Colonial Award (Order of the Lion)
The colonial award, also popularly known as the Order of the Lions because of its representation , is a non-state, German award from the time of the Weimar Republic .
Foundation and award
The award was made in 1922 by the German Colonial Warrior Association for "members of the associations affiliated to the league and individual members of the Federation" in two stages from Major General a. D. Georg Ludwig Rudolf Maercker donated and awarded.
- I. stage in silver as a plug-in decoration , to former members of the imperial colonial troops , the East Asian Expeditionary Force , the occupation forces in China and the Imperial Navy , provided that in the colonies have done or colonial waters service.
- Second stage in bronze as a decoration on the ribbon, to colonial Germans who did not do service in the protected areas with the weapon, but earned merit in the colonial cause, or to other Germans who were in their homeland to promote the German colonial reputation have earned particularly high merits, even if they are not federal members, as "sponsors". Awards of the latter type, however, required “the most detailed justification ”.
Appearance
The award is a multi-pointed, slightly domed star. In the middle is a lying lion with a palm tree in the background. The inscription For Merit to the Colonies is attached to the figure . Below the lion are two crossed swords flanked by oak leaves on the left and right . In the middle of the swords is a hat of the German colonial troops, a so-called "southwest".
Only the engraving In memoriam and the hallmarks of the manufacturer GES can be found on the smooth back . GE No. 34162 .
The decorations are made of bronze , the first stage is silver-plated and has a longitudinal needle on the back. The second stage has a support ring for the band.
The design of the colonial honorary mark comes from the sculptor Karl Möbius in Berlin.
tape
Red central stripe, blue stripe to the right, white stripe to the left, saffron yellow, narrow edges.
The colors are derived from the collar tabs and cuffs of the colonial troops: white in German East Africa , red in Togo and Cameroon , and blue in German South West Africa . The yellow edges symbolize the Asian protected areas .
Special
The award was very popular in the Weimar Republic because of its dignified appearance, especially since the first stage was a purely military decoration. Almost all former colonial soldiers were organized in the Colonial Warrior League and therefore authorized to award. The colonial badge, officially awarded by the Reich Ministry for Reconstruction at the same time, with an elephant as a representation, was much smaller, looked very modest and could be awarded indiscriminately to all former colonial Germans - including civilians - at a uniform level.
At least the first level of the colonial award was - in spite of a private foundation - far more respected than the simultaneous state colonial badge.
The awards ceased in 1935 and around 10,000 decorations were awarded.
literature
- Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann : The colonial award (lion order). Brochure.
- Ludwig Arndt: Military associations in Northern Germany. Club life, badges, awards, monuments. BoD, Norderstedt 2008, ISBN 978-3-8334-8966-2 .
