Medal For Participation in the Battle for Berlin

In order to commemorate the victory over German fascism and the contribution of the Polish Army to the capture of Berlin in 1945, the Sejm established the medal "For Participation in the Battle for Berlin" by the bill of 21 April 1966. It was intended as a tribute to the soldiers of the 1st Tadeusz Kosciuszko Warsaw Infantry Division, the 2nd Pomeranian Haubice Artillery Brigade, the 1st Independent Mortar Brigade, the 6th Warsaw Ponton-Bridge Battalion and the Independent Assault Battalion who took part in the battles to capture Berlin in May 1945. The decoration also given to soldiers from other units of the Polish Army who supported the assault on Berlin with their actions. The medal was awarded once and was of a commemorative nature. It was first awarded during the celebration of the Millennium of the Polish State in 1966. The designer of the medal was Wacław Kowalik (1913-1983) – sculptor and medallist, an associate of the State Mint, for which he created more than a hundred medal designs, plaques and coin designs. The iconography used, such as the vertical sprig of laurel on the reverse, refers to the ancient symbolism of honouring winners. However, the obverse, which bears an image of the Order of the Cross of Grunwald, established as early as 1943 by the People's Guard command, directly indicates the communist nature of this decoration. As with most orders and medals of war, the awarding of the Medal "For Participation in the Battle for Berlin" was deemed complete on 23 December 1992. Anna Lew-Machniak