History

The Civilian Disobedience Medal was awarded to Belgian citizens in recognition of their refusal to support the Germans during the Second World War.

The medal was awarded on different ribbons to denote different reasons for conferral. Red stripes indicate that the recipient refused to participate in forced labour in Germany, white stripes indicate that the recipient refused to work for the Germans, and yellow stripes indicate that the recipient refused to serve in the German Armed Forces.

The reverse inscription appears in Latin and translates to “Perhaps Defeated, But Never Slaves.”