(Ehrenzeichen des Deutschen Roten Kreuzes)

Date Instituted

April 1922

Requirements

Awarded to deserving members of the German Red Cross.

Number awarded

?

Recipients

The recipients of the 1st Class with diamonds included Grand Duchess Sophie Charlotte of Luxembourg, Princess Olga of Yugoslavia and Crown Princess Elena of Italy

Following the attack on the Deutschland during the Spanish Civil War the wounded were transferred to Gibraltar where they were taken care of by a British military hospital, in recognition for this several of those involved were awareded with the Red Cross decoration, including the below:
M.G. Burton, Ladies Cross
Captain John Primrose Douglas RAMC, Cross of Merit
Margaret Paula Lewis, Ladies Cross
Cargill Lockhead, Ladies Cross
Sister Catherine McSharne, Ladies Cross
Commander H.J. Murphy, Cross of Merit
Nora Smyth, Ladies Cross

Estimated price (2009)
First model
1st Class - €450
2nd Class - €180

Second model
Star - €3.000
1st Class - €900
Cross of Merit - €400
Decoration of the Red Cross - €200
Ladies Cross - €220

Third model
Star - €5.000
1st Class - €1.500
Cross of Merit - €850
2nd Class - €350
Ladies Cross - €375
Medal - €200

Kriegsverwaltungsvizechef Franz Xaver Hasenöhrl wearing the 1st Class cross

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

SS-Gruppenführer Rudolf Querner wearing the Cross of Merit

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany) 

Reichsstatthalter & Gauleiter Arthur Greiser in Posen 1939, note the Star to the German Red Cross Decoration

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Comments

It was awarded in these grades 1922-1934:
1st Class (Erste Klasse) (a breast star be awarded in conjunction with the 1st Clss award)
2nd Class (Zweite Klasse)

It was modified in 1934 and was awarded in these grades:
Star (Stern)
1st Class (Erste Klasse)
Cross of Merit (Verdienstkreuz)
Decoration of the Red Cross (Ehrenzeichen des Roten Kreuzes)
Ladies Cross (Damenkreuz)

It was again modified in 1937 and was now awarded in these grades:
Grand Cross (Grosskreuz)
Star (Stern)
1st Class (Erste Klasse)
(this could be awarded with diamonds)
Cross of Merit (Verdienstkreuz)
2nd Class (Zweite Klasse)


Women's Cross (Frauenkreuz)
Medal (Medaille des Deutschen Roten Kreuzes)


It was replaced by the German Social Welfare Decoration in May 1939.

It is interesting to note that a swastika was not added to this award when the design was modified in 1934 but rather in 1937.

Photo courtesy of Rusfront

Sources used

Christopher Ailsby - A collectors guide to the Kriegsmarine
Christopher Ailsby - World War 2 German medals and political awards
John R. Angolia - For Führer and Fatherland: Political & Civil awards of the Third Reich
David Littlejohn - Orders, decorations, medals and badges of the Third Reich
Detlev Niemann - Price Guide Germany 1871-1945 (2009)