History

The Life Saving Medal has a long history and it was originally founded as a Prussian award, but it was made an award of the Reich in 1933 by President Hindenburg.

The Medal was conferred upon German citizens and foreigners who risked their lives to save a victim from a perilous situation.

Each recipient had to be acting independently, had to be at least 18 years old, and could only be awarded the Medal once; recipients under the age of 18 received a non-wearable medal. The non-wearable medal was also awarded in recognition of "lesser" life saving acts.

The 1933-1937 medal features the German Eagle, and the 1937-1945 medal features the German eagle with a swastika on a small shield on its chest.

The reverse inscription translates to, "For Rescuing from Danger."