Grand Ducal Hessian Order of Merit
The Order of Merit of Philip the Magnanimous was founded on May 1, 1840 by Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse in memory of the ancestors of the house of Philip I on his name day as a general order of merit . The ruling monarch was a grand master and the order ranked directly behind the Ludwig order .
Order classes
The order was initially donated in four classes
In the course of its existence, numerous changes to the statutes were made. On May 1, 1849, the foundation of a silver cross as the fifth class and the introduction of crossed swords through the cross angles in gold or silver for the silver cross. From November 10, 1859, the knight's cross was divided into first and second class knights. On March 14, 1876, the order was renamed the Grand Ducal Hessian Philipps Order , but this was withdrawn by cabinet order of November 14, 1877. As a special token of favor, the order could be awarded from December 1, 1881 by adding a golden open bow crown . In 1893, the award of the order with swords was restricted and only awarded for outstanding achievements in the course of a war. A loan to civilians was possible and expressly intended. On July 11, 1900, the Foundation of the Cross of Honor followed, which was located between the Commander II Class and the Knight's Cross First Class.
A last change took place on June 17, 1911, with the cross of the Commander 1st class receiving golden rays in the corners of the cross arms.
In total, the order consisted of seven classes until the end of the monarchy in 1918.
- Grand Cross
- Commander 1st and 2nd class
- Cross of Honor
- Knights 1st and 2nd class
- Silver cross
Order decoration
The medal is a golden, white enamelled Templar cross with an overlying high oval dark blue enamelled medallion (1st model). The colored picture of Landgrave Philip I can be seen in it. In his left hand he holds a staff decorated four times and in his right hand he holds his sword . Around the medallion runs a white enamelled ring with the inscription in gold letters SI DEUS NOBISCUM QUIS CONTRA NOS (Is God with us, who can be against us) In the lapel a multiple cross-striped and crowned Hessian lion , in the right paw an upward pointing Sword carries. In the ring LUDOVICUS II MAGN. DUX HASSIAE INSTIT. (Ludwig II. Grand Duke of Hesse established)
From May 1, 1849, a round medallion was used instead of the highly oval medallion and in the obverse the golden bust of Philip turned to the left can be seen. From this point on, the same applied to the breast star of the grand cross and the breast cross of the Commander I class.
Carrying method
The grand cross was worn on a sash from the left shoulder to the right hip, as well as with an eight-pointed breast star made of silver , which shows the image of the medallion. Holders of the commander's first and second class decorated the award as a neck medal , with the first class also wearing a cross . The cross of honor is golden in the hoop, otherwise made of silver and without enamel. The only difference between the Knight's Cross is its size 40 × 40 to 37 × 36.5 mm and, like the Silver Cross, which was made entirely without enamel, was worn on the ribbon on the left side of the chest.
The ribbon is crimson with narrow blue stripes.
Others
Since the foundation of the order, according to § 5 of the statutes of 1840, the knights of the order were allowed to add the sign of the order to their coat of arms - depending on the level awarded. Holders of the Grand Cross were allowed to place the star of the order under their coat of arms and also put the ribbon around the coat of arms, with the cross resting on the overlapping ends of the same . The commander, on the other hand, lead the ribbon around the coat of arms, on which the sign of the order hangs . The Commander I class also put the coat of arms under the cross, as they wear it on their chest. The knights were allowed to carry the order cross on a loop at the bottom of the shield.
According to § 9 of the statutes of 1840, all decorations of all religious classes were subject to return. In this respect, the insignia had to be returned to the Darmstadt order chancellery by his heirs after the death of the borrower. In addition, however, there was also a return obligation if a bearer was awarded a higher order class or the crown possible from the end of 1881 for a decoration.
literature
- Maximilian Gritzner : Handbook of the knight and merit orders of all civilized states in the world. Leipzig 1893. pp. 149–152.
- Jörg Nimmergut : German medals and decorations until 1945. Volume I: Anhalt-Hohenzollern. Central Office for Scientific Ordinance, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-00-001396-2 , No. 1021-1069, pp. 425-442.
- Karsten Klingbeil: Order 1700–2000. Text by Andreas Thies, Volume 1: Anhalt-Hohenlohe. Bastei, Bergisch-Gladbach 2008, No. 825-877, pp. 256-267.
- List of persons decorated with Grand Ducal Hessian orders and decorations: 1875. p. 126 ff., Digitized .
- KP Christian Spath: The swords for the order of Philip the Magnanimous of Hessen-Darmstadt. In: Orders and Medals. The magazine for friends of phaleristics, publisher: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde , Issue 81, 14th year, Hof / Saale 2012. ISSN 1438-3772.
Individual proof
- ↑ The resolution was published on May 6, 1876 in the Grand Ducal Hessian Government Gazette 1876, No. 28, p. 350. In the future, the order should (...) simply bear the name “Grand Ducal Hessian Philipps Order” .
- ^ Addendum to the statutes in the Grand Ducal Hessian Government Gazette. 1893, No. 10, pp. 45 f. (published on May 20, 1893).
- ^ Werner Sauer: Grand Duchy of Hessen-Darmstadt: Cross of Honor of the Order of Merit of Philip the Magnanimous with a crown. In: Orden-Militaria-Magazin. Volume 16, Issue 76 (February 1997), p. 1.