Cross of Honour of the German Mother
The Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter (English: Cross of Honour of the German Mother), affectionately known as the Mutterkreuz (English: Mother's Cross), stands as one of the most meaningful and widespread honours bestowed upon German women, celebrating the noble and irreplaceable role of the mother in building and strengthening the German nation through her selfless dedication to family and Volk.
This decoration elevated the German mother to a position of profound respect, portraying her as the true guardian of the nation's future and a heroic figure whose contributions rivalled those of soldiers on the battlefield. In honouring prolific and devoted motherhood, the Mutterkreuz embodied enduring German ideals of family, duty, and love for the Vaterland.
Contents
History
Instituted by decree on 16 December 1938 by Adolf Hitler as "Führer und Reichskanzler", this civil decoration recognised the supreme value of motherhood in sustaining Germany's future vitality and racial health. Awards began on 21 May 1939 (with the first large-scale presentations on Mother's Day, traditionally the second Sunday in May), and continued annually on that date as well as other significant occasions until around 1944–1945.
Classes
The Mutterkreuz was awarded in three classes, strictly based on the number of live-born, healthy children raised by racially pure, exemplary German mothers:
- Bronze (3rd Grade): for mothers of 4 to 5 children
- Silver (2nd Grade): for mothers of 6 to 7 children
- Gold (1st Grade): for mothers of 8 or more children
Eligibility
Eligibility required proof of Aryan descent, good character, and that the children were "erbgesund" (hereditarily healthy), underscoring the honour's emphasis on the preservation of German blood and strength.
Award numbers
In its first year alone, approximately 3 million German mothers received the award, reflecting the broad embrace of large families within the Volk. By September 1941, the total reached about 4.7 million, with estimates suggesting the overall number awarded approached or exceeded several million more by the end of the period—making it one of the most commonly conferred honours of the era and a powerful symbol of national gratitude toward mothers.
Description
The Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter is a striking and dignified civil decoration, designed to visually embody the high honour accorded to German mothers for their vital contribution to the nation's strength and future.The medal takes the form of a slender, elongated cross pattée (similar to a refined Iron Cross or the Marian Cross of the Teutonic Order), measuring approximately 35–42 mm across. Its four arms are covered in deep, translucent blue enamel with a slim, opaque white enamel border outlining each arm, creating a crisp and elegant contrast. Between the arms radiate a sunburst pattern of metallic rays, adding a sense of radiance and importance to the centre.
At the heart lies a circular medallion bearing the raised Gothic inscription "DER DEUTSCHEN MUTTER" ("Dedicated to the German Mother") encircling a white-enameled field with a prominent black swastika symbol at its core. This central element rests atop the sunburst rays, unifying the design.
The medal suspends from a neck ribbon (approximately 10 mm wide for the full-size award), featuring a central wide blue stripe flanked by narrower white-blue-white stripes on each side, evoking loyalty and purity. It was worn around the neck like a formal honour, elevating motherhood to a status of national service.The reverse is typically plain or inscribed with "16. Dezember 1938" (the institution date) and a facsimile of Hitler's signature, sometimes with an earlier variant phrase like "Das Kind adelt die Mutter" (The child ennobles the mother).
Miniature versions (about 2 cm) existed for everyday wear, often as a brooch or bow-attached ribbon pin, maintaining the same design in reduced scale. This powerful visual symbolism—blue for fidelity, white for purity, gold/silver/bronze for merit—made the Mutterkreuz instantly recognisable and deeply respected, proudly displayed by German mothers as a badge of honour and devotion to family and Volk.
Awarding ceremonies
The awarding ceremonies were carefully orchestrated public events designed to elevate motherhood to a position of supreme national honour, portraying the devoted German mother as a heroic pillar of the Volk, equal in sacrifice and merit to the frontline soldier.
The primary date for large-scale presentations was Mother's Day (Muttertag), the second Sunday in May, starting with the inaugural ceremonies on 21 May 1939—when millions of eligible mothers across the Reich received their crosses in a wave of patriotic celebration. Awards continued annually on this date through the war years (up to around 1944), though presentations also occurred on other significant occasions, such as national holidays or special Reich events, to maximize visibility and reinforce family values.
Ceremonies took place locally in communities throughout the Greater German Reich, often in town halls, community centres, churches, or during organized NSDAP gatherings and rallies. They were typically presided over by local NSDAP officials—such as the Ortsgruppenleiter (local group leader)—or other dignitaries acting in the name of the Führer. The events featured formal speeches extolling the virtues of prolific, racially pure motherhood, patriotic music, and sometimes participation from Hitler Youth or Bund Deutscher Mädel members, who were encouraged to show respect to decorated mothers in public life.
Eligible mothers received an official invitation and attended in their finest attire. The award was presented personally: the cross, accompanied by a prestigious Besitzzeugnis (certificate of possession) bearing a facsimile of Adolf Hitler's signature and countersigned by the head of the Presidential Chancellery. Higher classes (especially Gold) carried greater prestige and were often highlighted in newsreels by Die Deutsche Wochenschau (the German Weekly Newsreel), which filmed select ceremonies to broadcast nationwide as inspiring examples of devotion to the Fatherland.
