Order of Saint Hubert (Bavarian)
Encyclopedia
The Bavarian Order of Saint Hubert was founded in 1444 or 1445 by Gerhard V, Duke of Jülich
and Count of Ravensberg. He sought to commemorate his victory over the House of Egmond at the Battle of Linnich
on 3 November, which is Saint Hubert's day.
The establishment of the Order occurred during a long-term, intermittent territorial dispute, initially between the Dukes of Jülich and the Dukes of Gelder and Egmond, who were descended from a female line of the House of Jülich. The dispute began in the 1430s, when Arnold, Duke of Gelderland claimed the duchy of Jülich and the county of Ravensberg, and was resolved in the 1614 Treaty of Xanten
, which established the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg of the counties of Ravensberg and Mark with the duchies of Cleves
, Jülich and Berg. In 1778, Charles Theodore
, Duke of Jülich and Berg and the Count-Elector Palatine, succeeded his childless cousin, Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria and brought the Order to Bavaria.
Initially, the order was open to men and women, although limiting the number of male companions to sixty. It commemorated the conversion of Saint Hubert and his standing as the patron saint
of hunters and knights. Over time, the award had other uses as a reward for loyalty to the monarch and service to the princely state.
and Arnold of Egmont (or Egmond), or to commemorated the battle at a future date. Consequently, the date of the founding depends on the source. Still other sources date the founding of the Order as late as 1473 or 1475.
Twentieth century investigation has helped to clear up some of the confusion. The original Latin statutes of the foundation use Good Friday
, in this case 26 March 1445. Furthermore, there is clear written evidence that the Order existed prior to March 1445: The original German statutes were dated immediately after the battle. It is also possible that Gerhard proclaimed the establishment of the Order immediately after the victory of his knights at Linnich
, but the documents were not drawn up until later, leading to discrepancy in the dates of 1444 or 1445. To further obfuscate the date of founding, Gerhard's son, William III, renewed the Order upon his own succession to the ducal dignities in 1475, in the so-called New Statutes, which were prepared in Latin and German. These remained the governing documents of the Order until 1708. In this confirmation probably lies the root of confusion over the date of the Order's foundation.
Initially the Order was a knightly brotherhood (Rittersbruderschaft), reflecting the overlapping religious and military aspects of medieval court life. Saint Hubert was the patron saint of hunters and knights. The founding of the Order of the Golden Fleece
in the early 15th century started a trend in confraternal princely orders. The purpose of these, whether established by monarchs or princes, was to foster loyalty to a sovereign, replacing to the old Chivalric order
s developed in the Crusades
. Although some historians classify the Order of the Saint Hubert as a confraternal order, during its 600-year-life, its purpose changed as the fortunes and needs of the Dukes of Jülich and Berg and their successors changed.
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. Arnold believed that Adolf had inherited the better of the two properties, and coveted it for himself. He tried to take it by force and failed; a compromise was reached by which the two agreed to a truce. Adolf of Berg died in 1437 and his cousin, Gerhard IV, the Duke of Jülich and Count of Ravensburg (Westphalia), inherited both the Liège properties and the Duchy of Berg. Arnold reasserted his old claim, maintaining that the truce to which he and Adolf agreed was no longer valid, and prepared to take the duchies by force. Confident in his right to the inheritance, Gerhard met Arnold in battle, at the village of Linnich, in the county of Ravensburg (Westphalia). He and his knights defeated Arnold and his knights on Saint Hubert's day in 1444. In celebration, Gerhard declared the founding of the Order, to reward his loyal and victorious knights.
