Like all World War II films; it is dramatised fiction inspired by real events. As such, the events depicted should be viewed as entertainment and not a history lesson.
The Medal that Major König wore when he arrived and through most of the first part of the movie is the Knights Cross of The Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. There were two grades of the ordinary Iron Cross, then the Knights Cross of The Iron Cross, which was worn around the neck and which the General Paulus appeared to be wearing. Above this were the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, then Oak Leaves and Swords, then Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds and finally Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. This highest award was only given to one recipient throughout the entire war.
The other medal that the major wore was is the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords, the highest award in its class. There were versions awarded to civilians that didn't have the swords behind the cross. This medal had been awarded posthumously to his son who had fallen in the first attacks on Stalingrad.
As well as it being common practice for highly decorated soldiers to wear lower grades of medals than they had been awarded while in combat, to prevent the more valuable awards being lost if they fell, he probably wore his son's medal into battle to honour him.
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- How long is Enemy at the Gates?2 hours and 11 minutes
- When was Enemy at the Gates released?March 16, 2001
- What is the IMDb rating of Enemy at the Gates?7.5 out of 10
- Who stars in Enemy at the Gates?
- Who wrote Enemy at the Gates?
- Who directed Enemy at the Gates?
- Who was the composer for Enemy at the Gates?
- Who was the producer of Enemy at the Gates?
- Who was the executive producer of Enemy at the Gates?
- Who was the cinematographer for Enemy at the Gates?
- Who was the editor of Enemy at the Gates?
- Who are the characters in Enemy at the Gates?Vassili Zaitsev, Commisar Danilov, Tania Chernova, Nikita Khrushchev, Major König, Koulikov, Mother Filipov, Sacha Filipov, Gen. Von Paulus, Ludmilla, and others
- What is the plot of Enemy at the Gates?A Russian and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad.
- What was the budget for Enemy at the Gates?$68 million
- How much did Enemy at the Gates earn at the worldwide box office?$97 million
- How much did Enemy at the Gates earn at the US box office?$51.4 million
- What is Enemy at the Gates rated?R
- What genre is Enemy at the Gates?Action, Drama, and War
- How many awards has Enemy at the Gates been nominated for?7 nominations
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![Jude Law and Joseph Fiennes in Enemy at the Gates (2001)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWFlY2E3ODQtZWNiNi00ZGU4LTkzNWEtZTQ2ZTViMWRhYjIzL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTAyODkwOQ@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg)