(1) Civil, Military; (2) Military units; (3) Foreign citizens
Criteria
(1) Exceptional civil and military services to the Romanian State and the Romanian people; (2) For special acts in time of peace or for heroic acts in time of war; (3) For contributing to the development of the friendship relations with Romania, or for other exceptional services to the Romanian State and the Romanian People.
The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: Ordinul Steaua României) is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the President of Romania, and has six grades, from lowest to the highest: Knight, Officer, Commander, Grand Officer, Grand Cross, and Grand Cross with Collar.
In 1863, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the Domnitor of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, asked the Romanian representative to Paris to contact the then well-known jewellery house Krétly, to manufacture a state decoration. Krétly presented a model, which was immediately accepted by the domnitor, and based on his agreement, 1,000 pieces of the order were made. It was decided that the order would have five ranks: Knight (Cavaler), Officer (Ofițer), Commander (Comandor), Grand Officer (Mare Ofițer), and Grand Cross (Mare Cruce).[1]
Unlike all other decorations in that time that were mostly inspired on the FrenchLégion d'honneur, or which had their insignia like a Maltese cross, the model proposed by Krétly for this order was a blue cross crosslet (cruce repetată), a design that was then unique in decorational design.[1]
The domnitor decided that the name of the honour would be "The Order of the Union" ("Ordinul Unirii"). It was planned to institute the order on 24 January 1864, the date when the 5th anniversary of his election would be celebrated and a moment that marked the unification of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. Because of this, the motto of the new order would fit the event: "GENERE ET CORDES FRATRES" ("BROTHERS THROUGH ORIGINS AND FEELINGS"). The obverse of the insignia would bear the numbers "5" and "24", the days of January when he was elected in both Moldova and Wallachia.[1]
However, due to the overthrow of Alexandru Ioan Cuza by a palace coup, he was unable to actually institute the order, and he awarded the insignia therefore only as a personal present, not as a state decoration. Most of the insignia produced for him remained stored in the Royal Palace's cellars.[1]
The original 1877 model - Commodore rank (obverse).
In April 1877, when Romania gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, the debate regarding the institution of Romanian decorations was revived. Mihail Kogălniceanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Ion Brătianu cabinet, took part in the debates in the Assembly of Deputies regarding the institution of a state decoration. Because of the already earlier supplied "Order of The Union", it was decided that the shape of the decoration would be the same, modifying only the domnitor's seal. The motto was also changed, because the old one was not appropriate to the moment, to "IN FIDE SALUS" ("IN FAITH IS THE SALVATION"). Regarding the name, Kogălniceanu insisted on "Steaua Dunării" ("The Star of The Danube").[1]
The name "Steaua României" ("The Star of Romania") appeared on 10 May 1877, when the law was voted in the Parliament, as the first law of the Sovereign Romania.[1]
By Royal Decree (no. 1545/1932), King Carol II changed the order of precedence in the Romanian honours system. As a result, in 1932, The Star of Romania dropped in precedence from second place (where it had been since 1906) to fourth place (after the Order of Carol I and the Order of Ferdinand I[ro]). In 1937, it dropped to seventh place. The main shape of the order, the blue repeated cross (called also "Romanian cross") was kept, but the rays between the cross' arms were replaced by four heraldic eagles with wings spread, the insignia of King Carol I was placed on the obverse, and the reverse bore the year of its establishment, "1877". Also the number of persons that could be awarded The Star of Romania was increased:[1]
Knight (Cavaler): 1,000 civilians and 350 military;
Officer (Ofițer): 500 civilians and 150 military;
Commodore or Commander (Comandor): 200 civilians and 75 military;
Grand Officer (Mare Ofițer): 75 civilians and 25 military;
Grand Cross (Mare Cruce): 35 civilians and 10 military.
Certificate confirming that the Star of Romania was awarded to Ernesto Burzagli in the name of King Ferdinand I.