The Order remained in collateral branches of the family of the Dukes of Jülich and Berg until 1521, when the male line holding the two duchies and the county of Ravensberg became extinct. A daughter, Maria von Geldern, remained to inherit the duchies and the county, but, under the Salic law
practiced in the northwestern German states, women could only hold property through a husband or guardian. Consequently, the territories passed to her husband—who was also her distant relative—John III, Duke of Cleves and Mark
. The couple had three daughters, one of whom, Ann of Cleves, married Henry VIII of England
in 1540, and one son, Wilhelm
, who subsequently inherited the duchies and the administration of the Order. The duchies included most of the present-day North Rhine-Westphalia that lay outside the ecclesiastical territories of Electoral Cologne
and Münster
. Wilhelm was known as Wilhelm the Rich.
died childless. Both Duke Wolfgang William of Palatinate-Neuberg and Elector John Sigismund of Brandenburg
claimed the territories. In the subsequent succession chaos, the Order fell into disuse. By the late 17th century, the Duchy of Jülich passed into the jurisdiction of the Prince-Elector
Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Neuberg, who descended from a cadet branch of the Palatine line of the House of Wittelsbach. In May 1708, he restored the Order of Saint Hubert and assumed the position of grand master
for himself. To reward loyalty and service, he conferred the cross of the Order on several of his courtiers. He also gave the recipients generous pensions on the condition that a tenth be set aside for the poor, and a significant sum be distributed on the day of their reception into the order.
In 1777, the death of Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria without a legitimate male heir ended the main line of Wittelsbach; after the War of the Bavarian Succession, a brief and relatively bloodless contest, Charles Theodore
inherited his cousin's dignities. The Order moved with the new Elector to Bavaria, where it eventually was confirmed again on 30 March 1800 by Maximilian IV, Elector of Bavaria. In the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic
wars, the Order functioned primarily as a military order
, similar to the Military Order of Maria Theresa
or the Order of Leopold
. The present head of the House of Wittelsbach, Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria, Duke of Bavaria, is the current Grand Master of the order.
The Order was open to men and women, and both genders were entitled companions. Until 1476, there were no limits on the number of companions to be admitted, but that year, with the new edition of the Order's statutes, the Duke limited the number of men to 60; unlimited women could be admitted. The editions of the Order's statutes, two in Latin and two in German, established similar requirements for membership. The Latin editions stipulated that the man be of noble birth—eight generations of noble grandparents—and of unblemished reputation; the German versions required that only four grandparents of the man be noble. Women were to be spouses of a companion; in the 1476 versions of the statutes, both Latin and German, female members of the Duchess' household could be admitted even if their husbands were not members or if the women were single, but were required to resign if they left the service of the Duchess. The exception to this clause provided for their continued membership if their husbands became companions of the order.
, and 200 ducats were 22.14 troy ounces. For currency equivalents (1819), see M. Reichard, Itinerary of Germany, or A Traveller's Guide. London: Leigh, 1819, p. 70. Those under the rank of prince paid an entrance fee of 100 silver ducats, which amounted to 120 Reichsthaler
; the silver Reichsthaler was 29.44g of .989 fineness. He also established a dress costume for festival days, which included not only the insignia of the Order, but a black collar with a sash, narrow, short breeches with poppy-colored garters and bows, a short black cape, a sword, and a plumed hat. Ludwig II
was laid in state and was buried in this apparel.
The collar of the Order under the Wittelsbach dynasty consisted of forty-four gold links, twenty-two of which consisted of a rectangular representation of the conversion of Saint Hubert surrounded by a gold and white enamel frame. The other twenty-two links consisted of the intertwined letters of the motto In trau vast, (firm in fidelity), i.e., I, T and V in Gothic letters, each link being alternatively enameled red or green. From the center rectangular link hung a white enameled Maltese cross
, each arm emitting numerous small golden flames. Between each arm of this cross were five straight gold rays, each point of the cross was tipped with a small gold ball and in the center of the cross was a golden representation of the conversion of Saint Hubert against a green enamel background. The reverse of this cross bore the same design with the same representation but against a red enamel background.
