History

The Upper Silesia Commemorative Medal was instituted in 1926 by Hauptmann (Captain) Oestreicher, the leader of a splinter organisation of Bund Oberland called Alt-Oberland.

The Freikorps or Bund Oberland was established during the tumultuous post-war period in 1919 in Bavaria and fought against communist uprisings. When Polish insurgents invaded Upper Silesia in May of 1921, the Freikorps Oberland was sent to support the local Freikorps and militias.

The badge could be awarded to any member or former member of Bund Oberland who had already received the Silesian Eagle I Class, but also to men and women who had supported the Freikorps from home in Bavaria. No further information about institution or statutes is known.

The badge is bronze-coloured and could either be vertically oval or round. The obverse features the Silesian Eagle, and the reverse the inscription "FÜR VERDIENSTE UM OBERSCHLESIEN" (for merit for Upper Silesia) with an eight-sided star below and framed by laurel on the left and oak leaves on the right.
Variants have been observed, for example a badge with laurel on the right and oak leaves on the left of the obverse, while the reverse only features the inscription without the star and three oak leaves and two acorns at the bottom.

The ribbon for the badge is yellow/white/yellow with a black/white/red border on each side. However, probably due to the correct ribbon lacking, it was also worn with different ribbons.