Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter [Cross of Honor of the German Mother]

“The motherly spirit is the source of all that is eternal.” This quote, taken from a Nazi women’s magazine, identified motherhood as a near-sacred pillar of the state. To promote this cause, the Nazi party developed the Mother’s Cross, a medal given to German women with multiple children. A bronze medal was awarded for four children, silver for six or seven, and gold for eight or more. Officials could rescind the medal if the recipients engaged in immoral behavior, such as drinking and adultery, or they were discovered to be racially impure.