In 1938, the order was given a superior rank, called "Clasa I" (First Class in English), between the Grand Officer rank and the Grand Cross rank, with a maximum of 50 civilians and 15 military personnel.[1]
Inspired by the GermanIron Cross, Ion Antonescu decided that the first three grades of the orders the Star of Romania and the Crown of Romania, with spades (swords), and the ribbon of The Medal "The Military Virtue" would be awarded for exceptionally brave acts with an oak leaf, attached to the ribbon.[1]
After 1948, all the existing decorations were outlawed, and their wearing was forbidden. Just by keeping the insignia, one was considered a delinquent in the first years of communism.[1]
In 1993, the idea of reinstating the oldest Order was proposed within the Special Commission of the Chamber of Deputies. After several attempts, in 1998/1999 the National Order "The Star of Romania" was reinstituted, with a design similar to the one used in 1932, but without the insignia of King Carol I, and with the republican insignia.[1]
Grades
As per Law 29/2000, regarding Romania's national system of decorations, there are currently six grades:[2]
Carol I or Charles I of Romania, born Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was the monarch of Romania from 1866 to his death in 1914, ruling as Prince (Domnitor) from 1866 to 1881, and as King from 1881 to 1914. He was elected Prince of the Romanian United Principalities on 20 April 1866 after the overthrow of Alexandru Ioan Cuza by a palace coup d'état. In May 1877, Romania was proclaimed an independent and sovereign nation. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire (1878) in the Russo-Turkish War secured Romanian independence, and he was proclaimed King on 26 March [O.S. 14 March] 1881. He was the first ruler of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty, which ruled the country until the proclamation of a socialist republic in 1947.
Klaus Werner Iohannis is a Romanian politician, physicist, and former teacher who has been serving as the president of Romania since 2014. He became leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) in 2014, after serving as leader of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR/DFDR) between 2002 and 2013. Prior to entering politics, Iohannis was a physics teacher.
Princess Elena of Romania is the second eldest daughter of King Michael I and Queen Anne of Romania.
Ion Horia Leonida Caramitru, OBE was a Romanian stage and film actor, stage director, and political figure. He was Minister of Culture between 1996 and 2000, in the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) cabinets of Victor Ciorbea, Gavril Dejeu, Radu Vasile, Alexandru Athanasiu, and Mugur Isărescu. He was married to actress Micaela Caracaș and had three sons: Ștefan, Andrei, and Matei Caramitru. He was a relevant figure of the Aromanian community of Romania.
The National Decorations System of Romania is divided into six categories, listed below. It was re-established in 1998 after a 50-year period in which Romania used a Soviet-style system of decorations. It is very similar to the system used in Romania during the interwar period.
Freemasonry in Romania traces its origins to the 18th century. Following an intricate history, all organised Freemasonry in the country ceased during the Communist era, although some lodges continued to operate in exile overseas. Freemasonry returned to Romania in the 1990s.
The Order of the Crown of Romania is a chivalric order set up on 14 March 1881 by King Carol I of Romania to commemorate the establishment of the Kingdom of Romania. It was awarded as a state order until the end of the Romanian monarchy in 1947. It was revived on 30 December 2011 as a dynastic order.
The colors of the national flag of Romania has a long history, though the association of the three colors only dates to the 18th century. Red, yellow and blue were found on late 16th-century royal grants of Michael the Brave, as well as shields and banners. Thus, the late 13th century Wijnbergen armorial shows the coat of arms of the Wallachian ruler Litovoi as consisting of a shield of ten vertically alternating gold-and-red bands,. The same two colors, gules and or, also appeared on the late 15th century flag and coat of arms of Moldavia, during the reign of Stephen the Great. Then, from the late 16th century until the mid-17th century, the historical coat of arms of Transylvania gradually developed as a shield party per fess, consisting of a black eagle on blue background in the upper field, a dividing red band in the middle, and seven red towers on golden background in the lower field. Finally, in the last quarter of the 18th century, Bukovina gets its own coat of arms from the Habsburg Empire, a blue-and-red shield party per pale with a black aurochs' head in the middle, and three golden six-pointed stars surrounding it. During the Wallachian uprising of 1821, these three colors were present, along others, on the canvas of the revolutionaries' flag and its fringes; for the first time a meaning was attributed to them: "Liberty (blue-sky), Justice, Fraternity ( blood)".
