Description
German Reichsfeuerwehr-Ehrenzeichen II. Klasse, or Fire Brigade Honour Decoration 2nd Class, from the Third Reich period. The decoration features a white enameled cross with bold red flames across each arm. A black swastika appears within the white central medallion. The surrounding ring reads “FÜR VERDIENSTE IM FEUERLÖSCHWESEN,” meaning “For Merit in Fire Fighting.” The silvered metal shows age-related toning and surface wear. The red, white, and black enamel remains attractive with visible signs of age. The upper suspension ring remains present. Please carefully review all photographs for the condition, enamel, construction, and completeness of the decoration.
Germany introduced the Fire Brigade Honour Decoration on June 22, 1936. The government awarded the second class to professional and volunteer firefighters for long and honorable service. Period regulations associated the second class with 25 years of qualifying fire brigade service. The design combined traditional firefighting imagery with the political symbols of Third Reich Germany. A revised version of the award appeared in 1938, while the second-class cross retained this general form. This example represents an official service decoration rather than a political event tinnie. No ribbon accompanies this example.