The sash
of the Order was poppy red moire with narrow green borders, but under the knot the ends of the ribbon these green borders were covered with gold metallic ribbon. Like the sash of the Order of the Garter
this sash was worn from the left shoulder to the right hip. The cross worn with this sash was a Maltese cross with narrow arms also enameled white with numerous golden flames, with three straight rays between each arm, each point of the cross being tipped with a small gold ball. Between the two gold balls on the top arm of the cross was a three-dimensional gold representation of the Bavarian crown, by which the cross hung from its sash. In the center of the cross was a large round medallion consisting of a small golden representation of the conversion of Saint Hubert against a green enamel background and surrounded by a wide border in red enamel with the motto the order In trau vast in Gothic letters set with small diamonds. On the reverse, in the center of the cross was a golden representation of the imperial orb and cross (i.e., the heraldic symbol of the Prince-Elector
as the Arch-Steward of the Holy Roman Empire
) against a red enamel background and surrounded with a white enamel border with the inscription In memoriam recuperatae dignitatis avitae 1708. The star of the order, worn on the left breast was a radiant star of eight point surrounding a white cross spotted with golden flames and with a round poppy red center bearing the motto In trau vast in golden Gothic letters and surrounded by a narrow white border.
and Napoleonic Wars
.
Duchy of Jülich
The Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
and Count of Ravensberg. He sought to commemorate his victory over the House of Egmond at the Battle of Linnich
Linnich
Linnich is a town in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the river Rur, approx. 10 km north-west of Jülich.-Economy:Linnich is the home of SIG Combibloc the specialist for aseptic carton packaging....
on 3 November, which is Saint Hubert's day.
The establishment of the Order occurred during a long-term, intermittent territorial dispute, initially between the Dukes of Jülich and the Dukes of Gelder and Egmond, who were descended from a female line of the House of Jülich. The dispute began in the 1430s, when Arnold, Duke of Gelderland claimed the duchy of Jülich and the county of Ravensberg, and was resolved in the 1614 Treaty of Xanten
Treaty of Xanten
The Treaty of Xanten was signed in the Lower Rhine town of Xanten on November 12, 1614 between Wolfgang William, Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg and John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, with representatives from England and France serving as mediators....
, which established the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg of the counties of Ravensberg and Mark with the duchies of Cleves
Duchy of Cleves
The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
, Jülich and Berg. In 1778, Charles Theodore
Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death...
, Duke of Jülich and Berg and the Count-Elector Palatine, succeeded his childless cousin, Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria and brought the Order to Bavaria.
Initially, the order was open to men and women, although limiting the number of male companions to sixty. It commemorated the conversion of Saint Hubert and his standing as the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of hunters and knights. Over time, the award had other uses as a reward for loyalty to the monarch and service to the princely state.
Foundation
Sources agree that the Order of Saint Hubert honors a military victory of the Duke of Jülich, on Saint Hubert's day, 3 November 1444. Sources differ on the specific date of establishment of the Order, whether it celebrated the victory at the Battle of Linnich between Gebhard V of JülichJülich
Jülich is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Jülich is well known as location of a world-famous research centre, the Forschungszentrum Jülich and as shortwave transmission site of Deutsche Welle...
and Arnold of Egmont (or Egmond), or to commemorated the battle at a future date. Consequently, the date of the founding depends on the source. Still other sources date the founding of the Order as late as 1473 or 1475.
Twentieth century investigation has helped to clear up some of the confusion. The original Latin statutes of the foundation use Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
, in this case 26 March 1445. Furthermore, there is clear written evidence that the Order existed prior to March 1445: The original German statutes were dated immediately after the battle. It is also possible that Gerhard proclaimed the establishment of the Order immediately after the victory of his knights at Linnich
Linnich
Linnich is a town in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the river Rur, approx. 10 km north-west of Jülich.-Economy:Linnich is the home of SIG Combibloc the specialist for aseptic carton packaging....
, but the documents were not drawn up until later, leading to discrepancy in the dates of 1444 or 1445. To further obfuscate the date of founding, Gerhard's son, William III, renewed the Order upon his own succession to the ducal dignities in 1475, in the so-called New Statutes, which were prepared in Latin and German. These remained the governing documents of the Order until 1708. In this confirmation probably lies the root of confusion over the date of the Order's foundation.
