The Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown (''Verdienstorden der Preußischen Krone'') was an award of civil and military merit established 18 January 1901 by King

Wilhelm II 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 Empir ...

on the occasion of the bicentennial of the establishment of the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

. The order was presented in one class and consisted of a badge and a breast star. For military merit the award was presented with crossed swords. The order was presented once with diamonds.

Description of the award

The order consists of a badge, worn on a sash from right shoulder to the left hip, and a star worn on the left chest: The badge of the order is a blue-enamelled, eighteen-karat, yellow-

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed f ...

with a granular border. In each of the compartments between the four arms of the cross is a red-enamelled crown surmounting the royal monogram ("W II", for Wilhelm II). The central disc on the obverse of the badge shows a golden crown with red enamel, surrounded by a blue-enamelled circular band bearing the gold-lettered motto, " Gott Mit Uns". The disc on the reverse bears the intertwined initials "IR W II" (for "Imperator Rex Wilhelm II": "Emperor King William II"), encircled by the date "18 January 1901". The

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

of the order is a golden eight-pointed star with straight rays, displaying the central disc from the obverse of the badge. The sash of the order is blue, edged with orange stripes.

Awards

The medal was awarded only 57 times. General von Gossler was the only person who received the awards in both departments.

Recipients

* King William II of Prussia on 18 January 1901 * Prince Albert of Prussia, Regent of the Duchy of Braunschweig on 18 January 1901 * Baron

Walter von Loë Friedrich Karl Walter Degenhard Freiherr von Loë (9 September 1828 – 6 July 1908) was a Prussian soldier and aristocrat. Loë had the distinction of being one of the few Roman Catholics to reach the rank of ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (field mars ...

, Prussian colonel general of cavalry and adjutant general on 18 January 1901 * Count Vladimir Lamsdorf, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs on 21 September 1901 * Count Paul von Hatzfeldt zu Wildenburg, German Ambassador to London, on 8 November 1901 * Küçük Mehmet Sait Pasha Ottoman

Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

on 24 May 1902 * Crown Prince

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...

Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 mi ...

, on 30 May 1902, during a visit to Berlin *

Giulio Prinetti Giulio Nicolò Marchese Prinetti (6 June 1851 – 9 June 1908) was an Italian businessman and politician from Milan. He was the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs in Giuseppe Zanardelli's period between 1901 and 1903, and signed the Triple Al ...

, Italian Foreign Minister, in late August 1902, during the visit to Germany of King

Victor Emmanuel III of Italy Victor Emmanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Maria Gennaro di Savoia; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. He also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia (1936–1941) and K ...

* Otto von Berg Strub, Prussian general of infantry, 21 October 1902 * Prince Hermann von Hatzfeldt zu Trachenberg, Prussian Chief President on 22 June 1903 * Konrad Ernst von Gossler, Prussian general of infantry on 14 August 1903 * Arthur Freiherr von Bolfras, Austrian field-marshal and Adjutant General on 18 September 1903 * Count Uexküll-Gyllenband, Austrian general and commander of the 2nd Cavalry Corps on 18 September 1903 * Count of Abensperg and Traun, Austrian Colonel-Kämmerer 19 September 1903 *

Count Károly Khuen-Héderváry Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

, Hungarian Prime Minister on 19 September 1903 * Henry Lascelles, British Ambassador in Berlin on 30 June 1904 * Damat Ferid Pasha, Ottoman Grand Vizier on 24 September 1904 * Eberhardt zu Solms-Sonnewalde, Prussian Ambassador 18 October 1904 * Albert von Mischke, Prussian general and adjutant general of the infantry on 18 October 1904 * Edler von der Planitz, Austrian general of the Cavalry and Inspector General of Cavalry, on 24 April 1905 * Strukoff, Russian General of Cavalry and Adjutant General on 4 June 1905 * Count

August zu Eulenburg August Ludwig Traugott Botho Graf zu Eulenburg (22 October 1838 – 16 June 1921) was an officer in the Prussian, and later German armies, and official in the Prussian royal court. He was the younger brother of Count Botho zu Eulenburg, who se ...

, Prussian Minister of State on 2 July 1905 * Graf zu Castell-Castell, Bavarian Lieutenant-General and High Steward on 14 November 1905 * Baron Max Wladimir von Beck, Austrian Prime Minister on 22 June 1906 *

Sándor Wekerle Sándor Wekerle (14 November 1848 – 26 August 1921) was a Hungarian politician who served three times as prime minister. He was the first non-noble to hold the office in Hungary. Biography He was born in Mór to a Danube Swabian family, i ...

