This Order Star represents the execution of the 2nd award series from 1938. The star body is made of platinum, at the center the medallion of Pallas Athena in gold, the background in red enamel. The 4 applied national eagles in gold. The brilliant ring around the medallion set with 40 brilliant-cut diamonds in 8/8 cut. The setting is openwork (à jour) on the reverse. Reverse with 6 solid rivets, on the pin with manufacturer's designation “Juwelier Hülse Berlin W.8”, the pin system is provided with a special safety catch. In the reference book “Orden 1700-2000” Volume 4 by Karsten Klingbeil/Andreas Thies, pages 124-129 show the order set from the possession of Prof. August Bier with the breast star of the 1st award series from 1937. The breast stars differ only minimally by a detail in the inscription ring: while the star between “Für” and “Wissenschaft” is smaller and was applied separately, the star in the 2nd model is significantly larger and part of the inscription ring. The head of Pallas Athena also shows a few minor differences in details.
Additionally the order badge. This piece is the official presentation sample of the order, which however was rejected. Model with the head of Pallas Athena in the obverse medallion. Silver gilt and enameled. This order decoration was created by the sculptor Hermann Müller as a presentation sample for a sash decoration in addition to the star for the National Prize designed by him. However, when the National Prize for Art and Science was established, only the breast star was accepted as order decoration. Extremely rare order decoration in particularly fine jeweler's work, which shows great stylistic and technical correspondence with the actually awarded breast stars. Also interesting how stylistic elements of the Prussian Order Pour le Mérite for Science and Arts were incorporated in the design.

The German National Prize for Art and Science was an honorary prize and the highest peacetime decoration of National Socialist Germany. It was established in 1937 by Adolf Hitler and was intended to replace the Nobel Prize, which Hitler - in response to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Carl von Ossietzky in 1936 - prohibited Germans from accepting “for all future time”. The prize was only awarded in 1937 and 1938.
On June 25, 1936, the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Parliament awarded the imprisoned Karl von Ossietzky the Nobel Peace Prize. The Reich government protested against the decision; on November 26 it expressed its “utmost astonishment” and declared that it “reserved all conclusions from the incident”. On January 30, 1937, Adolf Hitler finally established the German National Prize for Art and Science: “In order to prevent shameful incidents for all future time, I hereby decree the establishment of a German National Prize for Art and Science. This National Prize will be distributed annually to three deserving Germans in the amount of 100,000 Reichsmarks each. The acceptance of the Nobel Prize is hereby prohibited to Germans for all future time.” The implementing regulations were issued by Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. According to these, the award was to take place annually in a ceremonial act at the Reich Party Congress of the NSDAP. Organization and execution of the ceremony was the responsibility of the Reich Propaganda Director in agreement with Reich Organization Leader Robert Ley. Details of the decoration: Design: Gerdy Troost; Execution: Franziska Kobell; Portfolio: Frieda Thiersch. The decoration included, in addition to the actual order decoration, the breast star, a magnificent sash with agrafe, an elaborately crafted order case with gilded corner fittings in eagle form, and a document portfolio of terra-brown grained leather. On December 7, 1937, Goebbels noted: “Documents for the National Prize finished. Very well done. Mrs. Troost shows them. Masterpiece!” Various sample templates of the breast star were made, including by Richard Klein and Herbert Zeitner, which however were rejected by Hitler, possibly because their symbolic content regarding the concepts “Art” and “Science” was too weakly expressed for him. The final version of the decoration is based on a design by the sculptor Hermann Müller. The cast and polished star corpus has a diameter of 95 mm and consists of platinum. Applied are four 20 x 22 mm eagles in 18-karat gold. The medallion shows on red enameled ground the head of Pallas Athena turned to the left. The inscription ring bears on ivory-colored enameled ground the hand-sawn and polished circumferential inscription: “FÜR * KUNST * UND * WISSENSCHAFT” and is surrounded by a medallion ring set with 40 diamonds in 8/8 cut with faceted table. To give light to the diamonds, the medallion ring is segmented open to the rear. The total weight of the decoration is 205.0 (1937) or 210.47 (1938) grams depending on version. Goebbels noted on December 15: “The order for the National Prize is now finished. The Führer is enthusiastic about it.” The jeweler Wilhelm Hülse in Berlin was entrusted with the execution. The commissioning of the relatively unknown jeweler was done either by Goebbels himself or by one of his offices. On the occasion of the “First German Architecture and Arts and Crafts Exhibition” from January 22 to April 18, 1938 in Munich, the specimen of Paul Ludwig Troost was exhibited in the House of German Art. On behalf of Heinrich Doehle, photos were taken of it for the Presidential Chancellery, which he used as a template for his publications on the study of orders. Symbolism: Pallas Athena is considered in Greek mythology as the virgin goddess of wisdom, arts and sciences, patroness of cities and patron of crafts. The eagle on agrafe, case and breast star is that of the Reich, thus looks to heraldic right, to its right wing - the Party eagle looked to heraldic left - and carries a swastika in its talons. The eagle is freely designed and corresponds to none of the common types of State or Party. At the meeting of the Reich Film Chamber, 1935 in the Berlin Schillertheater, such an eagle in large format was mounted on the front wall of the banquet hall, which suggests that the form was specified by the Propaganda Ministry. The German National Prize was awarded to a total of nine persons. The 1st prize announcement took place on September 7, 1937 in the “Nuremberg Opera House”, the presentation of the prizes took place on January 30, 1938 by Adolf Hitler in the Reich Chancellery. The five first prize winners were:
the master builder and architecture professor Paul Ludwig Troost (posthumously),
Reich Leader Alfred Rosenberg,
the Asia and South Polar explorer Wilhelm Filchner,
the surgeons August Bier and Ferdinand Sauerbruch (shared prize).
The 2nd prize announcement took place on September 6, 1938, the presentation on January 30, 1939 by Adolf Hitler in the Reich Chancellery. The prize winners of this second year were:
the Inspector General for German Roads and head of the military construction organization Organisation Todt Fritz Todt,
the automobile manufacturer Ferdinand Porsche,
the aircraft designers Willy Messerschmitt and Ernst Heinkel (shared prize).
Historically as well as in terms of phaleristics probably the most significant and precious decoration of the Third Reich. The piece of Prof. Porsche is located in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, the orders of Dr. Fritz Todt were stolen. Therefore this order can only be the piece from the possession of Prof. Willy Messerschmitt or Prof. Ernst Heinkel.