Initially the Order was a knightly brotherhood (Rittersbruderschaft), reflecting the overlapping religious and military aspects of medieval court life. Saint Hubert was the patron saint of hunters and knights. The founding of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
in the early 15th century started a trend in confraternal princely orders. The purpose of these, whether established by monarchs or princes, was to foster loyalty to a sovereign, replacing to the old Chivalric order
Chivalric order
Chivalric orders are societies and fellowships of knights that have been created by European monarchs in imitation of the military orders of the Crusades...
s developed in the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
. Although some historians classify the Order of the Saint Hubert as a confraternal order, during its 600-year-life, its purpose changed as the fortunes and needs of the Dukes of Jülich and Berg and their successors changed.
Order under the House of Jülich
When Reinhold IV, Duke of Gelder, died in 1423, his nephew Arnold inherited the dukedom. Arnold's cousin, Adolf of Berg, inherited territories near LiègeLiège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
. Arnold believed that Adolf had inherited the better of the two properties, and coveted it for himself. He tried to take it by force and failed; a compromise was reached by which the two agreed to a truce. Adolf of Berg died in 1437 and his cousin, Gerhard IV, the Duke of Jülich and Count of Ravensburg (Westphalia), inherited both the Liège properties and the Duchy of Berg. Arnold reasserted his old claim, maintaining that the truce to which he and Adolf agreed was no longer valid, and prepared to take the duchies by force. Confident in his right to the inheritance, Gerhard met Arnold in battle, at the village of Linnich, in the county of Ravensburg (Westphalia). He and his knights defeated Arnold and his knights on Saint Hubert's day in 1444. In celebration, Gerhard declared the founding of the Order, to reward his loyal and victorious knights.
The Order remained in collateral branches of the family of the Dukes of Jülich and Berg until 1521, when the male line holding the two duchies and the county of Ravensberg became extinct. A daughter, Maria von Geldern, remained to inherit the duchies and the county, but, under the Salic law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
practiced in the northwestern German states, women could only hold property through a husband or guardian. Consequently, the territories passed to her husband—who was also her distant relative—John III, Duke of Cleves and Mark
John III, Duke of Cleves
John III the Peaceful, Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark was a son of John II, Duke of Cleves and Matilda of Hesse, daughter of Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse.John III became Regent of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg in 1521, and Lord of Ravensberg in 1528.John represented...
. The couple had three daughters, one of whom, Ann of Cleves, married Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in 1540, and one son, Wilhelm
Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg .William was born in and died in Düsseldorf. He was the only son of John III, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, and Maria, Duchess of Jülich-Berg. William took over rule of his father's estates upon his death in 1539...
, who subsequently inherited the duchies and the administration of the Order. The duchies included most of the present-day North Rhine-Westphalia that lay outside the ecclesiastical territories of Electoral Cologne
Archbishopric of Cologne
The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...
and Münster
Bishopric of Münster
The Bishopric of Münster was an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northern part of today's North Rhine-Westphalia and western Lower Saxony...
. Wilhelm was known as Wilhelm the Rich.
Order under the House of Wittelsbach-Palatine
In March 1609, Duke John William of Jülich-Cleves-BergJohn William, Duke of Julich-Cleves-Berg
John William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.His parents were William the Rich, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and Maria of Austria , a daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. He grew up and was educated in Xanten. John William became...
died childless. Both Duke Wolfgang William of Palatinate-Neuberg and Elector John Sigismund of Brandenburg
John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duke of Prussia.-Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia:...
claimed the territories. In the subsequent succession chaos, the Order fell into disuse. By the late 17th century, the Duchy of Jülich passed into the jurisdiction of the Prince-Elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Neuberg, who descended from a cadet branch of the Palatine line of the House of Wittelsbach. In May 1708, he restored the Order of Saint Hubert and assumed the position of grand master
Grand Master (order)
Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and civil orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
for himself. To reward loyalty and service, he conferred the cross of the Order on several of his courtiers. He also gave the recipients generous pensions on the condition that a tenth be set aside for the poor, and a significant sum be distributed on the day of their reception into the order.
