The 1953 Order Of The People's Hero With Award Document To Croatian President Marijan Cvetković

Of great historical importance and value, in 18K Gold, weighing 45.5 grams inclusive of its ribbon, hallmarked and maker marked "IKOM" (Zagreb) on the integral ring, 43.5 mm x 55 mm, on full-length original neck ribbon, light contact, extremely fine. Accompanied by its 9 mm x 36.5 Ribbon Bar, in its hardshelled case of issue, marked with the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ) coat-of-arms and inscribed "ORDEN NARODNOG HEROJA" on both the cover and inside lid, lightly soiled raised platform with recessed medal bed, soiled exterior, case near extremely fine. Accompanied by his Order of the People's Hero Award Identification Pass (leather-covered, front cover with the embossed Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ) coat-of-arms, inscribed in handwritten black ink "Djure Marijan Cvetković" on page one, dual stamped black and white photo of Cvetković with his signature below on page two, stamped and numbered "138" with the award date of November 27, 1953 and dated February 16, 1954 at Belgrade on page three, with three pages of instructions, 77 mm x 102 mm); and his Order of the People's Hero Award Document (printed in black, red, orange-brown, navy blue and purple inks, on a moisture-resistant thick parchment paper stock, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ) coat-of-arms above the inscription "UKAZOM / PRETSEDNIKA / FEDERATIVNE NARODNE REPUBLIKE JUGOSLAVIJE / JOSIPA BROZE TITA / BROJ 138 OD novembra 1953 GODINE / ZA ISTAKNUTI BEZPRIMERNI HEROIZAM U BORBI PROTIV NARODNIH NEPRIJATELJA I OSVEDOĆENO JUNAŠTVO I ZAGLUGE U TOKE NARODNOOSLOBODILAĆKOG RATA OD 1941 DO 1945 GODINE / ODLIKOVAN JE / Cvetković Dj. Marijan / Ćlan Izvršnog veća NR Hrvatske / ORDENOM NARODNOG HEROJA / O ĆEMU SE IZDAJE OVA POVELJA / KANCELARIJA ORDENA / U BEOGRADU 27 novembra 1953 GODINE, ŠEF KANCELARIJE ORDENA", with a signature below, 347 mm x 495 mm, incorprating a 17.5 mm x 66 mm diameter seal, which is affixed to the document via a red, white and blue cord fed through it in two locations, passing through the seal and finished with the two ends bearing tassels, enclosed in its tube of issue with an ornate exterior in red, bearing the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ) coat-of-arms and inscribed "KANCELARIJA ORDENA" on the front, 83 mm x 400 mm).

Footnote: Marijan Cvetković was a Croatian and Yugoslav political activist and President of the Socialist Republic of Croatia. He was born on October 13, 1920 in Sisaka. As a high school student, he was excluded from secondary schools and taken up because of his communist activities. By 1935, at the age of 15, he was member of the Communist Youth and officially joined the Communist Party in 1938. Cvetković was one of the organizers for the establishment of the first Sisak Partisan Unit and took part in all military operations. In August 1941, he switched to Banovinu, where he was one of the organizers of the first partisan detachments among the Serbian population. In late summer 1942, he switched to Moslavina, where he was the Commander of the Moslavina partisan battalion which quickly grew into a squad. Towards the end of 1942, he moved to Slavonia, where he was a fighter with the Twelfth Slavonian Division and Political Commissar of the 16th Youth Brigade "Joza Vlahovic", then became Political Commissar of the Twelfth Slavonian Division in mid-1943. For his efforts during the Second World War, Cvetković was awarded the Order of the National Hero on November 27, 1953. After the liberation, he performed various political functions in the field for the Socialist Republic of Croatia (SRH), first serving as Chief of the Department of National Defence for the City of Zagreb. Other positions he held included: President of the Planning Commission of the PRC, was a minister in the PRC, Chairman of the Council for Public Health of the PRC, was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, a member of the Central Committee, President of the Federal Committee SUBNOR Yugoslavia and Vice-President of the Assembly of Yugoslavia. He was a party member of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia and later served as President of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (SRH), a federal unit of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ), from May 1982 to May 1983. He died on September 12, 1990 in Zagreb, at the age of 69. The Order of the People's Hero, or the Order of the National Hero, was a Yugoslav gallantry medal, the second highest military award, and third overall Yugoslav decoration. It was established on August 15, 1943 and was awarded to individuals, military units, political and other organizations who distinguished themselves by extraordinary heroic deeds during war and in peacetime. The recipients were thereafter known as People's Heroes of Yugoslavia or National Heroes of Yugoslavia. The vast majority was awarded to partisans for actions during the Second World War. A total of 1,322 awards were awarded in Yugoslavia and 19 to foreigners.