Bidspirit auction | German WWII Westwall Medal

German WWII Westwall Medal - German WWII Westwall Medal (Schutzwallehrenzeichen) An oval medal in what appears to be a silvered base metal, the obverse featuring an eagle grasping a wreathed swastika above a crossed shovel and sword within an oak leaf border. The reverse bears the inscription ”FÜR ARBEIT ZUM SCHUTZE DEUTSCHLANDS” (”For work in the protection of Germany”) within the same oak leaf surround, suspended from a ring loop. The Schutzwallehrenzeichen (Westwall Medal) was instituted in 1939 to recognise those who laboured on the construction of the Westwall, the extensive line of fortifications built along Germany's western border facing France as a counterpart to the French Maginot Line. It was awarded not only to Wehrmacht personnel but also, and predominantly, to civilian labourers, engineers, and members of organisations such as the Reichsarbeitsdienst and Organisation Todt who carried out the building work. The crossed shovel and sword on the design reflect this dual civilian-military character of the construction effort, recognising manual labour placed in service of national defence preparations in the lead-up to the Second World War.