Military Merit Order (Württemberg)
The Military Merit Order was a Württemberg order for military merit.
history
Military Order of Carl
To reward outstanding achievements for officers in the Seven Years' War , Duke Carl Eugen von Württemberg donated an Order of Military Merit on February 11, 1759, the Military Order of Carls named after him .
As elector, the later King Friedrich I of Württemberg renewed the order in four classes on November 6, 1799.
It was awarded for services in war or in peacetime for at least 25 years of loyal service and had to be worn constantly.
Military Order of Merit
In 1806 he was finally given the name Military Order of Merit.
Order classes
On September 23, 1818, the order was redesigned and awarded exclusively for military merit and divided into three classes:
Order decoration
The medal is a gold-rimmed, white-enameled cross, in the medallion of which a golden laurel wreath can be seen tied at the bottom . The medallion is surrounded by a blue enameled ring. This initially bore the golden inscription Bene merentibus (those who have probably earned themselves) and from 1818 Fearless and Trew . On the reverse the entwined and crowned initials of the respective reigning king, also enclosed by the already described ring.
Carrying method
Both the Grand Cross and the Commander's Cross were worn around the neck, but with an additional silver cross . The knight's cross is a little smaller and was worn on the ribbon on the left side of the chest.
While the medal used to hang on a wide yellow ribbon with a black border, it was later worn on a blue ribbon. Only the knight class received the old yellow-black ribbon during the First World War to distinguish it from a peacemaking .
Award numbers
1806/15
| Order class | total |
|---|---|
| Grand Cross | 20th |
| Commander | 68 |
| Knight's cross | 620 |
1818/57
| Order class | total |
|---|---|
| Grand Cross | 5 |
| Commander | 25th |
| Knight's cross | 30th |
1870/89
| Order class | total |
|---|---|
| Grand Cross | 34 |
| Commander | 65 |
| Knight's cross | 173 |
1892/1914
| Order class | total |
|---|---|
| Grand Cross | 13 |
| Commander | 27 |
| Knight's cross | 55 |
First World War 1914/18
| Order class | Württemberger | Foreigners | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Cross | 2 | 14th | 18th |
| Commander | 11 | 8th | 19th |
| Knight's cross | 2,170 | 119 | 2,289 |
Others
With the award of the order, the elevation to the personal nobility was connected until 1913 . In addition, the borrowed received a pension . This was paid out to the still living owners during the Third Reich and in the Federal Republic of Germany (DM 50, -).
If a knight was found during the monarchy in Württemberg without the medal, he had to pay a sum of money as a fine in favor of poor soldiers' children.
literature
- Jörg Nimmergut : German medals and decorations until 1945. Volume 3: Saxony-Württemberg I. Central Office for Scientific Religious Studies. Munich 1999. pp. 1704-1720.
- Maximilian Gritzner : Handbook of the knight and merit orders of all civilized states in the world. Weber. Leipzig 1893.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Otto von Moser : Die Württemberger in the world war. Chr. Belser AG. Stuttgart 1928. pp. 109-122.
- ^ Jörg Nimmergut: German medals and decorations until 1945. Saxony-Württemberg I. Central Office for Scientific Religious Studies. Munich 1999. p. 1709.