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Orders, Decorations, And Medals Of The German Empire
Orders, decorations, and medals of the German Empire covers those decorations awarded by the states which came together under Prussian leadership to form the German Empire in 1871. For convenience's sake, this category also covers the decorations of the various German states which were no longer in existence in 1871, mainly because they had been annexed by Prussia during the Wars of Unification or before. German Empire The German Empire consisted of 25 states: four kingdoms, six grand duchies, five duchies, seven principalities and three Hanseatic cities. In addition, the house order of the Hohenzollern principalities, although the states themselves had been annexed by Prussia, continued to be awarded in the imperial era. Each state awarded decorations for civil or military merit. The following is a list of the principal civil and military decorations of each state. Kingdom of Prussia ;Orders * Order of the Black Eagle * Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown * Order of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperial Germany, the Second Reich or simply Germany, was the period of the German Reich; . from the unification of Germany in 1871 until the German revolution of 1918–1919, November Revolution in 1918, when the German Reich changed its form of government from a monarchy to a Weimar Republic, republic. The German Empire consisted of States of the German Empire, 25 states, each with its own nobility: four constituent Monarchy, kingdoms, six Grand duchy, grand duchies, five Duchy, duchies (six before 1876), seven Principality, principalities, three Free imperial city, free Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City-state, cities, and Alsace–Lorraine, one imperial territory. While Prussia was one of four kingdoms in the realm, it contained about two-thirds ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Wilhelm-Orden
The Imperial and Royal Order of Wilhelm ('' in English'' "William-Order") was instituted on 18 January 1896 by the German Emperor and King of Prussia Willhelm II as a high civilian award, and was dedicated to the memory of his grandfather Emperor William I "the Great". Insignia The insignia of the Order consisted of a golden medal with the portrait of William I, surrounded by a golden wreath and suspended from a heavy golden collar. This collar with a weight of 222 grams bore the words ''WIRKE IM ANDENKEN AN KAISER WILHELM DEN GROSSEN'' (English: "Work in the memory of Emperor William the Great") and was designed by the jewellers Emil Weigand and Otto Schultz. List of recipients The order was very exclusive. One of the first to be decorated was Otto von Bismarck. Also among the recipients were: *Heinrich von Stephan, General Post Director - ''1896''. * Count Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner, politician - ''27 January 1900'' - on the occasion of the Emperor´s birthday. * Princess ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Warrior Merit Medal (Prussia)
The Warrior Merit Medal () was a military decoration of Prussia. Established by Friedrich Wilhelm III, it was primarily awarded to troops not in Prussian Army military service. The first recipients were members of the Imperial Guard grenadier company guarding the Russian imperial residence during Friedrich Whilhelm's visit to St. Petersburg in 1835. Appearance Both versions of the medal are circular and silver, 25 mm in diameterThe first versionmedal 1835 for Russian soldiers had depicts the crowned cypher of Friedrich Wilhelm III on the obverse of the medal. The reverse bears the inscription ''KRIEGER VERDIENST'' (Warrior Merit) surrounded by a wreath of two laurel sprigs, tied at its base with a bow. The medal is suspended by a ring suspension and hangs from the ribbon of the Order of the Red Eagle. The later version of the medal 1873 depicts the crowned cipher of King Wilhelm I Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Pru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Alsen Cross
The Alsen Cross () was a military medal of the Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif .... Established 7 December 1864, the medal commemorates the Prussian victory on 29 June 1864 during the Battle of Alsen. The medal was initially awarded with two different suspension ribbons, for combatants and noncombatants. It was subsequently extended to those troops held in reserve at the battle and members of the Johanniter Orden who participated in the battle. References External links *{{cite web, title=Alsen-Kreuz Alsen Cross, url=http://antique-photos.com/en/awardsdatabase/german-empire/prussia/297-alsen-cross.html, publisher=Antique Photos, accessdate=19 January 2015, archive-date=18 January 2015, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118114319/http:/ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Duppel Storm Cross
The Düppel Storm Cross () was a military medal of the Kingdom of Prussia. The cross was awarded to Prussian participants in the Battle of Dybbøl (''Düppeler Schanzen'') which took place on 18 April 1864, during the Second Schleswig War. Established by William I, German Emperor, Wilhelm, King of Prussia on 18 October 1864, the cross was initially awarded to combatants and noncombatants who directly participated in the battle. The following year, versions were created for those troops held in reserve at the battle and members of the Johanniter Orden who participated in the battle. Appearance Medal The Düppel Storm Cross was designed by Friedrich Wilhelm Kullrich, a Prussian court medalist. It was the first of three commemorative crosses awarded during the 1860s with similar designs. The medal is in the shape of a cross pattée. Visible between the arms of the cross is a laurel wreath. Superimposed in the center of the cross is a round medallion. On the obverse and reverse, obvers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Merit Cross For War Aid
The Merit Cross for War Aid () was a war decoration of Prussia awarded during World War I. Instituted 5 December 1916, the cross was awarded for patriotic war aid service, without regard to status or rank. Appearance The Merit Cross for War Aid is in the shape of a Maltese cross, typically found made of blackened ''Kriegsmetall'' alloy. The obverse of the cross bears a circular central medallion with the crowned cipher of King Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th .... On the reverse the central medallion is inscribed ''FÜR KRIEGS-HILFSDIENST'' (For War Aid Merit) above an oak wreath. To the upper arm is attached a loop for suspension from its ribbon. References {{Orders and decorations of the Kingdom of Prussia Military awards and decorations of Prussia< ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Military Honor Medal