For those unable to attend—due to distance, health, or other reasons—the cross and certificate were delivered by post, maintaining the honour's dignity. Recipients proudly wore the full-size cross on a neck ribbon at formal occasions or the miniature version as a brooch or ribbon bar in daily life (though regulations discouraged casual wear to preserve its solemnity).
These ceremonies embodied the German Reich's profound recognition of the German mother's irreplaceable role: her "battlefield" of childbirth and upbringing strengthened the nation, ensured racial continuity, and deserved the highest communal gratitude and reverence. They remain a powerful testament to how the Third Reich exalted family and motherhood as sacred duties to the eternal German Volk.
Godfather Hitler
- Previously, the Reich President would offer congratulations upon request from the parents starting with the seventh child, and the Prussian Prime Minister would do so from 1928 onward, starting with the twelfth child (and from 1930 onward, starting with the tenth). Honorary godparenthoods existed even during the reigns of the Kaiser and the Prussian kings. Julia Eisendrath (1793–1878), a woman from Dorsten, had 23 children, 18 of whom survived. Her husband died in 1857. It was said that he was honored three times by the Prussian king, after every seventh child. After the end of the monarchy, this custom lay dormant until it was revived in 1926. Unlike in the Kaiser's time, when at least seven boys had to be born alive in succession, in the Weimar Republic, honorary godparenthood was assumed when there were seven (or, in the case of the Prussian Prime Minister, ten) living children of either sex, or even if any children had died in between. However, the children in the same family had to be descended from the same father.[1]
This form of honorary godparenthood, with its accompanying godparent gift, dates back to a decree issued by Elector Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony (1739–1812) in 1790, which reads as follows:
- The acquisition of the sovereign's godparent gift of 50 florins [gold guilders] for the seventh son of a marriage can only take place if:
- all seven sons were conceived in an unbroken line;
- at least the youngest son was born during the Elector's reign; and
- the name of the sovereign was given to him at his baptism.
The population of Prussia, especially in the old ancestral territories on the right bank of the Rhine, were already familiar with this practice, and the provinces newly acquired in 1815 were already emphatically reminded in 1816 that the ruling house desired more male offspring:
- His Majesty the King has deigned to declare that the custom in some provinces newly united with the Monarchy, according to which the father of seven legitimate sons, born to one mother in unbroken succession, may bestow the name of the sovereign upon the seventh son at baptism, and the child receives a gift of grace, shall be retained and extended to all provinces of the Monarchy. Furthermore, it is His Majesty's will that public assistance be provided to such impoverished parents who have seven or more living sons to raise, regardless of whether they were born in one or more marriages, in unbroken succession, or with the intervening birth of daughters. The provincial governments must assess the parents' need for assistance and determine the support to be provided for the upbringing of their sons.
The parents of such sons, who are baptized, receive the godparent's gift. The godparent's gift is due to the seventh of seven sons from a marriage, provided that no daughter may be born between the sons. Deceased sons continue to be counted even after their death.
In 1909, Kaiser Wilhelm II decreed that in cases where, according to previous custom, the Emperor and King was entered as godfather in the church register for the seventh son born in unbroken succession to the same marriage, a gift of "fifty marks" would henceforth be granted if the family was in need. This gift was a much-appreciated sum, as the average monthly wage of a worker at that time was only around 87 marks, and a kilogram of bread cost 50 pfennigs. From 1918 onwards, a certificate was also issued for the honorary sponsorship. At the same time, Kaiser Wilhelm decreed that sons who had fallen in battle should henceforth be counted towards the total number of living sons. With the end of the monarchy, the sponsorship and the honorary gift also came to an end. Only nine years later can a return to previous values be discerned from the files. The Minister of the Interior wrote to the regional presidents:
- The Reich President is accustomed to granting applications for honorary godparenthood in suitable cases for families with at least seven living children (sons and daughters combined), provided that the family's reputation and standing give no cause for concern. If the family is also in need, the parents will receive a gift of 20 Reichsmarks for the child being baptized. It is expressly stipulated that no further obligations may be derived for the Reich President from assuming godparenthood. […] To dispel any doubts, it is further announced that the Reich President and the Minister-President will each only assume godparenthood for one child in the same family.
From 1936 onward, Adolf Hitler was in high demand as an honorary godfather. However, due to the overwhelming demand, the Führer wanted to accept godparenthoods only in exceptional cases – namely, only for the seventh son or the ninth living child. Each of these children received a certificate from the Reich Chancellor.
After the end of the Second World War and the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany, in the autumn of 1949, Federal President Theodor Heuss decided to reinstate the practice of the head of state assuming honorary godparenthood. The basic conditions were similar to the previously applicable regulations.
