Bidspirit auction | German WWII Wehrmacht 4-Year Long

German WWII Wehrmacht 4-Year Long Service Medal - A circular medal for four years of service in the Wehrmacht, featuring an eagle grasping a wreathed swastika with the inscription ”Treue Dienste in der Wehrmacht” around the border. The face bears the numeral ”4” set within an oak leaf wreath. The medal is suspended from an integral ring, and the medal body appears to be silvered metal. This award, known as the Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung, was instituted in 1936 to recognize long and faithful service by members of the German armed forces, with the design and wreath denoting the specific term of years completed. The Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung) was established by decree in 1936 as part of the broader remilitarisation and expansion of the German armed forces under the Third Reich, replacing earlier Reichswehr long-service awards. It was issued in graduated classes according to years served, with the four-year award being the entry-level grade, typically in silvered metal, while higher grades for longer service were rendered in different finishes and materials. These decorations were awarded broadly across the army, navy, and air force to recognise routine continued service rather than combat achievement, making them among the most commonly issued German military decorations of the period.