The Friedrich-August Cross was a German decoration of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It was set up on 24 September 1914 by

Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg Frederick Augustus II (16 November 1852 in Oldenburg – 24 February 1931 in Rastede) was the last ruling Grand Duke of Oldenburg. He married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau and Prince Fr ...

, with two classes, for (to quote its citation) "all persons of military or civilian status, who have shown outstanding service during the war itself".

Insignia

The Friedrich-August-Kreuz is a black iron

cross pattée A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...

with a laurel wreath between the arms. The

obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...

of the cross bears a circular central medallion with the initials ''FA''. The crown of Oldenburg appears on the upper arm of the cross, with the lower arm bearing the date ''1914''. The reverse is plain.

Recipients

First Class

Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884–1948) Prince Adalbert Ferdinand Berengar Viktor of Prussia (14 July 1884 – 22 September 1948) was the third son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, by his first wife, Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. Early life Prince Adalbert was bo ...

Conrad Albrecht Conrad Albrecht (7 October 1880 in Bremen – 18 August 1969 in Hamburg) was a German admiral during World War II. Early military career Albrecht entered the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' (Imperial German Navy) on 10 April 1899 as a sea cadet. He ...

Joachim von Amsberg (general) Joachim von Amsberg (26 August 1869 in Schwerin – 5 September 1945 in Rostock) was a German general, aristocrat and a member of the House of Amsberg. Biography Born as the youngest son of Gabriel Ludwig Johann von Amsberg (1822–1899) and his w ...

Hermann Bauer Hermann Bauer (22 July 1875 – 11 February 1958) was a Germans, German naval officer who served as commander of the U-boat forces of the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' during World War I. In addition to his World War I career, Bauer is well known as the ...

Paul Behncke Paul Behncke (13 August 1869 – 4 January 1937) was a German admiral during the First World War, most notable for his command of the III Battle Squadron of the German High Seas Fleet during the Battle of Jutland. Naval career He was born in Lü ...

Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann Hollweg (29 November 1856 – 1 January 1921) was a German politician who was the chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917. He oversaw the German entry into World War I. According to bio ...

Johannes Blaskowitz Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz (10 July 1883 – 5 February 1948) was a German ''Generaloberst'' during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. After joining the Imperial German Army in ...

Werner von Blomberg Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg (2 September 1878 – 13 March 1946) was a German General Staff officer and the first Minister of War in Adolf Hitler's government. After serving on the Western Front in World War I, Blomberg was appointed chi ...

* Friedrich Boedicker * Walter Böning *

Walter Braemer Walter Braemer (7 January 1883 13 June 1955) was a general in the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht and a high-ranking SS commander during the Nazi era. He was a Nazi criminal responsible for mass murders of the civilian population of Bromberg/Byd ...

* Karl-Heinrich Brenner *

Eduard von Capelle Admiral Eduard von Capelle (10 October 1855 – 23 February 1931) was a German Imperial Navy officer from Celle. He served in the navy from 1872 until his retirement in October, 1918. During his career, Capelle served in the ''Reichsmarin ...

Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia Prince Wilhelm Eitel Friedrich Christian Karl of Prussia (7 July 1883 – 8 December 1942) was the second son of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany by his first wife, Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. He was born ...

Archduke Eugen of Austria Archduke Eugen Ferdinand Pius Bernhard Felix Maria of Austria-Teschen (21 May 1863 – 30 December 1954) was an Archduke of Austria and a Prince of Hungary and Bohemia. He was the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights from the Habsburg dyna ...

Alexander von Falkenhausen Alexander Ernst Alfred Hermann Freiherr von Falkenhausen (29 October 187831 July 1966) was a German general and military advisor to Chiang Kai-shek. He was an important figure during the Sino-German cooperation to reform the Chinese Army. In 19 ...

Kurt Fricke Kurt Fricke (8 November 1889 – 2 May 1945) was an Admiral with the Kriegsmarine (navy) of Nazi Germany during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Biography Fricke entered the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' as a cadet ...

Hermann Geyer __NOTOC__ Hermann Geyer (7 July 1882 – 10 April 1946) was a German general during World War II who commanded the IX Army Corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Geyer retired in 1943 and committed suic ...

Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg Leo Dietrich Franz Reichsfreiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg (2 March 1886 – 27 January 1974), was a German general during World War II, noted for his pioneering stance and expertise in the field of armoured warfare. He commanded the 5th Panzer Arm ...

* Hermann von Hanneken (soldier) * Heino von Heimburg *

Wilhelm Heye August Wilhelm Heye (31 January 1869, Fulda – 11 March 1947, Braunlage) was a German officer who rose to the rank of Generaloberst and became head of the Army Command within the Ministry of the Reichswehr in the Weimar Republic. One of his ...

Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fr ...

Franz von Hipper Franz Ritter von Hipper (13 September 1863 – 25 May 1932) was an admiral in the German Imperial Navy (''Kaiserliche Marine''). Franz von Hipper joined the German Navy in 1881 as an officer cadet. He commanded several torpedo boat units an ...

