Awards from the state of Vorarlberg
The awards of the State of Vorarlberg are marks of honor and merit that are given by the Vorarlberg State Government in Austria or the State Council of Honorary Signs to people who have made outstanding contributions to the State of Vorarlberg or to certain areas of public life.
Badge of honor
- Main article: Decoration of honor of the state of Vorarlberg
The decorations of the state of Vorarlberg have been awarded since 1963 to people who have rendered outstanding services to the state of Vorarlberg or whose subject matter is part of the state's enforcement.
Everyone who has been awarded the badge of honor has the right to wear the badge of honor as a miniature or the ribbon in the form of a rosette or a narrow strip.
The State Council of Honorary Signs in the Office of the Vorarlberg State Government is responsible for the award, the legal basis is the Awards and Congratulations Act of 2016.
Medal of honor in gold
The gold medal is the highest honor that the state of Vorarlberg has to bestow. It is awarded directly to the governor and the president of the state parliament after the election by the state parliament . Otherwise, a maximum of 24 people may wear the award at the same time; the label can only be awarded again after the death of one of the wearers. In the middle of the gold medal is the Vorarlberg coat of arms on a commander's cross , which is connected to a red and white collar with a braided ribbon ornament. The cross is made of tombac , enamelled in red and white and real gold-plated. The braided ribbon ornament in the form of a relief is solid and gold-plated. It connects the cross with the collar via a loosely movable, gold-plated clasp.
Medal of honor in silver
The silver medal is the second highest award in the state of Vorarlberg. In contrast to the Golden Decoration, there are no numerical restrictions for its award. The silver medal, like the golden one, consists of a commander's cross and a braided ribbon ornament and is worn on a red and white collar. It is also made of tombac, enamelled in red and white, real silver-plated and bears the national coat of arms in the middle . The braided ribbon ornament is also made in relief and solid and silver-plated, but smaller than in the gold medal. It connects the commander's cross with the collar via a loosely movable, silver-plated clasp.
Merit mark
Since 1978, marks of merit can be awarded by the state government for services to the state of Vorarlberg in areas that are in the process of being implemented . As with the badge of honor, the legal basis for the award is provided by the Awards and Congratulations Act from 2016.
Everyone who has been awarded the mark of merit has the right to wear the mark of merit also in miniature or as a uniform wearer the ribbon in the form of a narrow bar.
Great token of merit
The Great Merit Sign is awarded for special services to the state of Vorarlberg. It consists of a pectoral cross and is worn on a red and white triangular ribbon on the left side of the chest. The Great Cross of Merit is also made of tombac, is real gold-plated, bears the state coat of arms in the middle and the inscription “For Merit” on the back.
Merit mark
The Sign of Merit differs from the Sign of Merit in that it is made of bronze and is smaller than the Sign of Merit.
Other decorations
Order of Montfort
- Main article: Order of Montfort
The Order of Montfort is for the maintenance of friendly relations with the state of Vorarlberg in three classes, the Great Order of Montfort, the Order of Montfort in gold and the Order of Montfort in silver, by the Vorarlberg state government based on the law on the Order of Montfort of 1985 in the version of 2001 and the ordinance on awarded the Montfort order of 1986. It consists of a bar cross in gold or silver , with the state coat of arms on a blue background in the middle; The Great Montfort Order is attached to the collar with a braided ribbon ornament, the Golden Montfort Order does not have a braid, the Silver Montfort Order hangs on a triangular ribbon, there are corresponding miniatures for each order.
Fire Brigade Medal
The fire brigade medal has been awarded in three stages by the Vorarlberg state government since 1953. For 50 years of meritorious work in gold, for forty years of meritorious work in silver and for twenty-five years of meritorious work in bronze. On the front of the medals is the state coat of arms with the inscription "Land Vorarlberg", on the back there is an image of St. Florian with the text "For [...] years of meritorious work in the fire service". The medals are worn on yellow-orange triangular ribbons.
Rescue medal
Since 1963, the Vorarlberg state government has been awarding the rescue medal for rescuing people from mortal danger at the risk of one's own life in the state, later based on the Rescue Act of 1979 in the version from 2001 and the ordinance for the implementation of the Act on the Fire Brigade Medal of the State of Vorarlberg from 2000 Vorarlberg. The medal is made of bronze , is silver-plated and patinated and bears the inscription "For lifesaving - Land Vorarlberg" on the front, and an illustration with rescuers and what was saved on the back.
Sports honor mark
The Vorarlberg state government also awards medals for sporting achievements in gold and silver as well as medals for services to Vorarlberg sport in gold and silver. These decorations are made of brass, matt and consist of a 40 mm round and 2.5 mm thick medal, in which there is a 33 mm high, polished Vorarlberg map in a stylized form and in turn a 14 mm high state coat of arms. The medal rests on a 15 mm wide and 71 mm high red ribbon, which is backed with a 1 mm thick brass plate on which a pin is attached. The text around the edge of the medal reads "For services to Vorarlberg sport" for the honorary badge for services to Vorarlberg sport, and "For sporting achievements" for the badge for sporting achievements. The sports badges are to be worn on the left side of the chest.
Decoration of honor for services to the local security police
Since 1973, the Vorarlberg state government has been able to award medals to employees of the local security police, i.e. officials of the community security guards in the state of Vorarlberg, later on the basis of the security law from 1975 and the ordinance of the state government on the decorations for merits in the field of the local security police.
The order is made of bronze and silver-plated, bears the text "Land Vorarlberg" on the front and the inscription "For special services to the local security police" on the back, it is worn on a red and white triangular ribbon.
literature
- Ulrich Nachbaur : Vorarlberg State Awards . In: Montfort. Quarterly magazine for the past and present of Vorarlberg . 56th year, issue 1/2, 2004, ISBN 3-85430-319-X , p. 92-106 ( full text as PDF on the Vorarlberger Landesarchiv website ).
- Christian Frech: The medals and decorations of the state of Vorarlberg . In: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde (Hrsg.): Journal of the Austrian Society for Ordenskunde . No. 74 , May 2009, p. 1-10 .