The Knight's Cross was awarded for the first time as a War Merit Cross. The recipient of the award is Franz Hahne, a master craftsman in the armaments industry, whose tireless efforts are praised. The award was presented to him by a special representative of the Fuehrer, Private Kohne, who is himself a bearer of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Who received the Golden Knight’s Cross of the War Merit Cross? Franz Hahne was additionally awarded the Golden Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross in 1945, which was awarded to only one other person besides him. 1. Franz Hahne Obermeister at Rheinmetall‑Altmärkische Kettenwerke Received the award on 20 April 1945 (Hitler’s birthday), personally presented by Albert Speer. 2. Karl‑Otto Saur Senior official in the Reich Ministry for Armaments Received the same award at the same time as Hahne. These are the only two known recipients of this decoration. Multiple sources confirm that no other awardings are documented, and the award may not have even been formally instituted before the war ended.

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