Orders, decorations, and medals of the German Empire lists many of the decorations awarded by the states which joined to form the German Empire under the leadership of Prussia in 1871. Also included are decorations of various German states which were no longer in existence in 1871, mainly because they had been annexed by Prussia before or during the wars of unification.
German Empire The German Empire consisted of 25 member states: four kingdoms, six grand duchies, five duchies, seven principalities and three Hanseatic cities. Each of these states awarded decorations for civil or military merit. In addition, the house order of the two former Hohenzollern principalities (Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen) continued to be awarded during the imperial era, although the states themselves had been annexed by Prussia.
Following the overthrow of the German monarchies during the German revolution of 1918–1919 after Germany's defeat in the First World War, the decorations ceased to be issued. However, as late as the Second World War (1939–1945), it was not uncommon for some recipients of imperial decorations earned in the earlier war to continue to wear them on Wehrmacht and Nazi Party uniforms, along with the more recent awards and decorations of Nazi Germany. The following is a list of the principal civil and military decorations issued by each imperial German state.
Kingdom of Prussia
Orders Order of the Black Eagle Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown Order of the Red Eagle Order of the Crown Royal House Order of Hohenzollern Pour le Mérite Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg) Order of Louise Wilhelm-Orden Civil decorations General Honor Decoration Life Saving Medal Red Cross Medal Merit Cross in Gold or Silver Jerusalem Cross Cross of the Mount of Olives Military and war decorations Military Merit Cross Iron Cross Military Honor Medal Merit Cross for War Aid Duppel Storm Cross Alsen Cross Warrior Merit Medal
War Commemorative Medal of 1870/71 Colonial Medal China Commemorative Medal South West Africa Commemorative Medal Centenary Medal
Kingdom of Bavaria Orders Order of St. Hubertus Royal Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Immaculate Conception Military Order of Max Joseph Merit Order of the Bavarian Crown Merit Order of St. Michael Maximilian Order for Science and Art Military Merit Order
Order of Saint Elizabeth (for women) Order of Theresa (for women) Civil decorations
Ludwig Medal for Science and Art Ludwig Medal for Industry
Military and war decorations Golden and Silver Military Merit Medals Military Merit Cross Military Medical Decoration Merit Cross for Volunteer Nursing Jubilee Medal for the Bavarian Army
Kingdom of Saxony Orders Order of the Rue Crown Military Order of St. Henry Civil Order of Saxony (also called the Civil Merit Order) Albert Order Order of Sidonia (for women) (for women) Civil decorations (formerly, General Honor Decoration) Lifesaving Medal Medal Virtuti et Ingenio Medal Bene Merentibus Military and war decorations War Merit Cross
Kingdom of Württemberg
Orders Order of the Württemberg Crown Military Merit Order Friedrich Order Order of Olga (for women) Civil decorations Merit Medal Merit Cross Gold Medal for Art and Science Lifesaving Medal Military and war decorations
Wilhelm Cross Charlotte Cross
Grand Duchy of Baden Orders House Order of Fidelity Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order Order of Berthold the First Order of the Zähringer Lion Civil decorations Medal of Merit 1902 Jubilee Medal
Lifesaving Medal Medals for Art and Science Military and war decorations War Merit Cross
Cross for Volunteer War Aid Field Service Decoration
Grand Duchy of Hesse Orders House Order of the Golden Lion Ludwig Order Order of Philip the Magnanimous Order of the Star of Brabant Civil decorations General Honor Decoration Lifesaving Medal
Military and war decorations General Honor Decoration for Bravery or for War Merit
War Honor Decoration
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Orders House Order of the Wendish Crown Order of the Griffon Civil decorations Merit Medal
Military and war decorations Military Merit Cross
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Orders House Order of the Wendish Crown Order of the Griffon Civil decorations Merit Medal
Military and war decorations Cross for Distinction in War
Grand Duchy of Oldenburg Orders House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis Civil decorations Civil Merit Medal
Red Cross Medal
Military and war decorations Friedrich August Cross
Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Orders House Order of Vigilance or the White Falcon Civil decorations Merit Medal (to 1902) General Honor Decoration (from 1902) Lifesaving Medal Military and war decorations Wilhelm Ernst War Cross General Honor Decoration with Swords Honor Cross for Homeland Merit