The Military Honor Medal () was a two-class military decoration awarded by the Kingdom of Prussia. The medal was awarded to military personnel from the rank of sergeant and below. Established in 1814, it replaced the Gold Military Merit Medal of 1806 (Goldene Militär-Verdienstmedaille), with a medal in the shape of a cross silver cross for the 1st class while the Silver Military Medal of 1806 (Silberne Militär-Verdienstmedaille) became the 2nd class with minor changes in design. Initial award criteria meant that in order to be awarded the 1st Class cross a recipient must have been awarded the 2nd Class medal first, much like the requirements for the General Honor Decoration. The Military Honor Medal and General Honor Decoration developed in a side-by-side manner in their first years of award. They utilized the same cross and medal for their first few years until the General Honor Decoration, 1st Class became the 4th Class of the Order of the Red Eagle in 1830. Even after thi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Military Merit Cross (Prussia)
The Military Merit Cross (German: ''Militär-Verdienstkreuz'') was the highest bravery award of the Kingdom of Prussia for non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers. It was also known as the Golden Military Merit Cross (''Goldenes Militär-Verdienstkreuz'') to distinguish it from the Military Decoration 1st Class (''Militär-Ehrenzeichen I. Klasse''), a lesser Prussian enlisted bravery decoration which was an identical cross but in silver. The Military Merit Cross came to also be known as the "Pour le Mérite for non-commissioned officers and enlisted men" (''Orden Pour le Mérite für Unteroffiziere und Mannschaften''), after the Pour le Mérite, Prussia's highest military decoration for officers. The Military Merit Cross was founded by King Wilhelm I of Prussia on February 27, 1864. It was originally reserved for those in the rank of '' Feldwebel'' (the then-highest NCO grade) and below, but eligibility was later extended to soldiers in the rank of ''Offizier-Stellvertr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the insignia of the medieval Teutonic Order and borne by its knights from the 13th century. As well as being a military medal, it has also been used as an emblem by the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, and the of the Weimar Republic, while the ''Balkenkreuz'' (bar cross) variant was used by the ''Wehrmacht''. The Iron Cross is now the emblem of the , the modern German armed forces. King Frederick William III of Prussia established the Iron Cross award on 17 March 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars (EK 1813). The award was backdated to the birthday (10 March) of his late wife, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen Louise, who was the first person to receive it (posthumously). The Iron Cross was also awarded during the Franco-Prussian War ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Cross Of The Mount Of Olives
The Cross of the Mount of Olives () was a Prussian award which was founded on 24 December 1909, by the Prussian Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia as a decoration to commemorate the foundation of a hospital, the ''Kaiserin Auguste Victoria-Stiftung'' (literally, "Empress Augusta Victoria Foundation, better known today as Augusta Victoria Hospital) on the Biblical Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. His very devout mother, Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, was fond of charitable works and built several churches. Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany and his wife, Auguste Victoria, had visited Jerusalem in 1898. They had pledged to build a hospital for Christian pilgrims suffering from malaria. On 27 January 1907, the entire imperial family, both parents and all their seven children, signed the charter of the ''Ölbergstiftung''. The foundation stone was laid in that same year. The Cross of the Mount of Olives was awarded to gentleman and ladies who contributed to the Foundation. The fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Jerusalem Cross (Prussia)
The Jerusalem Cross or Jerusalem Memorial Cross (; ''Jerusalem-Erinnerungskreuz'') was a decoration of Prussia established 31 October 1898. The cross was awarded to those who traveled with Emperor Wilhelm II on his 1898 visit to the Levant and attended the inauguration of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Jerusalem. Insignia The Jerusalem Cross is made in the shape of the Jerusalem cross. The cross consists of a large cross portent with four plain crosslets between the arms. The crosses are red enameled with silver-gilt borders. In the center of the cross is a round gold colored medallion. The obverse side, the medallion depicts the Imperial Crown of the Prussian German Emperor surmounting the letters ''IR'' (''Imperator Rex'') over the royal cypher of a stylized ''W II''. The reverse of the medallion bears the date 31 October 1898. This date is depicted using a large Roman numeral Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remaine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
General Honor Decoration (Prussia)
The General Honor Decoration () was a decoration of Prussia. The decoration can trace its origin back to awards established in 1793 by King of Prussia, King Frederick William III of Prussia. The various levels of the decoration recognized peacetime merit to Prussia. These awards were often to commemorate long and particularly meritorious service or for special contributions from people who would not be considered for appointment to an order due to their rank. In general, recipients were lower and mid-level officials and officers. The General Honor Decoration originally consisted of a First Class medal in gold, and a Second Class medal in silver. After 1814, the gold medal was discontinued being replaced by a silver cross for the First Class. In January 1830, the cross was made into the Fourth Class of the Order of the Red Eagle, leaving only the silver medal for award. In 1890, a gold medal was reestablished as a higher level class. In 1900, the gold medal was replaced by t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