In 1777, the death of Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria without a legitimate male heir ended the main line of Wittelsbach; after the War of the Bavarian Succession, a brief and relatively bloodless contest, Charles Theodore
Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death...
inherited his cousin's dignities. The Order moved with the new Elector to Bavaria, where it eventually was confirmed again on 30 March 1800 by Maximilian IV, Elector of Bavaria. In the French Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
wars, the Order functioned primarily as a military order
Military order
A military order is a Christian society of knights that was founded for crusading, i.e. propagating or defending the faith , either in the Holy Land or against Islam or pagans in Europe...
, similar to the Military Order of Maria Theresa
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa was an Order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire founded on June 18, 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolin, by the Empress...
or the Order of Leopold
Order of Leopold (Austria)
The Imperial Austrian Order of Leopold was founded by Franz I of Austria on 8 January 1808. The order's statutes stipulated only three grades: Grand Cross, Commander and Knight. During the war, in common with the other Austro-Hungarian decorations Crossed Swords were instituted to reward bravery in...
. The present head of the House of Wittelsbach, Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria, Duke of Bavaria, is the current Grand Master of the order.
Structure and requirements
Initially, hierarchy of membership was relatively flat. The statutes called for a grand master, in this case the Duke of Jülich, four masters, and a provost, or arms master. Of the four masters, two were required to be representative of families of the Duchies of Jülich or Berg; the origins of the others had no geographic limitations. The masters were the clearing house for membership; they investigated the admission of new members and any alleged infractions by the existing membership. The Provost, a weapons master, maintained the weapons and arms of the brotherhood, and himself wore a special medallion.The Order was open to men and women, and both genders were entitled companions. Until 1476, there were no limits on the number of companions to be admitted, but that year, with the new edition of the Order's statutes, the Duke limited the number of men to 60; unlimited women could be admitted. The editions of the Order's statutes, two in Latin and two in German, established similar requirements for membership. The Latin editions stipulated that the man be of noble birth—eight generations of noble grandparents—and of unblemished reputation; the German versions required that only four grandparents of the man be noble. Women were to be spouses of a companion; in the 1476 versions of the statutes, both Latin and German, female members of the Duchess' household could be admitted even if their husbands were not members or if the women were single, but were required to resign if they left the service of the Duchess. The exception to this clause provided for their continued membership if their husbands became companions of the order.
Restructuring under Maximilian Joseph IV
In confirming the Order, on 18 May 1808, the King of Bavaria declared the Order to be the first in the kingdom and linked it to the Order of Civic of Merit. He limited membership to twelve knights from the ranks of counts and barons, excluding himself, as grandmaster, and members (native and foreign), who may be nominated by the sovereign. Entrance fees were 200 gold ducats for princes.In 1819, a Bavarian gold ducat was valued at 3 shillings and 11 pence in British currency. Using 1830 rates, 200 ducats converts to £3680 (Retail Price Index) or £41,600 ($76,000 US) in average earnings in 2008. In 1808, £1 equaled $4.63 (US). See Lawrence H. Officer, Purchasing Power of British Pounds from 1264 to Present. MeasuringWorth, 2009. Accessed 16 April 2010. A gold ducat was 0.1107 troy ounceTroy ounce
The troy ounce is a unit of imperial measure. In the present day it is most commonly used to gauge the weight of precious metals. One troy ounce is nowadays defined as exactly 0.0311034768 kg = 31.1034768 g. There are approximately 32.1507466 troy oz in 1 kg...