Duchy of Anhalt Orders Order of Albert the Bear Order of Merit for Science and Art Civil decorations
1896 Jubilee Medal Military and war decorations Friedrich Cross (for women and girls)
Duchy of Brunswick Orders House Order of Henry the Lion Civil decorations
Military and war decorations War Merit Cross Waterloo Medal
Duchies of Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Saxe-Meiningen Orders Saxe-Ernestine House Order (associated medals were different for each duchy) Civil decorations Medal for Art and Science (each duchy had its own version) Lifesaving Medal (each duchy had its own version) Duke Carl Eduard Medal (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) Military and war decorations Duke Ernst Medal (Saxe-Altenburg) Oval Silver Duke Carl Eduard Medal with Crown (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) Carl Eduard War Cross (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) Cross for Merit in War (Saxe-Meiningen) Medal for Merit in War (Saxe-Meiningen) Cross for Merit for Women and Maidens in War Welfare Work (Saxe-Meiningen)
Principality of Lippe Orders
Civil decorations Merit Medal
Military and war decorations War Honor Cross for Heroic Deeds War Merit Cross
Principalities of Reuss Elder Line and Reuss Younger Line Orders Princely Reuss Honour Cross Civil decorations
Merit Medal Merit Medal for Art and Science Lifesaving Medal Military and war decorations War Merit Cross
Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe Orders
Order for Art and Science Civil decorations Merit Medal Lifesaving Medal Prince Adolf Medal Military and war decorations Military Merit Cross Military Merit Medal Cross for Loyal Service
Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Orders Princely Schwarzburg Honor Cross Civil decorations
Medal for Rescue from Danger Honor Decoration for Servants and Workers Military and war decorations
Honor Medal Merit Medal
Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont Orders Order of Merit Civil decorations Honor Cross Merit Medal Medal for Art and Science Military and war decorations Honor Cross with Swords Merit Medal with Swords
Free and Hanseatic Cities of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck Civil decorations Lifesaving Medal (Lübeck) Military and war decorations
Hanseatic Cross (each city-state had its own version)
Imperial German badges In addition to decorations and honors for valor or other military or civilian merit, imperial Germany issued several badges during the First World War recognizing soldiers, sailors and airmen for being members of specialized combat components, such as submarine or aircraft crews, or for having been wounded in the conflict.
Abzeichen für Beobachtungsoffiziere aus Flugzeugen at Ehrenzeichen-Orden
Abzeichen für Marine-Flugzeugführer auf Seeflugzeugen at Ehrenzeichen-Orden Prussian Military Pilot BadgeAbzeichen Militär-Flugzeugführer at Ehrenzeichen-Orden U-Boat War BadgeU-Boot Kriegsabzeichen at Ehrenzeichen-Orden Wound Badge (1918)
Former German states Prussia annexed two small Hohenzollern principalities in 1850. After Prussia's victory in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, it annexed several German states that had been allied with Austria-Hungary. These included the Kingdom of Hanover, the Duchy of Nassau, the Electorate of Hesse and the Free City of Frankfurt, in addition to Hesse-Homburg, a former Landgraviate ceded by the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The following is a list of the principal civil and military decorations of these states.
Kingdom of Hanover Orders Order of St. George Royal Guelphic Order Order of Ernst August Civil decorations
Military and war decorations
Waterloo Medal
Electorate of Hesse Orders House Order of the Golden Lion Wilhelm Order Pour la Vertu Militaire Order of the Iron Helmet Civil decorations Civil Merit Medal and Civil Merit Cross Military and war decorations Military Merit Medal and Military Merit Cross
Duchy of Nassau Orders Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau Civil and Military Order of Adolph of Nassau Civil decorations Civil Merit Medal
Medal for Art and Science Military and war decorations
Waterloo Medal
Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg Military and war decorations
Principalities of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Orders Princely House Order of Hohenzollern
Free City of Frankfurt Military and war decorations
References
Sources
Neville, Donald G. (1974): Medals, Ribbons & Orders of Imperial Germany & Austria. Balfour Publications.
External links Medal images at Imperial Orders and Medals Guide