stoph, Sixth Fleet of the People's Navy
1985: Horst Dohlus, Friedrich Dickel, Heinz Hoffmann, Erich Honecker, Bruno Lietz, Erich Mückenberger
1986: Heinrich Adameck, Günter Mittag, Gisela Glende
1987: Hilde Benjamin, Margot Honecker, Werner Jarowinsky, Erich Mielke, Markus Wolf
1988: Manfred Gerlach, Joachim Herrmann, Kurt Seibt, Nicolae Ceauşescu
1989: Günter Schabowski, Willi Stoph, Günther Wyschofsky, Herbert Weiz

Just a little info on the award dates of the various versions

Gold (900) with award number 1 - 30, awarded 1953-58

Gold (900) with award number 31 - , awarded 1958-65

Gold (900) , without award number, awarded 1965-79

Gold (333) , without award number, awarded 1980-89

Gilted bronze, for organisations (Collectives),without award number , awarded 1980-89

The set in post #5 sold for €1110

This awarded Karl Marx Orden in Gold (900) , without award number is on offer as a buy it now at €2000.

The image on the right is a "collectors copy" FAKE!!!! Karl Marx, most if not all the higher GDR awards now have these copies on the market. At least they are described as such and not being sold as originals at the moment.

Eddie