Orders, decorations, and medals of Imperial Germany

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Orders, decorations, and medals of Imperial Germany 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.

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German Empire

The German Empire consisted of 25 states: four kingdoms, six grand duchies, five duchies, seven principalities and three Hanseatic cities. In addition, the house order of the Hohenzollern principalities, although the states themselves had been annexed by Prussia, continued to be awarded in the imperial era. Each state awarded decorations for civil or military merit. The following is a list of the principal civil and military decorations of each state.

Ww1 German Medals Video

Kingdom of Prussia

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
Johanniter Order
Order of Louise
Wilhelm-Orden

Life Saving Medal
Red Cross Medal
Merit Cross in Gold or Silver
Cross of the General Honor Decoration
General Honor Decoration
Jerusalem Cross
Cross of the Mount of Olives, established in 1909

Iron Cross
Military Merit Cross
Military Honor Medal 1st Class and Military Honor Medal 2nd Class
Merit Cross for War Aid
Duppel Storm Cross
Alsen Cross
Warrior Merit Medal
War Commemorative Medal of 1870/71
1866 Commemorative Cross
War Commemorative Medal of 1864
Colonial Medal
China Medal
South West Africa Medal
Centenary Medal

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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
- Military Merit Order and its associated Military Merit Cross
- Maximilian Order for Science and Art
- Ludwig Order
- Military Medical Order
- Order of Saint Elizabeth (for Women)
- Order of Theresa (for Women)
Civil decorations
- Civil Merit Medal
- Ludwig Medal for Science and Art
- Ludwig Medal for Industry
- Prince Regent Luitpold Medal
Military and war decorations
- Golden and Silver Military Merit Medals
- Military Medical Decoration
- Merit Cross for Volunteer Medical Personnel
- Jubilee Medal for the Bavarian Army
- King Ludwig Cross

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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)
- Order of Maria-Anna (for women)
Civil decorations
- Honor Cross and Honor Cross with Crowns (also a military decoration with swords)
- Lifesaving Medal
- Medal "Virtuti et Ingenio"
- Medal "Bene Merentibus
Military and war decorations
- Friedrich August Medal
- War Merit Cross

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Kingdom of Württemberg

Orders
- Order of the Crown (Württemberg)
- 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
- Golden Military Merit Medal
- Silver Military Merit Medal
- Merit Cross with Swords
- Wilhelm Cross
- Charlotte Cross

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Grand Duchy of Baden

Orders
- House Order of Fidelity
- Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order and the Merit Medal of the Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order (Karl-Friedrich Military Merit Medal)
- Order of Berthold the First
- Order of the Zähringer Lion
Civil decorations
- Merit Medal
- 1902 Jubilee Medal
- Friedrich-Luisen Medal
- 1906 Commemorative Medal
- Lifesaving Medals
- Medals for Art and Science
Military and war decorations
- Merit Medal on the ribbon of the Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order
- Field Service Decoration
- Commemorative Cross for Volunteer Medical Personnel 1870-71
- Cross for Volunteer War Aid
- War Merit Cross

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Grand Duchy of Hesse

Orders
- Order of the Golden Lion
- Ludwigsorden
- Order of Philip the Magnanimous
- Order of the Star of Brabant
Civil decorations
- General Honor Decoration
- Lifesaving Medal
- Merit Medals for Science, Art, Industry, and Agriculture
Military and war decorations
- Military Merit Cross 1870/71
- General Honor Decoration for Bravery or for War Merit
- Warrior Honor Decoration in Iron
- Military Medical Cross, 1870/71 and 1914
- War Honor Decoration

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Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Orders
- House Order of the Wendish Crown
- Order of the Griffon
Civil decorations
- Merit Medal
- Friedrich Franz Medal
- Medal "For Arts and Sciences"
Military and war decorations
- Military Merit Cross
- Friedrich Franz Cross
- Friedrich Franz Alexandra Cross

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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

