The Danzig Cross was a Nazi decoration of the Free City of Danzig

Free City of Danzig

The Free City of Danzig was a semi-autonomous city-state that existed between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig and surrounding areas....

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The Danzig Cross was instituted in 31 August 1939 as two grade decoration by Danzig Gauleiter

Gauleiter

A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau.-Creation and Early Usage:...

 Albert Forster

Albert Forster

Albert Maria Forster was a Nazi German politician. Under his administration as the Gauleiter of Danzig-West Prussia during the Second World War, the local non-German population suffered ethnic cleansing, mass murder, and forceful Germanisation...

. It was awarded to those who contributed to building up the Nazi Party in the free city.

In all 88 first class crosses and 253 second class crosses were awarded, most of them in a ceremony in 24 October 1939.

The Danzig Cross was designed by Benno von Arent

Benno von Arent

Benno von Arent was a German Nazi, member of the Nazi Party and SS, responsible for art, theatres, movies etc....

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Design

The Cross is shaped as a white Maltese Cross

Maltese cross

The Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...

and bear the Danzig coat of arms on it, the reverse was plain.

The second class is attached to a red ribbon with yellow and white strips on its edges, the first class had a pin on the reverse.