The Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown () was an

order of merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

of the

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria ( ; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1806 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German Empire in 1871, the kingd ...

established by King Maximilian Joseph I on 19 March 1808. The

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

of the order is "Virtus et Honos" ('Courage and Honour'). The order was awarded in several grades: * Grand Cross * Grand Commander (grade added in 1855) * Commander * Knight * Medal in

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

* Medal in

Silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

History

King Maximilian I Joseph, founded the order to reward

civil servants The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...

of the state of all classes and other foreigners who were deserving of recognition of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was created as a civil counterpart to the

Military Order of Max Joseph The Military Order of Max Joseph () was the highest military order (decoration), order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria. The order came in three classes: ...

. Both the orders brought non-noble recipients in the collection of personal

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

with the title "

Ritter von Ritter (German for "knight") is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second-lowest Royal and noble ranks, rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "" (Baron). As with ...

". The Order of Merit of the Bavarian crown was initially founded with three grades Grand Cross, Commander, and Knight. King Maximilian II added the grade of Grand Commander in 1855. For each grade there was a fixed number of members. Initially membership in the order was limited to 12 Grand Crosses, 24 Commanders and 100 Knights. Statutes of the order from October 1817 list the limits at 24, 40 and 160. Adjustments to the statutes were also made on 16 February 1824, on 12 October 1834, on 12 January 1835 and in October 1838. The statutes were further modified in 1855 for the addition of the Grand Commander grade, also limited in numbers.

Recipients

Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo (16 September 18546 September 1927) was one of the highest court officials of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Among his direct ancestors were members of the House of Habsburg and the Medici family. Private life ...

* Johann Baptist Ritter von Bar (Königs Hofjägermeister) *

Bernhard von Bülow Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin, Prince of Bülow ( ; 3 May 1849 – 28 October 1929) was a German politician who served as the chancellor of the German Empire, imperial chancellor of the German Empire and minister-president of Prussia from 1900 to ...

* Bruno, Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen *

Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Chlodwig Carl Viktor, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prince of Ratibor and Corvey () (31 March 18196 July 1901), usually referred to as the Prince of Hohenlohe, was a German statesman, who served as the imperial chancellor of the German Em ...

Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern () (30 August 1891 – 6 February 1965) was the eldest son of William, Prince of Hohenzollern and Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He had a twin brother, Franz Joseph, Prince of Hohenzollern- ...

* Josef Ritter von Schmitt * Gottfried Ritter von Schmitt *

Georg von Hauberrisser Georg von Hauberrisser (19 March 1841 in Graz – 17 May 1922 in Munich) was a German-Austrian architect. Biography Hauberrisser’s father Georg Hauberrisser the Elder (1791–1875) was born in Erbach, Rheingau, Erbach in Rheingau and worked ...

Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (; 14 July 1825 – 2 May 1906) was a German diplomat. Early life Prince Heinrich VII Principality of Reuss-Gera, Reuss of Köstritz was born at Klipphausen on 14 July 1825. He was the fifth child a ...

Hermann, Fürst von Pückler-Muskau Prince Hermann Ludwig Heinrich von Pückler-Muskau (; born as Count Pückler, from 1822 Prince; 30 October 1785 – 4 February 1871) was a German nobleman, renowned as an accomplished artist in landscape gardening, as well as the author of a ...

Georg von Hertling Georg Friedrich Karl Freiherr von Hertling, from 1914 Count von Hertling, (31 August 1843 – 4 January 1919) was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party. He was foreign minister and minister president of Bavaria, then imperial chance ...

Heinrich von Heß Heinrich Hermann Josef Freiherr von Heß (alternatively: von Hess) (17 March 1788, Vienna – 13 April 1870, Vienna), was an Austrian soldier and field marshal, who entered the army in 1805 and was soon employed as a staff officer on survey wo ...

Prince Karl Theodor of Bavaria Prince Karl Theodor Maximilian August of Bavaria (7 July 1795 – 16 August 1875); and grand prior of the order of Malta, was a Bavarian soldier. Early life Charles was born in Munich on 7 July 1795. He was the second son of King Maximil ...

Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst The first name Konstantin () is a derivation from the Latin name '' Constantinus'' ( Constantine) in some European languages, such as Bulgarian, Russian, Estonian and German. As a Christian given name, it refers to the memory of the Roman emperor ...

Maximilian Karl Lamoral O'Donnell Maximilian Karl Lamoral Graf O'Donnell von Tyrconnell (29 October 1812 — 14 July 1895) was an Austrian officer and civil servant who became famous when he helped save the life of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria. O'Donnell was a descendant of ...

Leopold I of Belgium Leopold I (16 December 1790 – 10 December 1865) was the first king of the Belgians, reigning from 21 July 1831 until his death in 1865. The youngest son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Leopold took a commission in the Imperial Rus ...

Ludwig I of Bavaria Ludwig I or Louis I (; 25 August 1786 – 29 February 1868) was King of Bavaria from 1825 until the German revolutions of 1848–49, 1848 revolutions in the German states. When he was crown prince, he was involved in the Napoleonic Wars. As ki ...

Johannes von Miquel Johannes von Miquel (19 February 1828 – 8 September 1901) was a German statesman. Biography Born Johannes Franz Miquel at Neuenhaus, Kingdom of Hanover on 19 February 1828 as a descendant from a French family that had emigrated during the ...

* August Ludwig von Nostitz * Baron Karl Ludwig von der Pfordten *

Philipp, Prince of Eulenburg Philipp, Prince of Eulenburg and Hertefeld, Count of Sandels (12 February 1847 – 17 September 1921) was a diplomat of the German Empire who achieved considerable influence as close friend of Wilhelm II, German Emperor. He was the central memb ...

Rudolf von Seitz Rudolf (von) Seitz (15 June 1842 in Munich – 18 June 1910 in Munich) was a German Painting, painter, illustrator, and Interior design, designer. Career After early art instruction from his father, decorative painter and illustrator Franz von ...

Albrecht von Roon Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon (; 30 April 1803 – 23 February 1879) was a Prussian soldier and statesman. As Minister of War from 1859 to 1873, Roon, along with Otto von Bismarck and Helmuth von Moltke, was a dominating figure in Pruss ...

Prince Rudolf of Liechtenstein A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

* Franz Xaver von Schönwerth * Otto Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode *

Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen Ludwig Samson Heinrich Arthur Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen (18 June 181526 April 1881) was a Bavarian general. Early life Born in Darmstadt, on the day of Waterloo, Ludwig was a descendant from the old family of von der Tann, whic ...

Johann Nepomuk von Triva Johann Nepomuk Joseph Florian, Graf von Triva (20 September 1755 – 8 April 1827) was a Bavarian General der Artillerie. He was the first War Minister of the Bavarian kingdom. Biography Triva, born in Munich, joined the cadets corps of th ...

Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov (; 27 May 1837 – 15 January 1916) was a Russian general and official. He served as served as Minister of Imperial Properties between 1881 and 1897 and as Governor-General of the Caucasus Viceroyalty b ...

Harald Nicolai Storm Wergeland Harald Nicolai Storm Wergeland (27 May 1814 – 12 October 1893) was a Norwegian military officer, politician and mountaineer. Having reached the rank of major general by 1859, he served as Minister of the Army for several periods between 18 ...

References

{{Orders of Imperial Germany Orders of chivalry of Germany Orders, decorations, and medals of Bavaria 1808 establishments in Bavaria Awards established in 1808 Orders of merit