For these pieces we give you our unlimited lifetime guarantee of authenticity.

418621

National Prize for Art and Science - Order Star and Order Badge

The German National Prize for Art and Science (Deutscher Nationalpreis für Kunst und Wissenschaft) represents the highest peacetime honor of Nazi Germany and one of the rarest decorations in German history. The award was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 30 January 1937 as a direct response to an event the Nazi regime perceived as international provocation: the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned German journalist Carl von Ossietzky on 25 June 1936.

The Reich government reacted to the Nobel Prize decision with extreme indignation and announced far-reaching consequences. Hitler went beyond mere protest and decreed that all Germans were forbidden “for all future time” from accepting the Nobel Prize. In its place came the newly created German National Prize, to be awarded annually to up to three deserving Germans in the fields of art or science, each endowed with 100,000 Reichsmarks.

The design of this prestigious decoration underwent a remarkable development process. Various submissions, including those by Richard Klein and Herbert Zeitner, were personally rejected by Hitler. The final version was based on the design of sculptor Hermann Müller. The overall concept came from Gerdy Troost, execution was by Franziska Kobell, while Frieda Thiersch designed the diploma case. On 15 December 1937, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels noted in his diary: “Der Orden zum Nationalpreis ist nun fertig. Der Führer ist begeistert davon” (The order for the National Prize is now finished. The Führer is enthusiastic about it).

The production of the breast star was entrusted to Berlin jeweler Wilhelm Hülse (Berlin W.8). The cast and polished star corpus with a diameter of 95 millimeters is made of platinum and weighs either 205.0 grams (1937 series) or 210.47 grams (1938 series) depending on the version. Four Reich eagles in 18-karat gold, each measuring 20 × 22 millimeters, are mounted on the star. These eagles face heraldic right and carry a swastika in their talons. The central medallion displays the left-facing head of Pallas Athene, the Greek goddess of wisdom, arts, and sciences, on a red enameled ground. The inscription ring bears the hand-sawed and polished gold letters “FÜR * KUNST * UND * WISSENSCHAFT” (FOR ART AND SCIENCE) on an ivory-colored enameled background. A ring set with 40 diamonds in 8/8 cut with faceted table surrounds the medallion, with the setting segmented open to the rear to allow light to reach the diamonds.

Between the first series of 1937 and the second of 1938, only minimal differences exist: in the first version, the star between “Für” and “Wissenschaft” is smaller and separately applied, while in the second version it is noticeably larger and forms part of the inscription ring. There are also minor detail differences in the head of Pallas Athene.

The complete set included, in addition to the breast star, a magnificent sash with agraffe, an elaborately crafted presentation case with gilded eagle-shaped corner fittings, and a diploma case of terra-brown grained leather. The award was to be announced annually during the NSDAP Party Rally at Nuremberg and personally presented by Hitler in the Reich Chancellery on 30 January, the anniversary of the Nazi seizure of power.

The prize was awarded only twice, to a total of nine individuals. The first award was announced on 7 September 1937 at the Nuremberg Opera House, with presentation on 30 January 1938. The five recipients were architect Paul Ludwig Troost (posthumously), Alfred Rosenberg, explorer Wilhelm Filchner, and surgeons August Bier and Ferdinand Sauerbruch, who shared one prize. The second announcement took place on 6 September 1938 with presentation on 30 January 1939. Honored were engineer Fritz Todt, automotive designer Ferdinand Porsche, and aircraft designers Willy Messerschmitt and Ernst Heinkel, who also shared a single award.

No further awards were made after 1938, presumably due to the outbreak of war. The German National Prize is thus even rarer than the German Order. Wearing this decoration was prohibited in any form by the West German Law on Titles, Orders and Honorary Signs of 26 July 1957. Unlike certain Nazi-era military decorations which could be worn in denazified form, the National Prize was subject to a complete ban. Current legal status in Germany permits display only for historical, educational, or academic purposes.

Of the nine awarded examples, only a few are known: Ferdinand Porsche's breast star is located in the Porsche Museum Stuttgart, Fritz Todt's decorations were reported stolen. The extreme rarity makes this decoration arguably the most historically and orders-historically significant and valuable decoration of the Third Reich.