The Iron Cross was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in 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 Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, while the Balkenkreuz variant was used by the Wehrmacht. The Iron Cross is now the emblem of the Bundeswehr, the modern German armed forces.
The Pour le Mérite, also informally known as the "Blue Max", is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. The Pour le Mérite was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Order of the Red Eagle and the House Order of Hohenzollern, among the highest orders of merit in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order of merit was the highest royal Prussian order of bravery for officers of all ranks.
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellectual or honorary fields. It was created by the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Theodor Heuss, on 7 September 1951. Colloquially, the decorations of the different classes of the Order are also known as the Federal Cross of Merit.
Adrian Friedrich Wilhelm Julius Ludwig von Verdy du Vernois, 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 Helmuth von Moltke the Elder's staff during the Franco-Prussian War.
Aribert Reimann is a German composer, pianist and accompanist, known especially for his literary operas. His version of Shakespeare's King Lear, the opera Lear, was written at the suggestion of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who sang the title role. His opera Medea after Grillparzer's play premiered in 2010 at the Vienna State Opera. He was a professor of contemporary Lied in Hamburg and Berlin. In 2011, he was awarded the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize for his life's work.
The Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein is an order of merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein that is awarded for services rendered to the principality. Prince Franz I founded the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein on 22 July 1937.
Prince Frederick Charles Alexander of Prussia was a younger son of Frederick William III of Prussia. He served as a Prussian general for much of his adult life and became the first Herrenmeister of the Order of Saint John after its restoration as a chivalric order. Nevertheless, he is perhaps remembered more often for his patronage of art and for his sizable collections of art and armor.
The Order of Merit of the German Eagle was an award of the German Nazi regime, predominantly to foreign diplomats. The Order was instituted on 1 May 1937 by Adolf Hitler. It ceased to be awarded following the collapse of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II in Europe. The wearing of the Order of Merit of the German Eagle is prohibited in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The House and Merit Order of Duke Peter Frederick Louis or proper German Oldenburg House and Merit Order of Duke Peter Frederick Louis was a civil and military order of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, a member state of the German Empire. The order was founded by Grand Duke Augustus of Oldenburg on 27 November 1838, to honor his father, Peter Frederick Louis of Oldenburg. It became obsolete in 1918 after the abdication of the last grand duke.
The Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown was an award of civil and military merit established 18 January 1901 by King Wilhelm II on the occasion of the bicentennial of the establishment of the Kingdom of Prussia. 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.
The Cross of Merit for Women and Girls was created on 22 March 1871 by Kaiser Wilhelm I, German Emperor, in his capacity as King of Prussia. The award was presented only to women, but was not a Ladies Order in the most narrow sense. Women and girls were awarded at the request of Empress Augusta, and the award was bestowed by the Kaiser.
The Hessian Order of Merit is a civil order of merit, and the highest award of the German State of Hesse. The order was established 1 December 1989.
Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg is the highest award of the German State of Baden-Württemberg. Established 26 November 1974, it was originally called the Medal of Merit of Baden-Württemberg. Effective 26 June 2009, the medal assumed its current name. The order is awarded by the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg for outstanding contributions to the state of Baden-Württemberg, in politics, society, culture and economics. The order is limited to 1,000 living holders, and has been awarded 1,923 times, as of 30 April 2018.
The Order of Merit of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a civil order of merit, and the highest award of the German State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The award is presented to men and women for exceptional performance over a long period of time, or an extraordinary individual performance for the benefit of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Founded in 2001 and first presented in 2002, the order may be presented to up to 20 persons per year.
The Lower Saxony Order of Merit is a civil order of merit, of the German State of Lower Saxony. The order was established 27 March 1961. The order is presented in three classes, the highest is the Grand Cross of Merit, the next is the Cross of Merit First Class, and the lowest is the Cross of Merit on Ribbon.
The Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia is a civil order of merit, of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia was founded on 11 March 1986. It is awarded to citizens representing all segments of the population who have made extraordinary contributions to the people and state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The order is limited to 2500 living recipients. From its founding through January 2010, a total of 1,559 people have been awarded the Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Order of Merit of Rhineland-Palatinate is a civil order of merit, of the German State of Rhineland-Palatinate. The order is presented for outstanding service to the state and people of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was founded on 2 October 1981, and first awarded in 1982. The order is limited to 800 living recipients. Through 2012, the order had been awarded 1035 times.
The Order of Merit of Schleswig-Holstein is an award presented by the Minister-President of German state Schleswig-Holstein. Established in 2008, it is the highest award of the state. Prior to 2008, the Schleswig-Holstein-Medaille was the highest award of the state. In the establishing decree of the order it states prior recipients of the medal are members of the order. To preserve the exclusivity of the order it is limited to 500 living recipients.
The Order of Merit of Saxony-Anhalt is the highest award of the German State of Saxony-Anhalt. Established 23 May 2006, the order is presented by the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt. The total number of living recipients is limited to 300. Recipients of the order are recognized for exceptional performance over a longer period of time or an extraordinary individual performance for Saxony-Anhalt and its citizens. Individuals are considered from among the citizens and non-citizens of Saxony-Anhalt.
The orders, decorations, and medals of the German states, in which each states of Germany has devised a system of orders and awards to honour residents for actions or deeds that benefit their local community or state, are in turn subsumed within the German honours system. Each state sets their own rules and criteria on eligibility and also how each medal is awarded and presented. Most of the orders allow for the recipient to wear their orders in public.
