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The Eastern Front Medal, “East Medal” (Ger.: Ostmedaille) and under its official name, the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal (Ger.: Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42) was awarded by Nazi Germany to recognize military personnel, (after 20 January 1943 also civilians, and certain foreign allies) who served the Wehrmacht or the Waffen-SS in the harsh conditions of the Eastern Front during the winter of 1941-1942.
It was also called the “Frozen Meat Medal” or the “Order of the Frozen Flesh” (Ger.: Gefrierfleischorden) by soldiers, due to one of the requirements for it also covering being wounded or experiencing “frozen limbs”, and referencing the severe cold winter conditions under which it was earned. After the day of the award, only the ribbon was worn. It was passed through the second buttonhole of the tunic – the same position used for the Iron Cross 2nd Class and the War Merit Cross 2nd Class.
The Eastern medal was (until 1943) a purely military award that also honored its recipients, as they bested the cold Russian winter and the enemies of the Reich. A few different versions exist from this medal, some with a silver ring and helmet, some with just normal finish. Like many German medals, there is also a 1957 denazified version, so members of the former Wehrmacht can wear their medals publicly and openly- without banned and forbidden symbols.
In our small guide I will explain the Eastern Front Medal, the requirements for being awarded one, its symbolism, how to spot fake Eastern Medals, the differences in the medal types and much more!
To be awarded the medal, recipients typically had to fulfil one of the following:
Avers:
The medal features a German eagle holding/sitting on a swastika and he is looking to the right.
Behind the Swastika you can see a laurel branch. Above the eagle is a stylized steel helmet (M35) sitting on a German Stick Hand Grenade facing right.
Reverse:
The back reads “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42” (Winter Battle in the East 1941/42), with the “in the East” being made a slightly bigger size and all letters are written in capital.
The medal’s reverse is slightly curved outwards.
It depicts the same stylized steel helmet with a horizontal hand grenade at the top but now facing left.
Below the writing, a sword and a laurel branch cross each other in the middle at the lower third of the award.
The medal’s ribbon chose its colors to reflect the brutal conditions the troops faced. It was attached to a black, white, and red ribbon meant to symbolize the brave German blood (red), the snow and ice (white), and mourning for the dead soldiers (black).
German Troops had a saying in the „Soldier Jargon“ for the Colors of the ribbon:
„Schwarz ist die Nacht, weiß ist der Schnee und von beiden Seiten die Rote Armee.“
Translated so it rhymes: “The night is black, the snow is white, the Red Army stands left and right.”
There are a lot of different versions of the Eastern Medal out there. Real ones, fake ones, and notably, the 1957 Denazified version, which some people might want to pass of as genuine WW2 awards. It is important to note that some makers had a “silver ring” on the outside of the medal, making these more collectable, rarer and nicer to look at. Let us start with the 1957 Denazified version of the Eastern Front Medal.
Real Medals:
Both are real medals! They are a very nice showcase and example of how the East Medal can look, especially the material and finishes used. But why do we have these medals in the first place?
The Ordensgesetz (Law on Titles, Orders and Decorations) of 1957 allowed veterans in West Germany to wear many pre-1945 military decorations, provided that Nazi symbols such as the swastika were removed. The law prohibited the display of awards that promoted Nazi ideology while establishing a legal framework for the recognition and wearing of official German honors. As a result, many wartime decorations were reissued in “1957 versions” featuring neutral designs, enabling their lawful wear without Nazi insignia.
A real WW2 German medal will have very nice and clean detail. The pressed or stamped parts will look very in-depth and systematic. You can really see the sharpness and detail, especially on the Eagle and his feathers and beak.
Fake medals, such as this one, are always “cleaner” and “baked”. They do not have the same feel, nor look of the real medal they are trying to imitate. Often for fakes the varnish can wash away and wear to showcase the true color and material underneath.
Often how the eagle holds the swastika is also a dead giveaway I sadly cannot show in this example.
As previously mentioned, the devil is in the details. The eagle and its feathers can often help you identify a piece. Especially when it is trying to copy a known maker but gets some of the details wrong. The feathers in the middle of the wing are vey sharp on the fake, and they miss the rachis (or shaft) of the feathers. Tiny details will get lost in casting and molding or where not there in the first place.
In this example you can clearly see that the bottom part is missing the “connecting piece”. It is very clear that the bottom part, instead of being stamped or pressed like medals usually are, is a simple mold. Always check your medals from every angle, especially the side and the back!
The Green circled ones is the real medal, while the red is our fake medal!
The Eastern Front Medal (Ost Medaille), officially the Medal for the Winter Battle in the East 1941/42, remains one of the most recognizable German awards of the Second World War. Instituted in May 1942, it was created to recognize the extreme hardships endured by Axis personnel during the first winter of the campaign against the Soviet Union – freezing temperatures, inadequate equipment, and relentless combat that exacted a heavy toll on both sides.
Today the medal serves as more than a piece of militaria. For historians it is a tangible marker of a pivotal and costly phase of the war on the Eastern Front. For collectors it is a widely encountered yet still historically significant item, with original examples, award documents, and variations continuing to attract careful study.
Approximately 3 million of these were awarded, making it one of the most common German awards of World War 2. This medal is used in many movies, video games, and you can see it on mass in period pictures. Understanding this medal, and the hardships that came along with it, is important for every World War Two History Nerd or Collector. I hope this little guide helped you understand the medal more, happy shopping at Vos Militaria!
Written by: Thorben Zirkel