, and 200 ducats were 22.14 troy ounces. For currency equivalents (1819), see M. Reichard, Itinerary of Germany, or A Traveller's Guide. London: Leigh, 1819, p. 70. Those under the rank of prince paid an entrance fee of 100 silver ducats, which amounted to 120 Reichsthaler
Reichsthaler
The Reichsthaler was a standard Thaler of the Holy Roman Empire, established in 1566 by the Leipzig convention. It was also the name of a unit of account in northern Germany and of a silver coin issued by Prussia.-Reichsthaler coin:...
; the silver Reichsthaler was 29.44g of .989 fineness. He also established a dress costume for festival days, which included not only the insignia of the Order, but a black collar with a sash, narrow, short breeches with poppy-colored garters and bows, a short black cape, a sword, and a plumed hat. Ludwig II
Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II was King of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He is sometimes called the Swan King and der Märchenkönig, the Fairy tale King...
was laid in state and was buried in this apparel.
Collars, Badges and Stars
The gold-enameled cross lies in a white field, and surmounted by a crown; on one side is represented the conversion of Saint Hubert, with the Gothic legend In trau vast (firm in fidelity). On the reverse, lies the imperial orb and the Latin inscription In memoriam recuperatæ dignitatis a vitæ 1708 (English: In remembrance of the restoration of the original dignity, 1708). Originally, it consisted of a collar and a pendant jewel. The Jülich collar consisted of stylized horns (six for men, four for women), intertwined with a cloud-like figure eight. The jewel depicted a relief of the conversion of Saint Hubert. Its overall design alluded to the Saint as the patron of hunters, and thus the patron of knights. The great cross was only worn on special days; on all other days, a smaller cross must be worn, and the member was fined 20 thalers for any and each omission). The smaller cross was decorated appropriately for its size.The collar of the Order under the Wittelsbach dynasty consisted of forty-four gold links, twenty-two of which consisted of a rectangular representation of the conversion of Saint Hubert surrounded by a gold and white enamel frame. The other twenty-two links consisted of the intertwined letters of the motto In trau vast, (firm in fidelity), i.e., I, T and V in Gothic letters, each link being alternatively enameled red or green. From the center rectangular link hung a white enameled Maltese cross
Maltese cross
The Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...
, each arm emitting numerous small golden flames. Between each arm of this cross were five straight gold rays, each point of the cross was tipped with a small gold ball and in the center of the cross was a golden representation of the conversion of Saint Hubert against a green enamel background. The reverse of this cross bore the same design with the same representation but against a red enamel background.
The sash
Sash
A sash is a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and is usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, obi, serves to hold a kimono or yukata together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist...
of the Order was poppy red moire with narrow green borders, but under the knot the ends of the ribbon these green borders were covered with gold metallic ribbon. Like the sash of the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
this sash was worn from the left shoulder to the right hip. The cross worn with this sash was a Maltese cross with narrow arms also enameled white with numerous golden flames, with three straight rays between each arm, each point of the cross being tipped with a small gold ball. Between the two gold balls on the top arm of the cross was a three-dimensional gold representation of the Bavarian crown, by which the cross hung from its sash. In the center of the cross was a large round medallion consisting of a small golden representation of the conversion of Saint Hubert against a green enamel background and surrounded by a wide border in red enamel with the motto the order In trau vast in Gothic letters set with small diamonds. On the reverse, in the center of the cross was a golden representation of the imperial orb and cross (i.e., the heraldic symbol of the Prince-Elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
as the Arch-Steward of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
) against a red enamel background and surrounded with a white enamel border with the inscription In memoriam recuperatae dignitatis avitae 1708. The star of the order, worn on the left breast was a radiant star of eight point surrounding a white cross spotted with golden flames and with a round poppy red center bearing the motto In trau vast in golden Gothic letters and surrounded by a narrow white border.
