Auschwitz Cross

The Auschwitz Cross (Polish: Krzyż Oświęcimski), instituted on 14 March 1985, was a Polish decoration awarded to honour survivors of Nazi German concentration camps, including Auschwitz (Auschwitz is a German name for the Polish town Oświęcim, where the camps were built by Nazi Germans).

For the cross erected at Auschwitz, see Auschwitz cross.

Auschwitz Cross
Polish: Krzyż Oświęcimski
Description42 × 42 mm silver Greek cross
Statistics
First awarded14 March 1985
Last awarded8 May 1999
Precedence
Next (higher)Krzyż Bitwy pod Lenino
Next (lower)Medal Za waszą wolność i naszą


Service ribbon;
reverse

It was awarded generally to Poles, but it was possible to award it to foreigners in special cases. It could be awarded posthumously. It ceased to be awarded in 1999. An exception was made in the case of Greta Ferusic, who was awarded it in February 2004.[1]

Description

The award is a silver Greek cross with wide arms, 42×42 mm. The obverse shows barbed wire and camp poles; the year 1939 on the left, and 1945 on the right arm. In the center there is a red enameled triangle with the letter P, as worn by Polish nationals imprisoned in the camps. The reverse bears the inscription "PRL / WIĘŹNIOM / HITLEROWSKICH / OBOZÓW KONCENTRACYJNYCH" (People's Republic of Poland to prisoners of Nazi concentration camps).

References
  1. Gitelman, Zvi. "American Jewish Yearbook 2004" (pdf). AJC. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
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