, Hungarian Prime Minister on 22 June 1906 * Fiedler, Austrian artillery commander and commanding general of First Army Corps on 7 May 1908 * Leopold Graf Gudenus, Austrian Colonel-eunuch on 7 May 1908 * Graf Cziráky von Czirák und Dénesfalva, Austrian Obersthofmarschall on 7 May 1908 * Arvid Lindman, Swedish Prime Minister on 3 August 1908 *

Hemming Gadd General Hemming Gadd (6 November 1837 – 14 January 1915) was a Swedish Army officer. His senior commands included regimental commander of the 2nd Life Grenadier Regiment and Svea Life Guards, as well as commander of the 4th Army Division. Gadd ...

, Swedish general of the infantry on 3 August 1908 *

Max von Hausen Max Clemens Lothar Freiherr von Hausen (December 17, 1846 – March 19, 1922) was a German army commander. He participated in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-German Wars and became ''Generaloberst'' of Saxon troops and War Minister in the Kingdo ...

, Saxon Infantry General and Minister of State on 10 September 1908 *

Ahmed Tevfik Pasha Ahmet Tevfik Pasha ( ota, احمد توفیق پاشا‎; 11 February 1845 – 8 October 1936), later Ahmet Tevfik Okday after the Turkish Surname Law of 1934, was an Ottoman statesman of Crimean Tatar origin. He was the last Grand vizie ...

, Ottoman Marshal on 10 September 1908 *

Julius von Verdy du Vernois Adrian Friedrich Wilhelm Julius Ludwig von Verdy du Vernois (19 July 1832 – 30 September 1910), often given the short name of Verdy, was a German general and staff officer, chiefly noted both for his military writings and his service on ...

, Prussian general of infantry on 1 March 1909 * Pyotr Arkadyevitch Stolypin, Russian Prime Minister on 17 June 1909 * Count Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, head of the Austrian General Staff on 9 September 1909 * Franz Freiherr von Schoen Aich, Austrian Infantry General and Minister of War on 9 September 1909 * Carl von Horn, Bavarian Infantry General and Minister of War on 17 September 1909 * Wilhelm von Linden-Suden, Prussian general of infantry on 7 April 1911 * Hermann von Blomberg, Prussian general of infantry on 13 September 1911 * Georg von Kleist, Prussian general of the cavalry on 6 April 1912 * Jules Greindl, Belgian Minister of State on 24 May 1912 * Sergei Dmitrievich Sazonov, Russian Foreign Minister on 4 July 1912 * Hans von Kirchbach, Saxon general of the artillery on 13 September 1912 * Prince Katsura Tarō, major Japanese Privy Seal on 19 September 1912 * Peter von Wiedenmann, Bavarian Artillery General and Adjutant General on 19 December 1912 * Maximilian von Seinsheim, Bavarian Court on 19 December 1912 * Victor von Podbielski, Prussian Minister of State on 16 June 1913 * Walter Reinhold von Mossner, Prussian general of the cavalry on 16 June 1913 *

Clemens von Delbrück Clemens Ernst Gottlieb von Delbrück (; 19 January 1856, in Halle an der Saale – 17 December 1921, in Jena) was a German conservative politician. He was ennobled in 1916. Early life He was born into a common family, and attended high school in ...

, Prussian Minister of State on 24 June 1914 * Baron von Hammerstein-Loxten, Prussian general of infantry on 12 May 1917 * Reinhold Krämer, Prussian Secretary of the Post Office on 6 August 1917 * General Paul von Ploetz, Prussian general of infantry on 13 March 1918

Recipients with swords

* Kanin, Prince of Japan on 22 March 1906 * Prince Ōyama Iwao, Marquis and Japanese Marshal on 22 March 1906 * Karl Ludwig d'Elsa, Saxon Colonel General on 2 January 1917 * Ernst Konrad von Gossler, Prussian general of infantry on 10 February 1917 * Ernst von Hoiningen, Prussian general of infantry on 6 March 1917

Recipients with diamonds

* Maximilian von Seinsheim, Bavarian Court on 15 December 1913

References

Bibliography

* Jörg Nimmergut: ''Deutsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen bis 1945.'' Band 2. ''Limburg – Reuss.'' Zentralstelle für wissenschaftliche Ordenskunde, München 1997, . * Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann: ''Der Verdienstorden der Preußischen Krone'', Mitteilung aus dem Institut für Wissenschaftliche Ordenskunde, Der Herold - Band 12, 32. Jahrgang 1989, Heft 9 {{Orders of Imperial Germany Orders, decorations, and medals of Prussia Orders of chivalry of Germany Kingdom of Prussia Awards established in 1901 1901 establishments in Germany