Recipients in Austrian Service
These recipients of the Order of Saint Hubert attained the rank of General in Austrian military service during the French RevolutionaryFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
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- August Maria Raimund Prinz und Herzog von Arenberg, Graf von der Marck (1753–1833)
- Karl Joseph Franz, Graf u. Prinz von Auersperg ( –1800)
- Wilhelm Ignaz Cajetan, Prince von Auersperg (1749–1822)
- Heinrich, Count von Bellegarde (1756–1845)
- Anton (Antal), Fürst Esterházy de GalánthaAnton (Antal), Fürst Esterházy de GalánthaAnton , Prince Esterházy de Galántha was a prince of Hungary, a member of the wealthy Esterházy family.-Life:...
(1738–1794) - Nikolaus II, Fürst Esterházy de GalánthaNikolaus II, Fürst Esterházy de GalánthaNikolaus II Esterházy was a wealthy Hungarian prince. He served the Austrian Empire and was a member of the famous Esterházy family...
(1765–1833) - Nikolaus IV. Ferdinand Franz Fürst Esterházy de Galántha(-Edelstetten) (1765–1833)
- Karl Aloys zu FürstenbergKarl Aloys zu FürstenbergKarl Aloys zu Fürstenberg was an Austrian military commander. He achieved the rank of Field Marshal and died at the Battle of Stockach....
(1760–1799) - George IV of the United KingdomGeorge IV of the United KingdomGeorge IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
(1762–1830) - Louis Aloys, Prince of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein (1765–1829)
- Friedrich Karl Wilhelm, Prince Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen (1752–1816)
- Karl Wilhelm Georg, Landgraf zu Hessen-Darmstadt (1757–1795)
- Friedrich (VI) Joseph Ludwig, Prince of Hessen-Homburg (1769–1829)
- Karl Emanuel, Landgraf zu Hessen-Rheinfels-Rothenburg (1746–1812)
- Archduke Charles, Duke of TeschenArchduke Charles, Duke of TeschenArchduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
(1771–1847) - Francis IV, Duke of ModenaFrancis IV, Duke of ModenaFrancis IV Joseph Charles Ambrose Stanislaus was Duke of Modena, Reggio, and Mirandola , Duke of Massa and Prince of Carrara , Archduke of Austria-Este, Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece...
(1779–1846) - Archduke John of Austria (1782–1859)
- Archduke Louis of AustriaArchduke Louis of Austriaright|thumb|Archduke LouisArchduke Louis Joseph Anton Johann, Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia and Prince of Tuscany , was the 14th child of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain.Archduke...
(1784–1864) - Joseph Radetzky von RadetzJoseph Radetzky von RadetzJohann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
(1766–1858) - Heinrich XV. Fürst zu Reuss-Plauen (1751–1825)
- Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg (1771–1820)
- Franz de Paula Fürst von Sulkowski, Herzog von Bielitz (1733–1812)
- Alexander SuvorovAlexander SuvorovAlexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince in Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire.One of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle along with the likes of Alexander...
(1729–1800) - Maximilian Joseph Fürst von Thurn und Taxis (1769–1831)
- Christian August Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont (1744–1798)
- George I, Prince of Waldeck and PyrmontGeorge I, Prince of Waldeck and PyrmontGeorge I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont was Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont from 1812 to 1813.He was the son of Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Countess Palatine Christiane Henriette of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler.-Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont:...
(1747–1813)
French recipients
- Napoleon (1757–1821)
- Eugène de BeauharnaisEugène de BeauharnaisEugène Rose de Beauharnais, Prince Français, Prince of Venice, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy, Hereditary Grand Duke of Frankfurt, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg and 1st Prince of Eichstätt ad personam was the first child and only son of Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais and Joséphine Tascher de la...
(1781–1824) - Armand Augustin Louis de Caulaincourt (1773–1827)
- André MassénaAndré MassénaAndré Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
(1758–1817) - Nicolas Soult (1769–1851)
- Henri Jacques Guillaume ClarkeHenri Jacques Guillaume ClarkeHenri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke, 1st Count of Hunebourg, 1st Duke of Feltre , born in Landrecies, was a Marshal of France and French politician of Irish descent.Clarke entered the French army in 1782...
