After the second world war Germany was split into several different occupation zones. But later the different occupation zones were merged into East and West Germany. West Germany is where the modern German state gets its current traditions of medals and decorations from.
| Badge and ribbon | Name (English/ German ) | Creation date – cessation date | Description | Number awarded |
 | Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or Bundesverdienstorden, | 7 September 1951 | It's a golden cross enamelled in red | 260,429 |
| Badge and ribbon | Name (English/ German ) | Creation date – cessation date | Description | Number awarded |
 | Pour le Mérite for the arts and sciences Pour le Mérite für wissenschaft und künste | 7 June 1740 (whole order) 31 May 1842 (separate class) 1952 (re-established) | men and women who through widespread recognition for their contributions to science and art have made an eminent name for themselves | Unknown |
 | Order of Saint John Johanniterorden | 1099 (Whole order) 1852 (re-established) | Outstanding achievements in charity and support the sick and needy. |
| Badge and ribbon | Name (English/ German ) | Creation date – cessation date | Description | Number awarded |
  | Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Verdienstorden des Landes Baden-Württemberg | 26 November 1974 | Outstanding contributions to the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, in politics, society, culture and economics. | 1,989 (as of 2021) [1] |
  | Bavarian Order of Merit Bayerischer Verdienstorden | 11 June 1957 | Men and women without distinction of nationality or class who have made outstanding contributions to the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian people. | 5725 [2] |
  | Bavarian Maximilian Order for arts and sciences Bayerischer Maximiliansorden für Wissenschaft und Kunst | 28 November 1853 (Whole order) 18 March 1980 (re-established) | Outstanding achievements in the field of science and art. | 573 |
  | Order of Merit of Berlin Verdienstorden des Landes Berlin | 21 July 1987 | Outstanding contributions to the state of Berlin | 454 (as of 1 October 2018} [3] |
  | Order of Merit of Brandenburg Verdienstorden des Landes Brandenburg | 10 July 2003 | Highest civic recognition that the State of Brandenburg can present for extraordinary services to the state and its people. | 108 |
   | Hessian Order of Merit Hessischer Verdienstorden | 1 December 1989 | Outstanding contributions to Hesse, without regard to residence or citizenship. | 430 |
  | Order of Merit of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Verdienstorden des Landes Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 23 April 2001 | Exceptional performance over a long period of time, or an extraordinary individual performance for the benefit of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. | 60 (as of 2020) [4] |
    | Lower Saxony Order of Merit Niedersächsischer Verdienstorden | 27 March 1961 | Outstanding selfless commitment to the development of Lower Saxony and its culture. | 342 Grand Cross 737 Cross of Merit 1272 Cross of Merit on Ribbon (as of 2013) [5] |
  | Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia Verdienstorden des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen | 11 March 1986 | Extraordinary contributions to the people and state of North Rhine-Westphalia. | |
  | Order of Merit of Rhineland-Palatinate Verdienstorden des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz | 2 October 1981 | Outstanding service to the state and people of Rhineland-Palatinate. | 1035 [6] |
 | Saarland Order of Merit Saarländischer Verdienstorden | 10 December 1974 | Ouutstanding service to Saarland. | 367 |
  | Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony Sächsischer Verdienstorden | 27 October 1997 | Outstanding contributions to the people and state of Saxony. | 363 [7] |
  | Order of Merit of Saxony-Anhalt Verdienstorden des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt | 23 May 2006 | Exceptional performance over a longer period of time or an extraordinary individual performance for Saxony-Anhalt and its citizens. | 18 [8] |
  | Order of Merit of Schleswig-Holstein Verdienstorden des Landes Schleswig-Holstein | 26 February 2008 | Outstanding service to Schleswig-Holstein. | |
  | Order of Merit of the Free State of Thuringia Verdienstorden des Freistaats Thüringen | 19 September 2000 | Outstanding service to Thuringia. | 97 [9] |
These awards and decorations are awarded by the Minister of Interior to members of the Bundeswehr, Bundespolizei, Technisches Hilfswerk.
