Order of Merit of the State of Schleswig-Holstein
The Order of Merit of the State of Schleswig-Holstein was created as the highest order of merit in the State of Schleswig-Holstein after the presentation of Prime Minister Peter Harry Carstensen in 2008. The medal was first awarded to eleven people on Schleswig-Holstein Day on July 12th in Neumünster .
The medal has the shape of a red cross with concave wings and a silver border and has a stylized coat of arms on the front. It is worn on a blue ribbon on the upper left side of the chest.
The state's highest award to date, the Schleswig-Holstein Medal , donated in 1978 , is transferred to the new Order of Merit. The decree provides that holders of the Schleswig-Holstein Medal are automatically also holders of the Order of Merit.
see also: List of the bearers of the Order of Merit of the State of Schleswig-Holstein