Frederick Order
The Frederick Order was founded on January 1, 1830 by King Wilhelm I of Württemberg in memory of his father Friedrich I and the elevation of the state to a kingdom in 1806.
Order classes
Originally there was only one class, that of knights. The personal nobility was associated with the award , provided the entrusted was a non-aristocratic native.
By edict of January 3, 1856, the ennoblement was dropped and the order received four classes:
The Frederick Orders awarded up to this point were declared grand crosses. With the new amendment to the statutes on September 29, 1870, knights were henceforth divided into knights I and II. Here, too, previous knights were appointed first class knights. On September 4, 1886, the first class knight was renamed to knight of honor and the second class to knight. For military merit, the order could also be awarded from 1870 with two crossed swords on the ring.
A gold medal of merit was added by royal decree of August 11, 1892. This carried the designation "Merit Medal of the Frederick Order". On the front it showed the bust of the reigning king with the title as inscription and on the reverse the sign of the Order of Frederick with the crowned one Fon the shield and the inscription Dem Verdienste. The medal was worn on the ribbon of the knight's cross on the left chest.
From March 6, 1899, the Grand Cross with the Crown or the Crown as a Grand Cross could be awarded as a special distinction.
Order decoration
The medal is a white enameled gold bordered cross with curved arms. Five golden rays are placed between the arms of the cross. The medallion shows a golden side portrait of the founder with the inscription Friedrich König von Württemberg in the ring. On the back, on a white background, is the writing DEM MERIT and in the circlet GOTT × UND × MEIN × RIGHT . The Grand Cross and Commander received a golden breast star for the cross. The ribbon is sky blue. Hence the nickname “the blue Fritz” for the knight's cross.
Others
After the death of a medalist, the medal had to be returned to the medal treasury. This was still the case after the abolition of noble privileges in the Weimar Republic .
Well-known medal bearers
literature
- Maximilian Gritzner : Handbook of the knight and merit orders of all civilized states in the world. Leipzig 1893 (reprint of the original edition, Leipzig 2000).
- Jörg Nimmergut : German medals and decorations until 1945. Volume 4: Württemberg II – German Empire. Central office for scientific ordination. Munich 2001. ISBN 3-00-001396-2 . Pp. 1721-1742.
- Jörg Nimmergut: Handbook of German Orders. Zweibrücken 1989.
Web links
- Main State Archive Stuttgart , inventory E 16 a
Individual evidence
- ↑ Eduard Kallee : From the political Biedermeier period. Memories and experiences of General Eduard Kallee in the Württemberg General Staff, in the War Ministry, in the diplomatic service and at the court of King Wilhelm 1st of Württemberg as well as at foreign courts. With two portraits of the general. Ed. U. increased by Richard Kallee . Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1921, p. 60.