The Order of Merit of the German Eagle () was an award of the German Nazi regime, predominantly to foreign diplomats. The Order was instituted on 1 May 1937 by Adolf Hitler. It ceased to be awarded following the collapse of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II in Europe. The wearing of the Order of Merit of the German Eagle is prohibited in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Criteria The Order of Merit of the German Eagle was a diplomatic and honorary award given to prominent foreigners, particularly diplomats.

In addition to awards to non-Germans, the Reich Foreign Minister and the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia received a 'Special Class' (), with identical insignia to the Grand Cross of the Order. Accordingly, Foreign Minister Constantin von Neurath received the Special Class of the Order, with a further award to Joachim von Ribbentrop on his appointment as Foreign Minister in 1938. In 1943 Dr. Wilhelm Frick received the Special Class after becoming Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia.

Appearance and classes The Cross is based on the Maltese Cross with German Eagles at each corner carrying a swastika. For military recipients the Order also featured crossed swords. The cross was suspended from a red ribbon with stripes in black, red and white. The award, in the first two classes, also came in the form of a silver or gold eight pointed star, with corresponding white Maltese Cross and gold eagles centered. The overall appearance and name of the Order resembled the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle, Order of the Red Eagle and Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg).

From 1937 to 1943 the Order was presented in six classes: Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle with star () Order of the German Eagle with Star () Order of the German Eagle 1st Class () Order of the German Eagle 2nd Class () Order of the German Eagle 3rd Class () German Medal of Merit ()

A unique Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the German Eagle in Gold with Diamonds () was also awarded to Benito Mussolini on 25 September 1937.

On 27 December 1943 the Order was reorganised into nine classes: Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle in Gold with Star () Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle with Star () Order of the German Eagle 1st Class () Order of the German Eagle 2nd Class () Order of the German Eagle 3rd Class () Order of the German Eagle 4th Class () Order of the German Eagle 5th Class () Silver Medal of Merit () Bronze Medal of Merit ()

Recipients Grand Cross with Diamonds Benito Mussolini, Italy

Grand Cross with Star The Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the German Eagle in Gold was awarded sixteen times: Ion Antonescu, Chief-of-staff of the Romanian army King Boris III of Bulgaria Galeazzo Ciano Conte di Cortelazzo, Italy Roberto Farinacci, Italy Francisco Franco, Spanish dictator, de facto Regent of Spain and general (last holder of the Grand Cross at the time of his death in 1975). Dr. Wilhelm Frick, Reichsminister Admiral Miklós Horthy, Hungary Johann Ludwig Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, Reich Minister of Finance Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish armed forces Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath, Reich Foreign Minister General Hideki Tojo, Japanese Prime Minister General Hiroshi Ōshima, Japanese ambassador Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander In Chief of the Combined Fleet Joachim von Ribbentrop, Reich Foreign Minister Risto Ryti, President of Finland Jozef Tiso, Roman Catholic priest, President of the First Slovak Republic

Grand Cross

Luang Praditmanutham (Pridi Banomyong), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, 1938. Phya Rajawangsan, Thai envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Germany (based in London), 1938 Prince Wan Waithayakon of Siam, 1938 Count General Terauchi Hisaichi was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle on 25 January 1938."Kanpo" No. 3319 "Investiture and Appointments" (in Japanese) 28 January 1938. Henry Ford was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle on his 75th birthday, 30 July 1938.cited in General Ljubomir Marić, Yugoslavian Defense Minister, 21 November 1938. Ivo Andrić was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, 19 April 1939. Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle on 9 February 1940."Kanpo" No. 3931 "Investiture and Appointments" (in Japanese) 15 February 1940. Swedish explorer Sven Hedin was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle on his 75th birthday on 19 February 1940.Wennerholm, Eric. Sven Hedin - En biografi General Olof Thörnell, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle 7 October 1940. Swedish banker and industrial leader Jacob Wallenberg, awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle, Berlin 1941.Washington National Records Center, Suitland, Maryland; WNRC, RG 84, Stockholm Legation Confidential files 1946-1947, Box 4, American Legation, Stockholm, to Department of State (No. 7447), 1946-10-09. Achille Starace, Secretary of the Fascist Party of Italy Serafino Mazzolini, Foreign Minister, Fascist Party of Italy 1943

Other classes

Number awarded unknown.

Emil Kirdof, director of the Gelsenkirchen industrial consortium (awarded by Hitler on 8 April 1937). Thomas J. Watson, chairman of IBM, 1937. Watson was also president of the International Chamber of Commerce in 1937; the medal was awarded while the ICC was meeting in Germany that year. He returned it to Hitler in 1940. Geoffrey G. Jones, Adrian Brown, "Thomas J. Watson, IBM and Nazi Germany", Harvard Business School Case 9-807-133, October 2008 Ernest G. Liebold, Henry Ford's private secretary, was awarded Order of the German Eagle 1st Class in September 1938.

Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Prime Minister of Thailand. was awarded Order of the German Eagle 1st Class in 1939Royal Thai Government Gazette. แจ้งความสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง ให้ประดับเครื่องราชอิสสริยาภรณ์ต่างประเทศ Vol. 56 Page 3594 on 11 March 1939 Charles Lindbergh was awarded the Order of the German Eagle with Star on 19 October 1938. James Mooney, General Motors' chief executive for overseas operations, was awarded Order of the German Eagle 1st Class on 9 June 1938. Günter Neliba, Die Opel-Werke im Konzern von General Motors (Frankfurt a. M.:2000), pp. 80-82 Giovanni Gentile, Knight of the Order of the German Eagle Class II (July 1940). Tomoyuki Yamashita, Knight of the Order of the German Eagle, 1st Class. Ing. Ugo Conte (1884–1951), Rome Chief Engineer, was awarded Order of the German Eagle 2nd Class on 16 December 1938 for leading team in the construction of first German motorway. Finnish Minister of Defence Rudolf Walden was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle.Einar W. Juva: "Rudolf Walden 1872-1946" page 621 Finnish leader of the Lotta Svärd organization Fanni Luukkonen was awarded the Order of the German Eagle with Star in 1943. She was the only non-German woman to receive the medal. Carlos de Aymerich y Muñoz de Baena (1896-1980), Spanish officer, awarded 2nd class order June, 1, 1939. Hungarian Captain Ladislaus Janik von Emoke awarded Order of the German Eagle 3rd Class on 6th July, 1943.

See also Orders, decorations, and medals of Nazi Germany Order of the Red Eagle (Prussian) Order of the Black Eagle (Prussian) Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) (Prussian)

References

External links The German Eagle Order, 1st type. Orders and Medals Society of America.