Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown

Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown with Swords

The Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown was founded on January 18, 1901 by King Wilhelm II of Prussia on the occasion of the bicentenary of the Kingdom of Prussia and awarded for exceptional merits. It ranked directly behind the Order of the Black Eagle and in front of the Order of the Red Eagle .

Order classes

The foundation took place in only one class and consists of a medal and a breast star . For military merit, it was also possible to award it with crossed swords through the Kreuzwinkel. In addition, the decoration with diamonds could be awarded.

Order decoration

The medal is a blue enamelled Maltese cross made of 18-carat gold with a grained edge. In the corners of the cross the initial W II  ((Wilhelm II)) surmounted by an enamelled royal crown . In the placed medallion a red enamelled golden crown can be seen, which is enclosed by a blue enamelled ring with the golden inscription GOTT MIT UNS . On the reverse the entwined initials W II IR  ((Wilhelm II Imperator Rex)) and all around January 18, 1901 (date of foundation).

The breast star is eight-pointed and shows the medallion of the obverse already described in the middle .

Carrying method

Ribbon

The award was worn on a sky-blue shoulder band with gold side stripes from the right shoulder to the left hip and with the breast star on the left side.

Awards

The medal was awarded only 57 times. General Konrad Ernst von Goßler was the only person who received the awards in both departments.

carrier

• King Wilhelm II of Prussia on January 18, 1901
• Prince Albrecht of Prussia , regent of the Duchy of Braunschweig on January 18, 1901
• Freiherr von Loe , Prussian Colonel General of the Cavalry and Adjutant General on January 18, 1901
• Vladimir Nikolajewitsch Graf Lamsdorf , Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs on September 21, 1901
• Mehmed Said Pasha , Ottoman Grand Vizier on May 24, 1902
• Vajiravudh , Crown Prince of Siam on June 11, 1902
• Giulio Prinetti , Italian Foreign Minister on September 15, 1902
• Otto von Strubberg , Prussian infantry general on October 21, 1902
• Hermann von Hatzfeldt , Upper Prussian President on June 22, 1903
• Konrad Ernst von Goßler , Prussian infantry general on August 14, 1903
• Arthur von Bolfras , Austrian Feldzeugmeister and Adjutant General on September 18, 1903
• Count Uexküll-Gyllenband, Austrian cavalry general and commander of the 2nd Corps on September 18, 1903
• Count von Abensperg and Traun, Austrian Colonel Chamberlain on September 19, 1903
• Károly Graf Khuen-Héderváry , Hungarian Prime Minister on September 19, 1903
• Henry Lascelles , British Ambassador to Berlin on June 30, 1904
• Damat Ferid Pasha , Ottoman Grand Vizier on September 24, 1904
• Eberhard zu Solms-Sonnenwalde , Prussian ambassador ret. D. October 18, 1904
• Albert von Mischke , Prussian infantry general and adjutant general on October 18, 1904
• Ernst von der Planitz , Prussian General of the Cavalry and Inspector General of the Cavalry on May 1, 1905
• Strukoff, Russian cavalry general and adjutant general on June 4, 1905
• August Graf zu Eulenburg , Prussian Minister of State on July 2, 1905
• Count zu Castell-Castell, Bavarian lieutenant general and chief steward on November 14, 1905
• Max Wladimir von Beck , Austrian Prime Minister on June 22, 1906
• Sándor Wekerle , Hungarian Prime Minister on June 22, 1906
• Fiedler, Austrian Feldzeugmeister and commanding general of the 1st Army Corps on May 7, 1908
• Leopold Graf Gudenus, Austrian Colonel Chamberlain on May 7, 1908
• Count Cziráky von Czirák and Dénesfalva, Austrian high court marshal on May 7, 1908
• Arvid Lindman , Swedish Prime Minister on August 3, 1908
• Hemming Gadd, Swedish infantry general on August 3, 1908
• Max Clemens Lothar von Hausen , Saxon General of the Infantry and Minister of State on September 10, 1908
• Ahmed Tevfik Pasha , Ottoman Marshal on September 10, 1908
• Julius von Verdy du Vernois , Prussian infantry general on March 1, 1909
• Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin , Russian Prime Minister on June 17, 1909
• Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf , Chief of the Austrian General Staff on September 9, 1909
• Franz Xaver von Schönaich , Austrian infantry general and minister of war on September 9, 1909
• Carl von Horn , Bavarian Infantry General and Minister of War on September 17, 1909
• Wilhelm von Linden -Suden, Prussian infantry general on April 7, 1911
• Hermann von Blomberg , Prussian infantry general on September 13, 1911
• Georg von Kleist , Prussian general of the cavalry on April 6, 1912
• Jules Greindl , Belgian Minister of State on May 24, 1912
• Sergei Dmitrievich Sasonov , Russian Foreign Minister on July 4, 1912
• Hans von Kirchbach , Saxon artillery general on September 13, 1912
• Katsura Taro , Japanese keeper of the large seals on September 19, 1912
• Peter von Wiedenmann , Bavarian artillery general and adjutant general on December 19, 1912
• Maximilian von Seinsheim, Bavarian chief steward on December 19, 1912
• Victor von Podbielski , Prussian Minister of State on June 16, 1913
• Walther von Moßner , Prussian general of the cavalry on June 16, 1913
• Clemens von Delbrück , Prussian Minister of State on June 24, 1914
• Ludwig von Hammerstein-Loxten , Prussian infantry general on May 12, 1917
• Reinhold Kraetke , Prussian State Secretary of the Reich Post Office on August 6, 1917
• Paul von Ploetz , Prussian infantry general on March 13, 1918

With swords

Five awards:

• Kanin, Prince of Japan on March 22, 1906
• Ōyama Iwao , Marquis and Japanese Marshal on March 22, 1906
• Karl Ludwig d'Elsa , Saxon Colonel General on January 2, 1917
• Konrad Ernst von Goßler , Prussian infantry general on February 10, 1917
• Ernst von Hoiningen called Huene , Prussian infantry general on March 6, 1917

With diamonds

An award

• Maximilian von Seinsheim, Bavarian chief steward on December 15, 1913

Others

The insignia had to be returned after the owner's death.

literature

• Jörg Nimmergut : German medals and decorations until 1945. Volume 2: Limburg-Reuss. Central Office for Scientific Order Studies, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-00-001396-2 .
• Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann : The order of merit of the Prussian crown. Message from the Institute for Scientific Order Studies. The Herald. Volume 12, Volume 32, 1989, Issue 9.