List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients (R)

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments. The first enactment, Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573 of 1 September 1939 instituted the Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz), the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). Article 2 of the enactment mandated that the award of a higher class be preceded by the award of all preceding classes. As the war progressed, some of the recipients of the Knight's Cross distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940. In 1941, two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of 28 September 1941 introduced the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten). At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten), based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11 of 29 December 1944, became the final variant of the Knight's Cross authorized.

The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) kept separate Knight's Cross lists for the Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force) and Waffen-SS. Within each of these lists a unique sequential number was assigned to each recipient. The same numbering paradigm was applied to the higher grades of the Knight's Cross, one list per grade. Of the 448 awards made to servicemen whose last name starts with "R", 46 were later awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, eight the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, two the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds and one the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds; 41 presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received 295 of the medals, including the additional recipient identified by Scherzer; 16 went to the Kriegsmarine, 98 to the Luftwaffe, and 39 to the Waffen-SS. The sequential numbers greater than 843 for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves are unofficial and were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) and are therefore denoted in parentheses.

  This along with the + (plus) indicates that a higher grade of Knight's Cross was awarded as well.   This along with the * (asterisk) indicates that the Knight's Cross was awarded posthumously.   This along with the ? (question mark) indicates that historian Veit Scherzer has expressed doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing.

Siegfried Rieger

Siegfried Rieger is not listed by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). According to Veit Scherzer Rieger received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 April 1945, as Oberfeldwebel in the Heer and Sprengkommando of the Luftwaffe I/III in Luftgaukommando Berlin.