| Badge and ribbon | Name (English/ German ) | Creation date – cessation date | Description | Number awarded |
 | German Flood Service Medal 2002 Einsatzmedaille Fluthilfe 2002 | September 20, 2002 | for service during the 2002 European floods to members of Technisches Hilfswerk, the Bundeswehr, the Bundesgrenzschutz, foreign armed forces, as well as civilians who assisted the aforementioned organizations | ??? |
  | German Flood Service Medal 2013 Einsatzmedaille Fluthilfe 2013 | July 2, 2013 | for service during the 2013 European floods by members of the Bundeswehr, Bundespolizei, Technisches Hilfswerk, foreign armed forces, as well as civilians who provided assistance to the relief efforts of the federal agencies | ??? |
   | Decoration of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief Ehrenzeichen des Technischen Hilfswerks | September 2, 1975 | meritorious service in the field of emergency management or civil protection | ??? |
These Orders and decorations are all awarded to soldiers of Germany and its allies by the Bundeswehr.
| Badge and ribbon | Name (English/ German ) | Creation date – cessation date | Description | Number awarded |
 | Cross of Honour for Bravery Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr für Tapferkeit | October 10, 2008 | for valor beyond the call of duty | 30 |
 | Gold Cross of Honour for Outstanding Deeds Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr in Gold für besonders herausragende Taten | October 10, 2008 | for outstanding deeds at the risk of one's life | ??? |
 | Gold Cross of Honour Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr in Gold | October 29, 1980 | for exemplary and meritorious service over 20 years or exemplary achievements | ??? |
 | Silver Cross of Honour for Outstanding Deeds Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr in Silber für besonders herausragende Taten | October 10, 2008 | for outstanding deeds and extraordinary achievements | ??? |
 | Silver Cross of Honour Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr in Silber | October 29, 1980 | for exemplary and meritious service over 10 years or exemplary achievements | ??? |
 | Bronze Cross of Honour Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr in Bronze | October 29, 1980 | or exemplary and meritious service over 5 years or exemplary achievements | ??? |
 | Honor Medal of the Bundeswehr Ehrenmedaille der Bundeswehr | October 29, 1980 | for exemplary service and meritorious service over 7 months or exemplary achievements | ??? |
 | Combat Action Medal Einsatzmedaille Gefecht | November 2010 | for active participation in ground or surface combat or suffering from terrorist or military violence with exposure to a high personal risk | 5,845 [10] |
 | Deployment Medal Einsatzmedaille der Bundeswehr | April 25, 1996 | for military service in a designated military campaign or operation | 317,394 bronze [10] 13,730 silver [10] 1,398 gold [10] (as of March 2019) |
These awards were reintroduced in 1957 after they had been denazified.
| Badge and ribbon | Name (English/ German ) | Creation date – cessation date | Description | Number awarded |
 | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern | 1 September 1939 – 8 May 1945 | For continuous bravery before the enemy or excellence in commanding troops after being awarded all preceding classes of the Knight's Cross/Iron Cross. | 160 |
 | Iron Cross (1st Class) Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse | 1 September 1939 – 8 May 1945 | For continuous bravery before the enemy or excellence in commanding troops after being awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class. | c. 300,000 |
 | Iron Cross (2nd Class) Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse | 1 September 1939 – 8 May 1945 | For bravery before the enemy or excellence in commanding troops. | c. 4,500,000 |
 | 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz | 1 September 1939 – 8 May 1945 | An award of the Iron Cross, 1st or 2nd class for those who had already received the decoration in World War I. | 100,000+ |
 | German Cross in Gold Kriegsorden des Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold | 28 September 1941 – 8 May 1945 | For continuous bravery before the enemy or excellence in commanding troops (not justifying the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross but having already been awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class) | 24,204 |
 | German Cross in Silver Kriegsorden des Deutschen Kreuzes in Silber | 28 September 1941 – 8 May 1945 | For significant performances in aiding the military war effort. (Not justifying the Knight's Cross of either the Iron Cross or the War Merit Cross but having already been awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class or War Merit Cross 1st Class) | 1,115 |
 | Golden Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross Goldenes Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkreuz | 13 October 1944 – 8 May 1945 | Awarded with and without swords. For outstanding contributions to the war effort. | 2 |
 | Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkreuz | 19 August 1940 – 8 May 1945 | Awarded with and without swords. For meritorious contributions to the war effort after being awarded all preceding classes of the War Merit Cross. | c. 250 |
 | War Merit Cross (1st Class) Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse | 18 October 1939 – 8 May 1945 | Awarded with and without swords. For meritorious contributions to the war effort after being awarded the War Merit Cross, 2nd class. | c. 480,000 with swords c. 90,000 without swords |
 | War Merit Cross (2nd Class) Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse | 18 October 1939 – 8 May 1945 | Awarded with and without swords. For meritorious contributions to the war effort. | c. 6,100,000 with swords c. 1,500,000 without swords |
 | Wound Badge Verwundetenabzeichen | 3 March 1918 – 11 November 1918 1 September 1939 – 8 May 1945 | Wounds whilst in activ service | c. 1,000,000 during ww1 c. 5,000,000 during ww2 |
| Badge and ribbon | Name (English/ German ) | Creation date – cessation date | Description | Number awarded |
 | Order of the Black Eagle Schwarzer Adlerorden | 1701 - 1918 (State Order) 1918 - Now (House Order) | Members of ruling houses, senior civil and military officials and other worthy figures appointed by the King of Prussia. | 407 (as of 1918) |
 | House Order of Hohenzollern Hausorden von Hohenzollern | ??? | ??? | ??? |
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 (Bundesverdienstkreuz).
Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern was born in Munich, the son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria (1821–1912) and his wife Archduchess Augusta of Austria (1825–1864). He was a Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) who commanded German and Austro-Hungarian forces on the Eastern Front in World War I.
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.
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters. It was founded in 1950 in West Germany to represent the common interests of the new, decentralized, post-war broadcasting services – in particular the introduction of a joint television network.
Awards and Decorations of Nazi Germany were military, political and civilian decorations that were bestowed between 1923 and 1945, first by the Nazi Party and later the state of Nazi Germany.
Amt Neuhaus is a municipality in the District of Lüneburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Amt means "municipal office" in German. The original "municipal office of Neuhaus" existed since at least the 17th century until 1885, consecutively as part of Saxe-Lauenburg, Electorate of Hanover (1689-1810), Kingdom of Hanover (1814-1866), and the Prussian Province of Hanover (1866-1885).
Burg Stargard (Polabian Stargart, is a small town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated 8 kilometres southeast of Neubrandenburg.
The administrative divisions of the German Democratic Republic were constituted in two different forms during the country's history. The GDR first retained the traditional German division into federated states called Länder, but in 1952 they were replaced with districts called Bezirke. Immediately before German reunification in 1990, the Länder were restored, but they were not effectively reconstituted until after reunification had completed.
The Return of Memel Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded during the interwar period, the last in a series of Occupation Medals.
The Awards and decorations of the German Armed Forces are decorations awarded by the German Bundeswehr, the German government, and other organizations to the German military and allied forces. Modern era German military awards have been presented since the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949.
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-Wuerttemberg. 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-Wuerttemberg, 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 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.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (F218) is a Brandenburg-class frigate of the German Navy.
The State of Mecklenburg was a subdivision of the Soviet occupation zone and one of the states of East Germany which corresponds widely to the present-day German state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The state was originally formed as an administrative division, the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, by the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD) in July 1945. It consisted of the 1934-established Mecklenburg and parts of the former Prussian provinces of Pommern and Hanover. The city of Swinemünde was handed over to Poland in October 1945, becoming part of Szczecin Voivodeship. In November 1945, a transfer of small territories along the Inner German border to the former Province of Schleswig-Holstein was carried out as part of the Barber–Lyashchenko Agreement. About 2.1 million people were estimated to live in Mecklenburg in 1946. From 1947, the term Vorpommern was excluded from the official name as the SMAD feared that this would support revisionist actions against formerly German parts of Poland. Compared to the administrative divisions of Nazi Germany, Mecklenburg comprised the Gaue Mecklenburg and parts of Pomerania and Eastern Hanover.
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.
State elections were held in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany on 20 October 1946 to elect the state legislatures of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. They were the only elections held in the future territory of East Germany before the establishment of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, and the only free and fair elections held in postwar East Germany before the Peaceful Revolution.
Robert Yehoshua Büchler (1929–2009) was a Slovak-Israeli historian. In 1944, he was deported from Slovakia and survived Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. He was the director of the Moreshet Archive in Israel. Büchler was awarded the Order of Merit of the Free State of Thuringia.
Rudolf Neuhaus was a German conductor.
| Orders of merit of the Republic of Germany |  | |
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| Orders of merit of the states of Germany | ||
| Other | ||
