The Decoration for Services to the Liberation of Austria

• Time Period: Post-WW2 (for WW2)
• Institution: 27 January 1976
• Country: Austria

The Decoration for Services to the Liberation of Austria (or Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Befreiung Österreichs in german) is an Austrian decoration created by federal law on 27 January 1976.

The award is a special distinction for men and women who actively resisted the Nazi regime contributing to Austria’s liberation from Nazi rule.

The President of Austria confers this honour when sent a proposal by the Federal Chancellor based on a report from the Committee on the Austrian Liberation Decoration of Honour.

The Decoration for Services to the Liberation of Austria Design

The medal is circular, silver-plated, and has a diameter of 42 mm.

The obverse reads the inscription “FOR AUSTRIA’S LIBERATION“. The text raised and doesn’t have a constant height, but is presented in a convex form. The reverse bears the federal eagle, also centrally positioned.

The suspension is a couple of silver crossed laurel branches. The ribbon is 27 mm wide and split red-white-red. The rosette has a diameter of 10 mm, is colored red-white-red and decorated with two silver-colored, crossed laurel branches. Instead of the rosette, a bar (stitch-like stitching) is provided for women.