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

German Empire

The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

 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

Unification of Germany

The formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German...

 or before.
German Empire=

The German Empire consisted of 25 states: four kingdoms

Monarchy

A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...

, six grand duchies

Grand duchy

A grand duchy, sometimes referred to as a grand dukedom, is a territory whose head of state is a monarch, either a grand duke or grand duchess.Today Luxembourg is the only remaining grand duchy...

, five duchies

Duchy

A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...

, seven principalities

Principality

A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....

 and three Hanseatic cities

Hanseatic League

The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...

. 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.

Kingdom of Prussia

Kingdom of Prussia

The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...

• Orders
  • Order of the Black Eagle
    Order of the Black Eagle
    The Order of the Black Eagle was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg . In his Dutch exile after WWI, deposed Emperor Wilhelm II continued to award the order to his family...
    
    
  • Order Pour le Mérite
    Pour le Mérite
    The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
    
    
  • Order of the Red Eagle
    Order of the Red Eagle
    The Order of the Red Eagle 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...
    
    
  • Order of the Crown
    Order of the Crown (Prussia)
    The Order of the Crown was Prussia's lowest ranking order of chivalry. Instituted in 1861 as an award equal in rank to the Order of the Red Eagle, it could only be awarded to commissioned officers , but there was a medal associated with the order which could be earned by non-commissioned officers...
    
    
  • Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
    House Order of Hohenzollern
    The House Order of Hohenzollern was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award...
    
    
  • Johanniter Order
  • Order of Louise
    Order of Louise
    The Order of Louise was founded in 1814 by Frederick William III of Prussia to honor his late wife, the much beloved Queen Luise . This order was chivalric in nature, but was intended strictly for women whose service to Germany was worthy of such high national recognition...
    
     (for women)
• Civil decorations
  • General Honor Decoration
  • Cross of the General Honor Decoration
  • Merit Cross in Gold or Silver
  • Lifesaving Medal
  • Cross of the Mount of Olives
    Cross of the Mount of Olives
    The Cross of the Mount of Olives was founded on the 24th. of December 1909 by the Prussian Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia as a decoration to commemorate the foundation of a hospital, the "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria-Stiftung" on the biblical Mount of Olives in Jerusalem...
    
    , established in 1909
  • Red Cross Medal
• Military and war decorations
  • Iron Cross
    Iron Cross
    The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
    
    
  • Military Merit Cross
    Military Merit Cross (Prussia)
    The Military Merit Cross was the highest bravery award of the Kingdom of Prussia for non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers. It was also known as the Golden Military Merit Cross to distinguish it from the Military Decoration 1st Class The Military Merit Cross (Militär-Verdienstkreuz)...
    
    
  • Military Decoration 1st Class and Military Decoration 2nd Class
  • Warrior Merit Medal
  • Centenary Medal
  • Merit Cross for War Aid

Kingdom of Bavaria

Kingdom of Bavaria

The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...

• Orders
  • Order of St. Hubertus
    Order of Saint Hubert (Bavarian)
    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....
    
    
  • Royal Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Immaculate Conception
    Royal Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Immaculate Conception
    The Royal Military Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Faith and the Immaculate Conception was founded by Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria in 1726 to provide for a means of honouring the nobility and recognizing distinguished civil and military service...
    
    
  • Military Order of Max Joseph
    Military Order of Max Joseph
    The Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
    
    
  • Merit Order of the Bavarian Crown
    Merit Order of the Bavarian Crown
    The Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown was an order of merit of the Kingdom of Bavaria established by King Maximilian Joseph I on 19 March 1808. The motto of the order is Virtus et Honos . The order first was awarded in three grades: Grand Cross, Commander, and Knight, however in 1855 the grade...
    
    
  • Merit Order of St. Michael
  • Military Merit Order
    Military Merit Order (Bavaria)
    The Bavarian Military Merit Order was established on July 19, 1866 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It was the kingdom's main decoration for bravery and military merit for officers and higher-ranking officials. Civilians acting in support of the army were also made eligible for the decoration...
    
     and its associated Military Merit Cross
    Military Merit Cross (Bavaria)
    The Bavarian Military Merit Cross was that kingdom's main decoration for bravery and military merit for enlisted soldiers...
    
    
  • Maximilian Order for Science and Art
    Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art
    The Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art was first established on 28 November 1853 by King Maximilian II. von Bayern. It is awarded to acknowledge and reward excellent and outstanding achievements in the field of science and art...
    
    
  • Ludwig Order
  • Military Medical Order
  • Order of Saint Elizabeth
    Order of Saint Elizabeth
    The Order of Saint Elizabeth was an all-female chivalric and charitable order in the Kingdom of Bavaria. The following excerpt is from The Orders of Knighthood, British and Foreign :...
    
     (for Women)
  • Order of Theresa
    Order of Theresa
    The Order of Theresa was an order for noble ladies in the Kingdom of Bavaria. It continues to function today as an honorary society to which belong the princesses of the House of Wittelsbach as well as other ladies from Bavarian noble families....
    
     (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

Kingdom of Saxony

Kingdom of Saxony

The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...

• Orders
  • Order of the Rue Crown
  • Military Order of St. Henry
    Military Order of St. Henry
    The Military Order of St. Henry was a military order of the Kingdom of Saxony, a member state of the German Empire. The order was the oldest military order of the states of the German Empire. It was founded on October 7, 1736 by Augustus III, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony...
    
    
  • Civil Order of Saxony
    Civil Order of Saxony
    The Civil Order of Saxony was established 7 June 1815 by King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. It was a general order of merit for the royal subjects of the Kingdom of Saxony for distinguished by their civic service and virtue.-Classes of the order:...
    
     (also called the Civil Merit Order)
  • Albert Order
    Albert Order
    The Albert Order was created 31 December 1850 by King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to commemorate Albert III, Duke of Saxony and was to be awarded to anyone who had served the state well, for civil virtue, science and art....
    
    
  • Order of Sidonia
    Order of Sidonia
    The Order of Sidonia was the German Kingdom of Saxony’s chivalric order for women. Created March 14, 1871 by King Johann, the order was granted to female members of the Saxon nobility until the fall of the monarchy in 1918.-Insignia:...
    
     (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

Kingdom of Württemberg

Kingdom of Württemberg

The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...

• Orders
  • Order of the Crown (Württemberg)
    Order of the Crown (Württemberg)
    The Order of the Württemberg Crown was an order of chivalry in Württemberg.-History:First established in 1702 as the St.-Hubertus-Jagdorden , in 1807 it was renamed the "Ritterorden vom Goldenen Adler" by Frederick I, and on 23 September 1818 renewed and restructured by William I as the "Order of...
    
    
  • Military Merit Order
    Military Merit Order (Württemberg)
    The Military Merit Order was a military order of the Kingdom of Württemberg, which joined the German Empire in 1871. The order was one of the older military orders of the states of the German Empire...
    
    
  • Friedrich Order
    Friedrich Order
    The Friedrich Order, German: "Friedrichs-Orden" or "Friedrichsorden" was an order of merit of the German Kingdom of Württemberg. It was instituted on the first of January 1830 by the second king of Württemberg, Wilhelm I in remembrance of his father, King Friedrich I.The order had one class...
    
    
  • Order of Olga
    Order of Olga
    The Order of Olga was created by Karl I, King of Württemberg, on June 27, 1871, to honor his queen consort, Olga Nikolaevna of Russia. Its primary purpose was to honor women who cared for wounded soldiers in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 – 1871...
    
     (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

Grand Duchy of Baden

Grand Duchy of Baden

The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...

• 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
    Order of the Zähringer Lion
    The Order of the Zähringer Lion was instituted on 26 December 1812 by Karl, Grand Duke of Baden, in memory of the Dukes of Zähringen from whom he was descended.-Classes:It had five classes.*Grand Cross*Commander, 1st Class*Commander, 2nd Class...
    
    
• 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

Grand Duchy of Hesse

Grand Duchy of Hesse

The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...

• Orders
  • Order of the Golden Lion
  • Ludewigsorden
  • 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

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

• Orders
  • House Order of the Wendish Crown
  • Order of the Griffin
• Civil decorations
  • Merit Medal
  • Friedrich Franz Medal
  • Medal "For Arts and Sciences"
• Military and war decorations
  • Military Merit Cross
    Military Merit Cross (Mecklenburg-Schwerin)
    The Military Merit Cross was established by Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on August 5, 1848. Mecklenburg-Schwerin, a grand duchy located in northern Germany, was a member of the German Confederation and later the German Empire.In several respects, Mecklenburg-Schwerin's...
    
    
  • Friedrich Franz Cross
  • Friedrich Franz Alexandra Cross

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

• Orders
  • House Order of the Wendish Crown
  • Order of the Griffin
• 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
    House and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis
    The House and Merit Order of Duke Peter Frederick Louis was a civil and military order of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, a member state of the German Empire. The order was founded by Grand Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg on November 27, 1838...
    
    
• Civil decorations
  • Civil Merit Medal
  • Medal for Merit in the Arts
• Military and war decorations
  • Friedrich August Cross
  • War Merit Medal

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

Duchy of Anhalt

• Orders
  • Order of Albert the Bear
    Order of Albert the Bear
    The House Order of Albert the Bear was founded in 1836 by three dukes of Anhalt, Henry, Duke of Anhalt-Köthen, Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt, and Alexander Karl, Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg as a joint House Order.The namesake of the order, Albert I, was the first Margrave of Brandenburg from the...
    
