Order of the Red Eagle

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Order of the Red Eagle
Roter Adlerorden
REO-GC breast star.JPG
Grand Cross breast star
Awarded by the Kingdom of Prussia
Type State Order
Established12 June 1792 (in Prussia)
EligibilityCivilians and military, Prussian and foreign, with rank/status determining which grade one received
CriteriaMerit
StatusObsolete
Sovereign Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia
Precedence
Next (higher) Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown
Next (lower) Order of the Crown
PRU Roter Adlerorden BAR.svg
Ribbon of the order

The Order of the Red Eagle (German : Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements. As with most German other European orders, the Order of the Red Eagle could be awarded only to commissioned officers or civilians of approximately equivalent status. However, there was a medal of the order, which could be awarded to non-commissioned officers and enlisted men, lower ranking civil servants and other civilians.

Contents

History

The predecessor to the Order of the Red Eagle was founded on 17 November 1705, by the Margrave Georg Wilhelm of Brandenburg-Bayreuth as the Ordre de la Sincerité . This soon fell into disuse but was revived in 1712 in Brandenburg-Bayreuth and again in 1734 in Brandenburg-Ansbach, where it first received the name of "Order of the Brandenburg Red Eagle". The statutes were changed in 1777 and the order named therein as the "Order of the Red Eagle". The order was conferred in one class, limited to fifty knights. [1]

The Kingdom of Prussia absorbed both Brandenburg-Bayreuth and Brandenburg-Ansbach in January 1792, and on 12 June 1792, King Frederick William II again revived the order as a Prussian royal order. After the Order of the Black Eagle, the Order of the Red Eagle was the second highest order of the kingdom in order of precedence. [1] Every Knight of the Black Eagle now automatically became a member of the contemporary highest class of the Order of the Red Eagle.

In 1810, King Frederick William III revised the statutes of the order, expanding it into three classes. In 1830, a breast star was authorized for the Second Class and the First Class General Honor Decoration became the Fourth Class of the order. [1] The statutes were further revised in 1861, and a Grand Cross was established as the highest class of the order. By change to the statutes of the Order of the Black Eagle, every member of that order was automatically invested with the new Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle, as well as with the Order of the Prussian Crown. By 1918, an affiliated soldier's medal had been made available to commoners and enlisted men.

Following the Kaiser's abdication at the close of the First World War, a new German constitution was signed into law on 11 August 1919, effectively putting a legal end to the monarchy. All orders and decorations formally conferred by the monarchy ceased to exist, but recipients of the Order of the Red Eagle continued to wear it with their other decorations during the eras of the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and the restored republic.

Classes

By the time of World War I, the order had evolved into four classes, two of them divided in two divisions each, and an affiliated medal:

Within these seven grades, however, were a bewildering array of variations. Among these were:

There were also a set of special versions, the Stars 1st through 4th Class, for non-Christians.

Insignia

The badge of the order for the Grand Cross was a gold (gilt after 1916) Maltese cross enameled in white, with red enameled eagles between the arms of the cross; the gold central disc bore the Royal monogram, surrounded by a blue enameled ring bearing the motto of the Order, Sincere et Constanter.

The badge for the 1st to 3rd classes was a gold (gilt after 1916) cross pattée, enameled in white; that for the 4th class was similar but with smooth, plain silver arms. After 1879 the silver arms of the 4th class cross were pebbled in texture and appearance. The central disc bore the red eagle on a white enamel background on the obverse, with the royal cipher of King Friedrich Wilhelm surmounted by the Prussian crown on the reverse. The enlisted man's medal was of a relatively simple, round design, topped with the Prussian crown, with a depiction of the regular badge in the center of the medal on the obverse, with the royal cipher of the reigning monarch on the reverse.

The breast star of the order was (for the Grand Cross) a golden eight-pointed star, (for 1st Class) a silver eight-pointed star, or (for 2nd Class) a silver four-pointed star with a white enameled cross pattée, all with straight rays. The central disc bore the red eagle on a white enamel background, surrounded by a ring (enameled blue for Grand Cross, white for the others) bearing the motto of the Order, Sincere et Constanter.

After September 16, 1848, awards of all classes (except the medal) bestowed for military merit had two golden swords crossed through the central medallion.

The traditional ribbon of the order was white with two orange stripes at the edges, but combat awards were frequently conferred with a black and white ribbon similar to that of the Iron Cross. Numerous variations of the ribbon existed, depending on the nature of the specific award.

Sovereigns (1705–1918)

Georg Wilhelm, Markgraf of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, who founded the Ordre de la Sincerite Georg Wilhelm Markgraf von Bayreuth.jpg
Georg Wilhelm, Markgraf of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, who founded the Ordre de la Sincerité

Recipients

List of notable recipients
Grand Crosses
1st Class
2nd Class
3rd Class
Other or Unknown Classes

What follows are some additional details on a fair cross section of individuals who are known to have received the Order in any of its several classes, listed in order of precedence. The Order of the Red Eagle frequently was conferred upon foreign nationals, both royal and non-royal, to honor their individual positions or work and to further diplomatic relations with their nations, in much the same way that the Order of the Bath still is conferred by the British monarchy.

Grand Cross (1861–1918)

Grossadmiral Alfred von Tirpitz, wearing his Order of the Red Eagle, Grand Cross Alfred von Tirpitz.jpg
Großadmiral Alfred von Tirpitz, wearing his Order of the Red Eagle, Grand Cross

German / Prussian

Foreign

Knights 1st Class (1705–1918)

Karl August Furst (Prince) von Hardenberg, ca 1822, by Friedrich Georg Weitsch. Hardenberg wears the badge of the Order of the Red Eagle, 1st Class, above his other orders Furst Hardenberg.jpg
Karl August Fürst (Prince) von Hardenberg, ca 1822, by Friedrich Georg Weitsch. Hardenberg wears the badge of the Order of the Red Eagle, 1st Class, above his other orders

German

Foreign

Giustino Fortunato, Prime minister of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Giustino Fortunato Senior.JPG
Giustino Fortunato, Prime minister of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

Knights 2nd Class (1810–1918)

Order of the Red Eagle, 2nd Class, badge & neck ribbon REO2 neck cross 2.JPG
Order of the Red Eagle, 2nd Class, badge & neck ribbon
ADM Curt von Prittwitz, wearing the badge & star of the 2nd Class Curt von Prittwitz und Gaffron (1849-1922), deutscher Admiral a la suite als Grossoffizier.jpg
ADM Curt von Prittwitz, wearing the badge & star of the 2nd Class

German

Foreign

Knights 3rd Class (1810–1918)

Order of the Red Eagle, 3rd Class, with Crown and Swords REO3 w Crown & Swords.JPG
Order of the Red Eagle, 3rd Class, with Crown and Swords
Admiral Sir William De Salis, R.N., awarded the Cross, second class, in 1904. AdmiralSirWilliamDeSalis.jpg
Admiral Sir William De Salis, R.N., awarded the Cross, second class, in 1904.

Knights 4th Class (1830–1918)

Order of the Red Eagle, 4th Class PrRAO4obv.jpg
Order of the Red Eagle, 4th Class

Medal for Enlisted Men

Order of the Red Eagle Medal (for enlisted men) Red Eagle Medal for enlisted.JPG
Order of the Red Eagle Medal (for enlisted men)

Sources

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