History

On May 1, 1939, the German Red Cross Awards were replaced by the German Social Welfare Decoration, which recognized not only Red Cross work, but the entire social welfare field. This included care of the sick and wounded, caring for German citizens in foreign countries, participation in the winter relief organization, and upholding ancestral German traditions.

The II Class Cross has two versions, one with convex cross arms, and the other with flat cross arms.