DDR/SED "Honour" Medals

[Greg Collins]

A couple of medals here that you won't find listed in the hierarchy of DDR awards. Why? Well, they aren't really awards for doing anything... particularly. Yes, they are anniversary awards... but not meant for the masses. There were "znacki" quality badges, for the masses, made for the events that sort of mimic these medals but these nicely made and packaged medals were meant for the "mucky-mucks"... the high ranking party elite. When I questioned Frank Bartel about the DDR 20th Anniversary medal, he said it would be correctly categorized as an SED Honour Award. I believe the FDJ 25th Anniversary medal would follow suit. The DDR 20th was issued in 1969; the FDJ 25th in 1971.

[Ralph Pickard]

Greg - It would be interesting to see if there were 30 and 35 year medals like the ones you have shown.

[Greg Collins]

Ralph,

The only similar medals that I'm aware of are two GST awards, one for 20 years and the other for 25 years (I believe). Same story- a "lesser" badge type medal for general distribution and a similar, but much nicer, medal for the higher-ups. They just haven't come my way... yet.

[Greg Collins]

Another medal listed in ministerial awards as an honour award: the "20th Anniversary of Democratic Land Reform Commemorative Medal". It was given in 1965 to, apparently, a very select group. As far as I have been able to determine, you don't see this until you hit general or admiral ribbon bars- and maybe even the top level of those. The medal's title is on the obverse; the reverse reads, "squires' land in farmers' hands". In it's original case.