List of Knight's Cross recipients

This top level list of Knight's Cross recipients plus its sub lists comprise the complete listing of all Knight's Cross recipients. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its variants was the highest award in the military of the Third Reich. Recipients are grouped by grades of the Knight's Cross. Within each grade the recipients are ordered chronologically. An exception is the lowest grade, here the recipients are ordered alphabetically by last name. The rank listed is the recipient's rank at the time the Knight's Cross was awarded. Broken out into sub lists are the recipients of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, one list for every year between 1940 and 1945 the award was presented. Also listed separately are the alphabetical lists of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients. The foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross and the foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves are listed separately as well.

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments. The first enactment "Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573"@ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek [http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19390007&zoom=2&seite=00001573&ues=on&x=21&y=6 Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939] ] of September 1, 1939 instituted the Iron Cross and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. As the war progressed some of the recipients distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Oak Leaves to Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on the enactment "Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849"@ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek [http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19400007&zoom=2&seite=00000849&ues=on&x=22&y=10 Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940] ] of June 3, 1940. In 1941 two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment "Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613"@ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek [http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19410007&zoom=2&seite=00000613&ues=on&x=14&y=9 Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941] ] of September 28, 1941 introduced the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. At the end of 1944 the last and final grade, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, based on the enactment "Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11"@ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek [http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=dra&datum=19450007&zoom=2&seite=00000011&ues=on&x=14&y=10 Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944] ] of December 29, 1944 concluded the variants of the Knight's Cross.

Grand Cross of the Iron Cross

The Grand Cross of the Iron Cross is based on the enactment ("Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573") of September 1, 1939 "Verordnung über die Erneuerung des Eisernen Kreuzes" (Regulation of the renewing of the Iron Cross). This grade was awarded only once. The sole recipient was "Generalfeldmarschall" Hermann Göring, who at the same time was promoted to Reichsmarschall. [Fellgiebel 2000, p. 33.]

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

The "Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords" is also based on the enactment ("Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613") of September 28, 1941 to reward those servicemen who had already been awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was based on the enactment "Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849") of June 3, 1940.

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Knight's Cross

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross is based on the enactment ("Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573") of September 1, 1939 "Verordnung über die Erneuerung des Eisernen Kreuzes" (Regulation of the renewing of the Iron Cross).

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Foreign recipients

Foreign soldiers and servicemens, who did not serve in one of the four branches of the German Wehrmacht during World War II and were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross or its higher grade the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves are listed in the List of foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross.

References

* Walther-Peer Fellgiebel (2000), "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Podzun-Pallas.
* Florian Berger (2006), "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Selbstverlag Florian Berger.
* Günter Fraschka (2002), "Mit Schwertern und Brillanten. Die Träger der höchsten deutschen Tapferkeitsauszeichnung". Universitas

External links

* [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Orden/Ritterkreuz/IndexRK.htm Lexikon der Wehrmacht]
* [http://www.bundesarchiv.de/aufgaben_organisation/dienstorte/freiburg/ Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv]