Original Item: Only One Available. This is a particularly well preserved German WWII cloth German Cross in Gold, or Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, produced for wear on a Luftwaffe uniform. Hand embroidered in a complex combination of cotton and aluminum wire thread, it retains its bright metal wreath, vivid contrasting embroidery, original blue gray wool backing, and nearly complete paper reverse. No evidence of previous uniform attachment is apparent, making this an attractive apparently unissued example.

The badge measures approximately 2 7/8 inches (72mm) wide. Its hand embroidered construction features two overlaid eight point sunbursts. The smaller inner sunburst is worked in matte brownish gray cotton thread, while the larger outer sunburst is embroidered in bright silver aluminum wire.

At the center is a gilt washed, stamped alloy wreath decorated with embossed laurel leaves and tied ribbons. A small panel at the bottom bears the impressed introduction date:

1941

The inner edge of the wreath is bordered in red thread, with an additional silver aluminum wire border around the outside. Within the wreath is an embroidered mobile swas on a white ground, outlined in silver aluminum thread. The complete embroidered cross is mounted to a cut purple foundation with a fliegerblau, or flyer’s blue, wool face, identifying it as the Luftwaffe uniform version.

The felt backing remains intact and shows only light fraying around the edges. The paper backing on the reverse is also almost completely preserved, an especially appealing feature on a cloth award of this type. Aside from minor edge wear, the embroidered surfaces remain exceptionally clean, while the metal wreath is still bright and shows no visible oxidation.

The German Cross was instituted on September 28, 1941, in Gold and Silver classes. The Gold class recognized repeated acts of exceptional combat bravery or military leadership. It was awarded to recipients who had already earned the Iron Cross First Class or its equivalent, but it was a separate decoration rather than a formal grade of the Iron Cross. The cloth version provided a lighter alternative to the heavier metal award and was produced on backing material colored to correspond with the wearer’s service branch.

With its crisp hand embroidery, bright gilt wreath, nearly complete paper backing, Luftwaffe blue gray wool face, and apparent unissued condition, this is an excellent representative example of one of the most visually distinctive German WWII combat decorations. It would display particularly well in a Luftwaffe uniform insignia, German wartime awards, cloth decorations, or advanced military embroidery collection.