(1765–1818) - Georges MoutonGeorges MoutonGeorges Mouton, comte de Lobau was a French soldier and political figure who rose to the rank of Marshal of France.-Biography:Born in Phalsbourg, Lorraine, he enlisted in the French Revolutionary Army in 1792...
(1770–1838)
Post Napoleonic Recipients
- Franz Maria Luitpold, Prince Leutstetten (1875 – 1957).
- Prince Arthur of ConnaughtPrince Arthur of ConnaughtPrince Arthur of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of Queen Victoria. Prince Arthur held the title of a British prince with the style His Royal Highness...
(1883–1938) - Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick (1887–1953)
Grandmasters of the Order
Compiled from various sources.Medieval Grandmasters of the Order
- Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-BergGerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-BergGerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-Berg was the son of William VIII of Jülich, Count of Ravensberg and Adelheid of Tecklenburg. Gerhard was the second duke of the combined Duchy of Jülich-Berg but the 7th Gerhard in the House of Jülich....
(founder) - William III, Duke of Jülich-Berg (~1474)
- William IV, Duke of Jülich-BergWilliam IV, Duke of Jülich-BergWilliam IV of Jülich-Berg was the last ruler of the Duchy of Jülich-Berg.- Life :William was the son of Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülich-Berg and Sophie of Saxe-Lauenburg. When his father died in 1475, William became Duke of Jülich-Berg.He married the rich Countess Elisabeth of Nassau-Saarbrücken in...
- John III, Duke of ClevesJohn III, Duke of ClevesJohn III the Peaceful, Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark was a son of John II, Duke of Cleves and Matilda of Hesse, daughter of Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse.John III became Regent of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg in 1521, and Lord of Ravensberg in 1528.John represented...
(1490–1538) - Wilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-BergWilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-BergWilliam of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg .William was born in and died in Düsseldorf. He was the only son of John III, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, and Maria, Duchess of Jülich-Berg. William took over rule of his father's estates upon his death in 1539...
(1516–1592)
Early modern Grandmasters of the Order
- John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg (1562–1609)
- (Order unused until reinstated in 1708)
- Johann Wilhelm, Elector PalatineJohann Wilhelm, Elector PalatineJohann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine was Elector Palatine , Duke Palatine of Neuburg/Danube , Duke of Jülich and Berg , and Duke of Upper Palatinate and Cham...
(1658–1716) - Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine (1661–1742)
- Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria (1724–1799)
Modern Grandmasters of the Order
- Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria (1756–1825)
- Ludwig I of BavariaLudwig I of BavariaLudwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
(1786–1868) - Maximilian II of BavariaMaximilian II of BavariaMaximilian II of Bavaria was king of Bavaria from 1848 until 1864. He was son of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.-Crown Prince:...
(1811–1864) - Ludwig II of BavariaLudwig II of BavariaLudwig II was King of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He is sometimes called the Swan King and der Märchenkönig, the Fairy tale King...
(1845–1886) - Otto of BavariaOtto of BavariaOtto , was King of Bavaria from 1886 to 1913. He was the son of Maximilian II and his wife, Marie of Prussia, and younger brother of Ludwig II...
(1848–1916) - Ludwig III of BavariaLudwig III of BavariaLudwig III , was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918.-Early life:...
(1845–1921) - Rupprecht, Crown Prince of BavariaRupprecht, Crown Prince of BavariaRupprecht or Rupert, Crown Prince of Bavaria was the last Bavarian Crown Prince.His full title was His Royal Highness Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, of Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine...
(1869–1955) - Albrecht, Duke of BavariaAlbrecht, Duke of BavariaAlbrecht Luitpold Ferdinand Michael, Duke of Bavaria, of Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine , was the son of Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria and his first wife, Duchess Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria. He was the one surviving child from that marriage...
(1905–1996) - Franz, Duke of Bavaria (born 1933)