Gheorghe Brega is a Moldovan politician who was the acting Prime Minister of Moldova from 30 October 2015 to 20 January 2016. He served as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs of Moldova from 30 July 2015 to 30 May 2017, and was a Member of the Moldovan Parliament from 2009 to 2015.
The Order of Carol I was the highest ranking of the Romanian honours of the Kingdom of Romania until the abolition of the monarchy in 1947. It was instituted on 10 May 1906 by King Carol I to celebrate the Ruby Jubilee of 40 years of his reign.
The Decorations of the Romanian Royal House are a reward for conspicuous and special merits of the recipients for the Romanian state and the Romanian Royal House.
The National Order of Faithful Service is the third highest national order of Romania, with the Order of the Star of Romania being the second, and the Order of Michael the Brave being the highest national order. Originally it was established as the Medal of Faithful Service in 1878, during the reign of King Carol I. In 1906, the Cross of Faithful Service was added to the existing medal, as a superior class. During the reign of King Carol II, in 1932, the Order was established with four ranks: grand cross, grand officer, commodore, and officer.
The National Order of Merit is an order which is part of the National System of Decorations of Romania. A medal of merit also exists, but does not confer membership in the order.
Alexandru Cernat was a Romanian general and politician.
Carmen Iohannis is the wife of Klaus Iohannis, the current President of Romania. She is an English teacher at the Gheorghe Lazăr National College in Sibiu and married Klaus Iohannis in 1989. They have no children. Carmen met her husband when they were both students at the Babeș-Bolyai University. Immediately after graduation, the two were assigned as teachers to Agnita and Sibiu. She was the reason Iohannis chose to stay in Romania when the rest of his family emigrated to Germany in the early 1990s. She is an ethnic Romanian, while her husband is a Transylvanian Saxon.
Nineta Bărbulescu is a Romanian career diplomat, and current Ambassador of Romania to Malaysia and (non-resident) Brunei. She served as the Romanian Ambassador to Australia from August 2013 until December 2020. During these 7 years she also was accredited non-resident Ambassador to New Zealand (2015–2020), Fiji (2018–2020), Independent State of Samoa (2018–2020), Solomon Islands (2018–2020), Vanuatu (2018–2020), Kiribati (2018–2020), Tuvalu (2019–2020), and Nauru (2019–2020).
Ioan-Aurel Pop is a Romanian historian. Pop was appointed Professor of History at Babeș-Bolyai University in 1996. He has since been Chairman of the Department of Medieval History and the History of Premodern Art at Babeș-Bolyai University. Since 2012, Pop has been Rector at Babeș-Bolyai University. In 2018 he was elected President of the Romanian Academy.
Dennis Deletant is a British-Romanian historian of the history of Romania. As of 2019, he is Visiting Ion Rațiu Professor of Romanian Studies at Georgetown University and Emeritus Professor of Romanian Studies at the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES). He is the author of numerous works on the history of Romania including Ceaușescu and the Securitate: Coercion and Dissent in Romania, 1965-89 ; Romania under Communist Rule ; Communist Terror in Romania: Gheorghiu-Dej and the Police State, 1948-1965 ; and Ion Antonescu: Hitler's Forgotten Ally.
Nicolae Pascu Oțeleanu was a Romanian football defender and manager and also a World War II veteran.
Nicolae Ionel Ciucă is a Romanian politician and retired general of the Romanian Land Forces. Ideologically a conservative, he has been serving as Prime Minister of Romania since 25 November 2021 after receiving widespread parliamentary support on behalf of his own party, the National Liberal Party (PNL) as well as the Social Democratic Party (PSD), and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ). Additionally, since 10 April 2022, he has also been serving as the president of the National Liberal Party (PNL).
^ The peacetime military insignia added: two crossed swords (tip up) between the sign and the link if awarded to military personnel in peacetime ^ The categories are equal in ranking, and differentiate only the cultural field (A - literature; B - music; C - fine arts; D - performing arts; E - national cultural heritage; F - promotion of culture; H - religious cults; G - scientific research; I - architecture) ; ^ The war insignia added: two crossed swords (tip up) behind the sign (except for Order of Michael the Brave, an order exclusevely for military personnel with exception conduct in wartime or warzones)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
