Original Item. Only One Available. This is a group of three German WWII War Merit Crosses 2nd Class (Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse), consisting of two examples with swords and one without swords. All three retain their red, white, and black suspension ribbons and bear numbered manufacturer markings on their suspension rings. The group is accompanied by two period paper award envelopes, one for each version of the decoration.

Each cross has the characteristic eight-pointed design, with an oak-leaf wreath enclosing a central swas. on the obverse and the institution date 1939 on the reverse. The two sworded examples have crossed swords extending diagonally between the arms, while the non-sworded example retains the plain cross configuration.

The three decorations are arranged as follows, from top to bottom:

War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords, maker marked 10: Manufactured by Förster & Barth of Pforzheim. This example retains a silver-gray appearance, with much of its original bronze-colored finish having faded or worn away.
War Merit Cross 2nd Class without Swords, maker marked 60: Manufactured by Katz & Deyhle of Pforzheim. The cross has developed a subdued gray patina, with well-defined lettering and relief.
War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords, maker marked 65: Manufactured by Klein & Quenzer A.G. of Idar-Oberstein. This example retains an attractive bronze-colored finish, particularly across the arms, central medallion, and crossed swords.

The two accompanying envelopes retain their original black Gothic-lettered inscriptions. The larger is marked Kriegs-Verdienstkreuz 2. Klasse (War Merit Cross, 2nd Class), while the smaller reads Kriegs-Verdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern (War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with Swords). The latter preserves its characteristic folded upper flap.

The crosses remain in good overall condition, showing expected age and handling wear, surface toning, and varying degrees of finish loss. Their central designs and suspension fittings remain well defined. The ribbons show some discoloration and fraying, particularly along the cut ends. Both envelopes have developed considerable age toning, staining, and creasing, with the smaller sworded-version envelope exhibiting heavier edge wear and tears around its flap. The printed inscriptions remain legible on both.

Historical Context

The Kriegsverdienstkreuz, or War Merit Cross, was instituted by AH on October 18, 1939, to recognize wartime achievements and service that fell outside the award criteria of the Iron Cross. It was introduced in two classes, each available with or without swords, establishing separate distinctions for military-related service and other contributions to the German war effort.

The version with swords was awarded for special merit under enemy weapons effect or for exceptional contributions to the military conduct of the war. Eligible recipients included members of the Wehrmacht whose duties supported combat operations, including personnel involved in military logistics, communications, engineering, and other essential services. The award could also recognize individuals whose actions contributed significantly to military operations without meeting the specific requirements for the Iron Cross.

The version without swords recognized valuable wartime achievements outside direct military combat. Recipients could include individuals employed in administration, industry, transportation, civil defense, and other sectors essential to maintaining wartime production and organization. Its broad eligibility reflected the increasingly extensive involvement of civilian institutions and industrial workers in Germany's wartime economy.

The decoration's award structure developed as the conflict continued. On August 19, 1940, the Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross was introduced as a higher distinction, while the War Merit Medal (Kriegsverdienstmedaille) was established to recognize services of a lesser degree. These additions extended the award system across a considerable range of civilian and military responsibilities.

An important clarification issued in September 1941 addressed personnel who qualified for both versions of the same class. A recipient who had already received the War Merit Cross without Swords could subsequently be awarded the corresponding class with Swords. In such cases, the sworded decoration superseded the earlier version for uniform wear, although the recipient retained ownership of both.

The War Merit Cross 2nd Class was worn suspended from its ribbon on the uniform, commonly through the second buttonhole of the field tunic. After the initial presentation, recipients generally wore the ribbon alone during ordinary service, reserving the complete decoration for appropriate formal occasions. The 1st Class, awarded for a higher degree of merit, was a pin-back breast decoration.

Production of the War Merit Cross was distributed among numerous German manufacturers during the war. The three examples in this group bear Präsidialkanzlei manufacturer numbers, part of the numerical identification system used for officially authorized decorations. The numbers identify the firms responsible for manufacture rather than the recipient, military unit, or date of award.

Förster & Barth and Katz & Deyhle were based in Pforzheim, an established German center for jewelry, metalworking, and decorative manufacturing. Klein & Quenzer operated in Idar-Oberstein, another important center of German metalworking and jewelry production. Such firms supplied military decorations alongside their wider manufacturing activities, working to prescribed designs and specifications.

The War Merit Cross remained in use until Germany's defeat in May 1945, becoming one of the principal decorations for recognizing the broad range of military and civilian service undertaken during the Second World War.