This Knight's Cross is a special production by the firm C. F. Zimmermann Pforzheim. The manufacture was identical to the Knight's Crosses of the firm Godet & Co, Berlin. The only difference is the black lacquering of the iron core. While the “Godet pieces” have a matte rough lacquering, the lacquering of the “Zimmermann pieces” was matte glossy. Magnetic core with silver frame. The cross is unmarked. The ribbon ring made of silver, in the special oval design for the production of the firm Zimmermann. Complete with long neck ribbon section. Unworn, with very beautiful patina, condition 2+.
Included is the large red presentation case for foreign generals. The case is covered with red leather in the same color as the Knight's Cross folders. On the lid is the gold-embossed national eagle, identical to the eagle on the presentation case for the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. The surrounding edge is embossed with a projection on the lid and the underside, comparable to the early presentation cases for the Oak Leaves with Swords. On the front is the push button in “mushroom shape” lacquered red, on the back 2 hinges with red leather covering, all parts magnetic. Interior with black velvet bed with recess for the Knight's Cross, as well as a recess at the top for the Knight's Cross ribbon. The lid with white silk lining. Dimensions of the case 19.5 x 13.5 cm, height 20 mm.
Unworn, in excellent condition.
This piece is one of the rarest and most sought-after variants of the Knight's Cross. The Knight's Crosses in this design with this case were only awarded to specially selected foreign generals. In the reference book by Harald Geißler “Das Eiserne Kreuz von seinem Ursprung bis zur Gegenwart” comparable pieces are illustrated on pages 479 and 532.

335072

The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 – C.F. Zimmermann Production in the Large Red Presentation Case

The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) stands as one of the most recognized and significant military decorations of the Second World War. It was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 1 September 1939 – the day of the invasion of Poland – through a decree published in the Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573. The award replaced older merit and bravery decorations of the German Empire, most notably the Pour le Mérite, which had been restricted exclusively to officers and members of the aristocracy. In contrast, the Knight’s Cross could be awarded to personnel of all ranks regardless of social status, a principle aligned with National Socialist ideology. The first presentations were made on 30 September 1939.

The Award Hierarchy

The Knight’s Cross constituted the base grade of an evolving five-tier system. Above it stood the Oak Leaves (Eichenlaub, instituted 3 June 1940), the Oak Leaves with Swords (instituted 15 July 1941), the Oak Leaves with Swords and Diamonds (also instituted 15 July 1941), and the Golden Oak Leaves with Swords and Diamonds (instituted 29 December 1944, awarded only once, to Hans-Ulrich Rudel on 1 January 1945). In terms of precedence, the Knight’s Cross ranked second only to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, which was bestowed a single time upon Hermann Göring on 19 July 1940.

Award Criteria and Recipients

The Knight’s Cross was awarded for extreme battlefield bravery or outstanding military leadership. A prerequisite was the prior award of the Iron Cross First Class 1939, though in some instances both grades were conferred simultaneously. Eligible recipients included members of the Wehrmacht (Heer, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe), the Waffen-SS, the Reichsarbeitsdienst, the Volkssturm, and personnel from Axis allied forces. Nominations progressed through the military chain of command, with final approval reserved to Adolf Hitler personally. Foreign recipients included Spanish, Finnish, Italian, Romanian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Japanese military personnel. According to the Association of Knight’s Cross Recipients (AKCR), a total of 7,318 Knight’s Crosses were awarded, though approximately 200 cases lack official documentary proof. Evidence from the German Federal Archives substantiates 7,161 officially bestowed awards.

Manufacture by C.F. Zimmermann, Pforzheim

The present cross was produced by C.F. Zimmermann of Pforzheim, an official supplier designated with Präsidialkanzlei code “20” and LDO code “L/52.” Zimmermann was one of approximately six to seven firms charged with Knight’s Cross production. Other manufacturers included Steinhauer & Lück (the most common producer, marked “800” or “4”), C.E. Juncker (marked “L/12” or “2”), Gebrüder Godet (marked “21”), Klein & Quenzer (marked “65”), and Otto Schickle (marked “L/15”).

Zimmermann also supplied Knight’s Crosses to Gebrüder Godet & Co., Berlin, who presented them in special early presentation sets. Both firms used identical dies and production methods. The key distinguishing feature between Zimmermann and Godet pieces lies in the lacquer finish of the iron core: Godet examples exhibit a matte, rough lacquer, while Zimmermann pieces display a matt glossy (matt glänzend) finish.

The cross itself takes the form of a cross pattée – a cross with arms narrow at the center and broadening toward the perimeter – worn as a neck order suspended from the distinctive black-white-red ribbon. It features a magnetic iron core set within a silver frame of 800-grade silver. The obverse bears a swastika in the center with “1939” on the lower arm; the reverse displays “1813” on the lower arm. The oval silver suspension ring, characteristic of Zimmermann production, is marked “800.” Documented Zimmermann examples measure approximately 54.9 × 48.8 mm.

The Large Red Presentation Case

This Knight’s Cross is accompanied by its large red presentation case, measuring 19.5 × 13.5 cm with a height of 20 mm. The case is covered in red leather and features a gold-embossed national eagle on the lid. The interior consists of a black velvet bed with recesses for the cross and its ribbon, while the lid is lined with white silk. The case features a mushroom-form snap closure in red lacquer and two hinges with red leather covering; all metal components are magnetic.

Postwar History

The last legally valid presentation of the Knight’s Cross occurred before the German surrender at 23:01 CET on 8 May 1945. Some presentations made after this date – the last recorded on 17 June 1945 – are considered de facto but not de jure awards. Following the war, the Federal Republic of Germany prohibited the wearing of Nazi insignia. On 26 July 1957, the West German government authorized denazified replacement Knight’s Crosses in which the swastika was replaced by an oak leaf cluster, permitting wartime recipients to wear them legally. Production of these 1957-pattern replacements ceased in 1986. The Association of Knight’s Cross Recipients (AKCR) was founded in 1955 in Cologne by Alfred Keller. In 1999, German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping banned Bundeswehr contacts with the AKCR, citing neo-Nazi and revanchist associations among its membership.

The Zimmermann factory in Pforzheim was destroyed during the devastating Allied bombing raid on 23 February 1945, ending production. The present ensemble of a Zimmermann-manufactured Knight’s Cross with its large red presentation case is documented in Harald Geißler’s reference work “Das Eiserne Kreuz von seinem Ursprung bis zur Gegenwart” on pages 479 and 532, where comparable examples are illustrated.