Henning von Holtzendorff Henning Rudolf Adolf Karl von Holtzendorff (9 January 1853 – 7 June 1919) was a German admiral during World War I, who became famous for his December 1916 memo about unrestricted submarine warfare against the United Kingdom. He was a recipient o ...

* Gerhard Kauffmann *

Wilhelm Keitel Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (; 22 September 188216 October 1946) was a German field marshal and war criminal who held office as chief of the '' Oberkommando der Wehrmacht'' (OKW), the high command of Nazi Germany's Armed Forces, duri ...

Werner Kempf Werner Kempf (9 March 1886 – 6 January 1964) was a general in the German Army rising to corps-level command during World War II. Kempf is best known for commanding the Army Detachment Kempf during the Battle of Kursk. Career Kempf joined the ...

Gustav Kieseritzky __NOTOC__ Gustav Kieseritzky (22 September 1893 – 19 November 1943) was a German admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Kieseritzky was killed on 19 November 1943 during the Kerc ...

Philipp Kleffel __NOTOC__ Philipp Kleffel (9 December 1887 – 10 October 1964) was a German general during World War II who commanded several corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. For 10 days, Kleffel served as th ...

Gustav Leffers Gustav Leffers (2 January 1895 –27 December 1916) was a German flying ace in World War I, credited with 9 victories. Background Leffers was born in Wilhelmshaven, the son of a naval engineer. He was educated in Wilhelmshaven and Stettin a ...

Felix von Luckner Felix Nikolaus Alexander Georg Graf von Luckner (9 June 1881, Dresden – 13 April 1966, Malmö), sometimes called Count Luckner in English, was a German nobleman, naval officer, author, and sailor who earned the epithet ''Der Seeteufel'' (the ...

Günther Lütjens Johann Günther Lütjens (25 May 1889 – 27 May 1941) was a German admiral whose military service spanned more than thirty years and two world wars. Lütjens is best known for his actions during World War II and his command of the battleship d ...

* Georg Alexander von Müller *

Karl August Nerger Karl August Nerger (25 February 1875 – 12 January 1947) was a naval officer of the Imperial German Navy in World War I, who achieved fame and recognition during the war for his command of the auxiliary cruiser '' SMS Wolf''. Nerger was born ...

Erich Raeder Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960) was a German admiral who played a major role in the naval history of World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank, that of grand admiral, in 1939, becoming the f ...

* Ludwig von Reuter *

Ehrhard Schmidt Ehrhard Schmidt (18 May 1863 – 18 July 1946) was an admiral of the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' (Imperial German Navy) during World War I. Career At age 15 he entered the navy and saw service at several branches at sea and on land. Among them were ...

Hubert Schmundt Hubert Schmundt (19 September 1888 – 17 October 1984) was a German admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Career Schmundt joined the German Imperial Navy ('' Kaiserliche Marine' ...

Otto Schniewind Otto Schniewind (14 December 1887 – 26 March 1964) was a German General Admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Career Schniewind entered the Kaiserliche Marine in 1907 as a cad ...

Otto Schultze Otto Schultze (11 May 1884 – 22 January 1966) was a '' Generaladmiral'' with the '' Kriegsmarine'' during World War II and a recipient of the ''Pour le Mérite'' during World War I. The ''Pour le Mérite'' was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest ...

Hans von Seeckt Johannes "Hans" Friedrich Leopold von Seeckt (22 April 1866 – 27 December 1936) was a German military officer who served as Chief of Staff to August von Mackensen and was a central figure in planning the victories Mackensen achieved for Germany ...

Otto von Stülpnagel Otto Edwin von Stülpnagel (16 June 1878 – 6 February 1948) was a German military commander of occupied France during the Second World War. Arrested by Allied authorities after the war, he committed suicide in prison in 1948. Career Otto von S ...

* Karl Topp * Adolf von Trotha *

Walter Warzecha Walter Wilhelm Julius Warzecha (23 May 1891 – 3 August 1956) was a German naval commander and high-ranking officer of the ''Kriegsmarine''. Serving in the rank of General Admiral he succeeded General Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg as the last ...

Wilhelm II, German Emperor Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Emp ...

* Karl Witzell *

Eberhard Wolfram __NOTOC__ Eberhard Wolfram (24 July 1882 – 6 January 1947) was a ''Vizeadmiral'' with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Awards * Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (21 September 1914) & 1st C ...

Second Class

* Ludwig Bieringer *

Hellmuth Heye Hellmuth Guido Alexander Heye (9 August 1895 – 10 November 1970) was a German admiral in World War II and politician in post-war Germany. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Naval career Heye graduated ...

* Ernst Lindemann

References

Bibliography

* Friedhelm Beyreiß: ''Der Hausorden und die tragbaren Ehrenzeichen des Großherzogtum Oldenburg 1813-1918'', Militair-Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt 1997, {{Orders of Imperial Germany Military awards and decorations of Imperial Germany Orders, decorations, and medals of Oldenburg Awards established in 1914