Military Karl Friedrich Order of Merit

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Grand Cross
Breast star and grand cross
Ribbon

The Military Karl Friedrich Order of Merit was donated on October 5, 1805 by the Elector and later Grand Duke of Baden , Carl Friedrich , and was intended exclusively to be awarded to officers as a reward for outstanding armed deeds.

Order classes

Originally donated in three classes, in 1840 the Commander-in-Chief was divided into first and second classes. The Karl Friedrich Military Merit Medal was also attached to the order since 1807 .

Order decoration

The medal is a white enamelled Maltese cross made of gold with a laurel wreath with green enamelled leaves under the cross arms . The cross is topped by a margrave or ducal crown (since 1806). In the medallion of the cross, the golden, entwined initials of the founder CF (Carl Friedrich) can be found on a red enamelled background . The medallion is surrounded by a blue enamelled ring with the golden inscription FÜR BADENS EHRE . On the back is a crowned, rear-looking griffin as a shield holder with the already described circlet .

Karl Friedrich Military Merit Medal

On April 4, 1807, the Karl Friedrich Military Merit Medal was donated for NCOs and men in two stages - gold and silver .

The round medal shows the image from the lapel of the order and above the inscription FOR BADENS EHRE . A laurel wreath tied together at the bottom can be seen on the back. Inside the two-line words THE BRAVE and underneath the name of the recipient is engraved. In some cases, this engraving was supplemented by the award year.

Carrying method

The Grand Cross was carried on a sash from the left shoulder to the right hip. The commander's cross was decorated as a neck medal. Grand Cross and Commander First Class also wore a breast star made of silver, which shows the decoration of the order and bears rays in the cross corner. Knight's Cross and Medal of Merit were worn on the ribbon on the left side of the chest.

The band is yellow with a wide red central stripe and a narrow white border.

Award numbers

Until the end of the monarchy, the order and the medal of merit were awarded as follows:

  • Grand Cross - 41 awards
  • Komtur (until 1839) - 67 awards
  • Commander 1st class - 26 awards
  • Commander II class - 17 awards
  • Knight's Cross - 706 awards
  • Gold Medal of Merit - 103 awards
  • Silver Medal of Merit - 2,858 awards

Known porters

particularities

After the owner's death, the medal had to be returned.

The award of the order or the gold medal of merit was associated with a lifelong honorary salary , which the German Reich paid the owners. The Federal Republic of Germany paid the owners 25 DM per month from October 1, 1956 .

literature

  • Arnhard Graf Klenau: Order in Germany and Austria. Volume II: German States (1806–1918). Part I: Anhalt – Hanover. Offenbach 2008. ISBN 3-937064-13-3 . Pp. 38-53.
  • Maximilian Gritzner : Handbook of the knight and merit orders of all civilized states in the world. Leipzig 1893. ISBN 3-8262-0705-X .