Bronze Lion
The Bronze Lion (Bronzen Leeuw) is a high Royal Dutch award, intended for servicemen who have shown extreme bravery and leadership in battle favouring The Netherlands; in some special cases it can be awarded to Dutch or foreign civilians. It was first created in 1944 and has since been issued 1,210 times. Proposals for an award are reviewed by the Dutch Board for Bravery Awards, which is part of the Ministry of Defence.
Bronze Lion
Vansoelen at Dutch Wikipedia · Public domain
- Name
- Bronze Lion
- Period
- 1944
- Region
- Netherlands
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Documentary summary
The Bronze Lion (Bronzen Leeuw) is a high Royal Dutch award, intended for servicemen who have shown extreme bravery and leadership in battle favouring The Netherlands; in some special cases it can be awarded to Dutch or foreign civilians. It was first created in 1944 and has since been issued 1,210 times. Proposals for an award are reviewed by the Dutch Board for Bravery Awards, which is part of the Ministry of Defence.
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wikidata · Q928510 · wikipedia · Bronze Lion
In this article
Overview
Overview
If awarded they are enforced by a Royal Decree. The Bronze Lion has precedence after the Order of the House of Orange but is the second-highest military decoration still being awarded for bravery (only preceded by the Military William Order).
Bronze Lion Medal 1944 (Netherlands) Garrard version front
Medalmaniak
Bronze Lion Medal 1944 (Netherlands) Original versions Garrard, Rijksmunt old, Begeer, Rijksmunt new
Medalmaniak
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Bronze Lion • Presenter — Kingdom of the Netherlands • Type — Military award • Awarded For — Deeds of extreme bravery and leadership in battle favouring the Netherlands • Status — Currently awarded • Firstawarded — 1944 • Lastawarded — latest 2009 (Björn Peterse, posthumous) • Total Awarded — 1212 • Total Awarded Posthumously — Possible • Total Recipients — 1212 • Higher — Military Order of William • Same — Honorable Mention • Lower — Resistance Star East Asia • Image2 Size — 85px • Caption2 — Ribbon bar of the Bronze Lion
Design
Design
The Bronze Lion is a cross in bronze, covered by a round shield. On the front is a relief of the crowned Dutch Lion. The cross is attached to a 37 mm wide ribbon, divided into nine equal vertical stripes, alternately orange and 'Nassau blue', the strips on either edge are Nassau blue. It is possible for a single person to receive more than one award of the Bronze Lion, in which case a number '2' in gold is added on the ribbon of the Bronze Lion.
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- Netherlands
Last awarded
On Wednesday 31 May 2006, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands posthumously awarded the late Major General Stanisław Sosabowski, commander of the 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade, the Bronze Lion for his services in Operation Market Garden in 1944. On Wednesday 7 October 2009, two Dutch soldiers were awarded the medal: commando Björn Peterse (posthumously awarded) and Captain Gijs Tuinman, for their actions in Afghanistan
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Medals
1,069 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- British War MedalTerminology
- Bronze CrossTerminology
- Bronze Cross MedalTerminology
- Bronze Cross of RhodesiaTerminology
- bronze medalTerminology
- Bronze Medal for MeritTerminology
- Bronze Medal of Military ValourTerminology
- Bronze Service MedalTerminology
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