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Grand Duchy of Oldenburg

Orders
- House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis
Civil decorations
- Civil Merit Medal
- Medal for Merit in the Arts
Military and war decorations
- Friedrich August Cross
- War Merit Medal

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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 Clasp
- Honor Cross for Homeland Merit

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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

1914 WWI German Veterans Medal And A Few Other Finds

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Duchy of Brunswick

Orders
- House Order of Henry the Lion
Civil decorations
- Lifesaving Medal
Military and war decorations
- Peninsula Medal
- Waterloo Medal
- War Merit Cross, 1st and 2nd Classes

Duchies of Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Saxe-Meiningen

Orders
- Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order and its associated merit crosses and medals (the 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)
- Duke Ernst Medal 1st Class with Swords (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 and Medal for Merit in War (Saxe-Meiningen)

Principalities of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Hohenzollern-Hechingen

Orders
- Princely House Order of Hohenzollern
- Bene merenti Order

Principality of Lippe-Detmold

Orders
- House Order of the Honor Cross
- Order of Leopold
- Lippish Rose Order for Art and Science
Civil decorations
- Merit Medal
- Lifesaving Medal
Military and war decorations
- War Honor Cross for Heroic Deeds
- War Merit Cross
- Military Merit Medal
- War Honor Medal

Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe

- Orders
  - House Order of the Honor Cross
  - Order for Art and Science
- Civil decorations
  - Merit Medal
  - Lifesaving Medal
- Military and war decorations
  - Military Merit Medal
  - Cross for Loyal Service

Principalities of Reuss, Elder Line and Younger Line

Orders
- Princely Reuss Honor Cross
Civil decorations
- Merit Cross
- Merit Medal
- Lifesaving Medal
Military and war decorations
- War Merit Cross "1914"
- Medal for Sacrificial Activity in Wartime

Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Orders
- Princely Schwarzburg Honor Cross
Civil decorations
- Merit Medals for Art and Science, Trade and Industry, and Agriculture
Military and war decorations
- Silver Medal for Merit in War

Principality of Waldeck

Orders
- Order of Merit
- Merit Cross
- Military Merit Cross
Civil decorations
- Medal for Art and Science
Military and war decorations
- Friedrich Bathildis Medal

Free and Hanseatic Cities of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck

Hanseatic Cross

Former German states

The largest state to be annexed by Prussia was the Kingdom of Hanover. Other states which had ceased to exist by 1871 include the Duchy of Nassau, the electoral principality of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), the free city of Frankfurt, and several smaller states. 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
  - Merit Medal
  - General Honor Decoration for Civil Merit
  - Golden Honor Medal for Art and Science
- Military and war decorations
  - General Honor Decoration for Civil Merit
  - Langensalza Medal
  - Waterloo Medal
Electoral Principality of Hesse-Kassel
- Orders
  - House Order of the Golden Lion
  - Order of Wilhelm
  - Order of the Iron Helmet
- Civil decorations
  - Civil Merit Cross and Civil Merit Medal
Duchy of Nassau
- Orders
  - Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
  - Military and Civil Merit Order of Adolph of Nassau
- Civil decorations
  - Civil Merit Medal
  - Medal for Art and Science
- Military and war decorations
  - Bravery Medal
  - Waterloo Medal

First World War

German decorations of the First World War were those medals, ribbons, and other decorations bestowed upon German soldiers, sailors, and also for civilians, during the First World War. These medals were awarded by both Imperial Germany and various German Kingdoms and other states and city-states of the Reich.

During the Second World War, First World War decorations were commonly displayed on Nazi Party uniforms of the period with such awards intermixed with the more recent awards and decorations of Nazi Germany.

Imperial German badges

Pilot's Badge
Observer's Badge
Air Commemorative Badge
Air Gunner Badge
U-Boat War Badge
Wound Badge

Non-portable awards included the "Honor Goblet for Victors in the Air" and the "National Motor and Air Travel Commendation".

Source of the article : Wikipedia