Badge of honour of philately

This list provides an overview of the most important state and non-state awards of the German Democratic Republic, arranged by their dates of establishment.

Between 1949 and 1990, more than 10,000 awards existed in the GDR. They were established by the state leadership or social organizations and awarded in the form of orders, prizes, honorary titles, and medals. State awards were always established by the State Council or Council of Ministers of the GDR, while “non-state” awards could be introduced and granted by specialist ministries, political parties, social organizations (e.g. the German Red Cross, the Society for German-Soviet Friendship, the German Gymnastics and Sports Federation, the Free German Trade Union Federation, the Free German Youth, the Society for Sport and Technology, the National Front, etc.), as well as enterprises, each within its own field of activity or responsibility.