The orders, decorations, and medals of the German states, in which each states of Germany has devised a system of orders and awards to honour residents for actions or deeds that benefit their local community or state, are in turn subsumed within the German honours system. Each state sets their own rules and criteria on eligibility and also how each medal is awarded and presented. Most of the orders allow for the recipient to wear their orders in public.
Most of the orders have the form of a maltese cross.
The city states of Bremen and Hamburg do not allocate any orders. An exception was made during World War I when the Hanseatic Cross was awarded jointly with the city of Lübeck. Even today, senators of the two states reject any foreign orders. Former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt received a number of accolades, among them was the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, which he chose not to accept in Hanseatic tradition, in order to refuse any decoration presented for merely fulfilling one's duty. [1]
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only federal decoration of Germany. It was created by the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Theodor Heuss, on 7 September 1951, and has been awarded to over 200,000 individuals in total, both Germans and foreigners. Since the 1990s, the number of annual awards has declined from over 4,000, first to around 2,300–2,500 per year, and now under 2,000, with a low of 1752 in 2011. In recent years, women have made up a steady 30–31% of recipients. Colloquially, the decorations of the different classes of the Order are also known as the Federal Cross of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz).
Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon was a Prussian soldier and statesman. As Minister of War from 1859 to 1873, Roon, along with Otto von Bismarck and Helmuth von Moltke, was a dominating figure in Prussia's government during the key decade of the 1860s, when a series of successful wars against Denmark, Austria and France led to German unification under Prussia's leadership. A moderate conservative and supporter of executive monarchy, he was an avid modernizer who worked to improve the efficiency of the army.
Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern was born in Munich, the son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria (1821–1912) and his wife Archduchess Augusta of Austria (1825–1864). He was a Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) who commanded German and Austro-Hungarian forces on the Eastern Front in World War I.
Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia was the son of Prince Charles of Prussia (1801–1883) and his wife, Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1808–1877). Prince Friedrich Karl was a grandson of King Frederick William III of Prussia and a nephew of Frederick William IV and William I. He was born in Berlin at the Royal Palace.
The Carl Zuckmayer Medal is a literary prize given by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in memory of Carl Zuckmayer. The medal itself was fashioned by state artist Otto Kallenbach. The prize is also given with a 30 liter cask of Nackenheimer wine from region Gunderlock, a type valued by Zuckmayer. The bestowal takes place on 18 January, the anniversary of Zuckmayer's death.
Spessart is a municipality in the district of Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Orders, decorations, and medals of the German Empire covers those decorations awarded by the states which came together under Prussian leadership to form the German Empire in 1871. For convenience's sake, this category also covers the decorations of the various German states which were no longer in existence in 1871, mainly because they had been annexed by Prussia during the Wars of Unification or before.
Felix Ludwig Grafvon Bothmer was a German general from Bavaria, notably during the Brusilov offensive of 1916.
The honours system in the Republic of Austria is a means of rewarding individuals' personal achievement, or service to Austria by state decorations and medals.
Under federal law the manufacture, importation, distribution, and advertisement of tobacco is regulated whilst the 16 federal states of Germany each have their own legislation regarding smoking in public places, which range from relatively weak regulations to full smoking bans in all licensed premises, childcare facilities, schools and governmental institutions. As of July 2016, nearly 40% of the German population live in a state which bans smoking in all restaurants, pubs, cafés and nightclubs. The other 13 states permit smoking in designated rooms or in bars with a floor area of less than 75 square meters.
Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg is the highest award of the German State of Baden-Württemberg. Established 26 November 1974, it was originally called the Medal of Merit of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Effective 26 June 2009, the medal assumed its current name. The order is awarded by the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg for outstanding contributions to the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, in politics, society, culture and economics. The order is limited to 1,000 living holders, and has been awarded 1,923 times, as of 30 April 2018.
The Order of Merit of Berlin is this highest award of the German State of Berlin. Awarded in the name of the Senate of Berlin, the order had recognized outstanding contributions to the State of Berlin since 21 July 1987. Awarded each year on 1 October, the anniversary of the Berlin Constitution, the order is limited to no more than 400 living recipients. As of 2016 the order had been awarded 431 times, to 152 women and 279 men.
The Order of Merit of Rhineland-Palatinate is a civil order of merit, of the German State of Rhineland-Palatinate. The order is presented for outstanding service to the state and people of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was founded on 2 October 1981, and first awarded in 1982. The order is limited to 800 living recipients. Through 2012, the order had been awarded 1035 times.
The Order of Merit of Schleswig-Holstein is an award presented by the Minister-President of German state Schleswig-Holstein. Established in 2008, it is the highest award of the state. Prior to 2008, the Schleswig-Holstein-Medaille was the highest award of the state. In the establishing decree of the order it states prior recipients of the medal are members of the order. To preserve the exclusivity of the order it is limited to 500 living recipients.
The Order of Merit of Saxony-Anhalt is the highest award of the German State of Saxony-Anhalt. Established 23 May 2006, the order is presented by the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt. The total number of living recipients is limited to 300. Recipients of the order are recognized for exceptional performance over a longer period of time or an extraordinary individual performance for Saxony-Anhalt and its citizens. Individuals are considered from among the citizens and non-citizens of Saxony-Anhalt.
The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution is a state-level security agency in Germany.
The Principality of Liechtenstein is the last independent principality of the Holy Roman Empire. After the fall of the empire, Liechtenstein aligned itself with Austria-Hungary until the end of World War I. Since that time, Liechtenstein has been most closely aligned with its neutral neighbor Switzerland. The honours system of Liechtenstein is made up of an order of merit, established in 1937, and a limited number of commemorative medals that were awarded during the 20th century.
The Medal for Merit in War was a military decoration of the Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, established during World War I on 7 March 1915 by Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. For officers, there was the Cross for Merit in War, while the Medal was for enlisted personnel.
The Minister President (Ministerpräsident) is the head of state and government in thirteen of Germany's sixteen states.