    
  • Order of Merit for Science and Art
    Order of Merit for Science and Art
    The Order of Merit for Science and Art was established on 30 July 1873 by Duke Friedrich I of Anhalt. It was awarded to acknowledge and reward excellent and outstanding achievements in the field of science and art at home and abroad.-Order classes:...
    
    
• Civil decorations
  • 1896 Jubilee Medal
• Military and war decorations
  • Friedrich Cross

Duchy of Brunswick

Duchy of Brunswick

Brunswick was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established as an independent duchy by the Congress of Vienna in 1815...

• 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-Altenburg

Saxe-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia.-History:The duchy originated from the medieval Burgraviate of Altenburg in the Imperial Pleissnerland , a possession of the Wettin Margraves of Meissen since 1243...

, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Saxe-Meiningen

Saxe-Meiningen

The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia....

• 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

Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

-Noble jurisdictions:Prince Karl Eitel of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and descendants of his nephew Ferdinand ruled over the Kingdom of Romania, as Karl Eitel did not have children...

 and Hohenzollern-Hechingen

Hohenzollern-Hechingen

Hohenzollern-Hechingen was a county and principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to a branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty.-History:...

• Orders
  • Princely House Order of Hohenzollern
    House Order of Hohenzollern
    The House Order of Hohenzollern was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award...
    
    
  • 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

Schaumburg-Lippe

Schaumburg-Lippe was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony, with its capital at Bückeburg.- History :...

• • 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

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany with its capital at Rudolstadt.-History:Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands...

 and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with capital at Sondershausen.-History:...

• 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

Waldeck (state)

Waldeck was a sovereign principality in the German Empire and German Confederation and, until 1929, a constituent state of the Weimar Republic. It comprised territories in present-day Hesse and Lower Saxony, ....

• 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

Hanseatic League

The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...

 of Bremen

Bremen

The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...

, Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

 and Lübeck

Lübeck

The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...

• Hanseatic Cross
  Hanseatic Cross
  The Hanseatic Cross was a decoration of the three Hanseatic Cities of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, who were member states of the German Empire during World War I...
  
  

Former German states

The largest state to be annexed by Prussia was the Kingdom of Hanover

Kingdom of Hanover

The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...

. Other states which had ceased to exist by 1871 include the Duchy of Nassau, the electoral principality of Hesse-Kassel

Hesse-Kassel

The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...

 (or Hesse-Cassel), the free city of Frankfurt

Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...

, and several smaller states. The following is a list of the principal civil and military decorations of these states.

• Kingdom of Hanover
  Kingdom of Hanover
  The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
  
  
  • Orders
    • Order of St. George
      Order of St. George (Hanover)
      The Order of St. George , was founded by King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, on 23 April 1839. In the statutes establishing the order it was designated as the House Order of the Crown of Hanover...
      
      
    • Royal Guelphic Order
      Royal Guelphic Order
      The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
      
      
    • Order of Ernst August
      Order of Ernst August
      The Order of Ernst August was founded 15 December 1865 by King George V of Hanover in memory of his father Ernest Augustus I of Hanover. The order was awarded for both civil and military merit. It was divided in five classes:*Grand Cross*Grand Commander...
      
      
  • 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

• Electoral Principality of Hesse-Kassel
  Hesse-Kassel
  The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
  
  
  • Orders
    • House Order of the Golden Lion
    • Order of Wilhelm
    • Order of the Iron Helmet
      Order of the Iron Helmet
      On 18 March 1814 Elector Wilhelm I of Hesse-Kassel founded the Order of the Iron Helmet .Maximilian Gritzner describes the model and the statutes of the order as "influenced by the example of the Iron Cross".-References:...
      
      
  • 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
      Order of Adolph of Nassau
      The Civil and Military Order of Merit of Adolphe of Nassau was a chivalric order of the Duchy of Nassau and now of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which was created in the year 1858 by the Duke of Nassau, and future Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Adolphe...
      
      
  • 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 decoratios 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

Awards and decorations of Nazi Germany

Awards and Decorations of Nazi Germany were military, political and civilian decorations which were bestowed between 1923 and 1945 by the Nazi Party and later the state of Nazi Germany....

.

Imperial German badges

• Pilot's Badge
• Observer's Badge
• Air Commemorative Badge
• Air Gunner Badge
• U-Boat War Badge
  U-boat War Badge
  The U-Boat War Badge was a German war badge that was awarded to U-boat crew members during World War I and World War II.-History:The U-boat War Badge was originally instituted during the First World War on February 1, 1918. It was awarded to recognize U-boat crews who had completed three war patrols...
  
  
• Wound Badge
  Wound Badge
  Wound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
  
  

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