Updated: 30 March, 2009

Germany

• Order of Merit (In German only) Complete Details   In German pdf file

• Vom Bundespräsidenten gestiftete Orden und Ehrenzeichen Clink on the various States Crests to see the medals In German

• Medals of Germany (Federal Republic) David Danner

• Military Merit Medal with Bar for Kosovo - Awarded for service with the OSCE's Kosovo Verification Mission.

• The Typology of the Pour le Mèrite The Godet made Pour le Mérite   Andreas Schulze Ising

• Iron Cross The Iron Cross Wikipedia The Knights Cross U-Boat Net

• Das-ritterkreuz.de (In German)

• Germany The 1914 German Iron Cross Trenches on the Web

   

• Germany WWII Axis Awards & Decorations Medals of Germany and it's Allies Marcus Wendel

• WW2 and Foreign Volunteer Legion Awards   Excellent articles on the awards of WW2 German Axis countries by Rene Chavez.

• Azad Hind series of Indian medals Pictures of medals awarded to members of the Hind Legion (Indian POWs captured by the Axis in North Africa who joined the German Army and served in their own unit). Also contains other awards. diggerhistory.info Mar 06

• The Hanseatic Cross (Hanseatenkreuz) was awarded by the Hanseatic League town of Hamburg. The three free towns of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck instituted jointly crosses of merit for service in WWI. Recipients were serving or former members of the 75th Infantry Regiment (Bremen), the 76th Infantry Regiment (Hamburg), the 162nd Inf.Battallion (Lübeck), the crews of the warships Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, inhabitants of the 3 cities serving in other units or in voluntary nursing units in the 3 towns. The crosses are similar in design except for the obverse coat of arms. The obverse is red enamelled, the reverse silvered and bearing the text "Für Verdienst / im / Kriege / 1914" (For war merit 1914). The obverse central medaillon has for Bremen, a silver key, for Hamburg, a triple-towered castle, for Lübeck, a black-double headed eagle on a gilt background. Each cross has its own ribbon. All crosses were instituted in 1915 : Lübeck on 21 August, Hamburg on 10 September (some 50,000 were awarded), and Bremen on 14 September (20,018 crosses awarded).(Ref: Hendrik)

• Medals of Germany   (Mirko Plavsic)

• German Medals  Gallery of various medals Sydney B. Vernon

• German Command recognizes two US Soldiers  Brig. Gen. Hans-Georg Atzinger presented the Bundeswehr Bronze Cross of Honor to Sgt. Maj. Terrence Werley from the Army National Guard's Readiness Center in Arlington and the Bundeswehr Medal of Honor to Staff Sgt. Ray Stull Jr. from the 3rd U.S. Infantry at Fort Myer during the Nov. 6 ceremony at the German Armed Forces Command in Reston, Va. Werley was recognized for managing an exchange training program for Army Guard and German soldiers. Stull was honored for making it possible for German troops to train in the Washington, D.C., area. (Nov 02)

• Complete Listing of all Imperial Germany Orders and Medals (Andreas Schulze Ising)

• Medals of Germany (Including sections on Anhalt, Bavaria, Hanover, Hesse-Darmstadt, Lippe-Detmold, Oldenburg, Prussia, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxony, Schwarzburg, and Austro-German medal groups) (Will Shade)

• Medals of German States before 1918 (David Danner) (Mar 02)

• Medals of Imperial Germany (Micheal Shackelford)

• Imperial German Orders,  Medals & Decorations     Excellence source of information on Imperial Awards Andreas M. Schulze Ising

• Orders, Decorations, and Medals of Kurland Antiques A to Z

• German Medals of WWI  Oriented towards air services

• German Ribbon Bars A comprehensive study of the various types and styles, historical background, rules and regulations, and images.

• Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt (List of Medals and Decorations at bottom) (Sep 02)

• Medals of the Empire Les medailles de l'empire - Les Chevaliers du Ciel - In French Dec 03

• Les médailles allemandes In French Dec 03

• German Honour for Mozambican Vice-Chancellor The German ambassador to Mozambique, Ulf- Dieter Klemm, decorated Filipe Couto, Vice-Chancellor of the Catholic University of Mozambique, with the Grand Cross of Merit, awarded to Couto last December by German President Johannes Rau. Klemm said the honour paid tribute "to a man of great merit, not only because of his scientific and university life in Mozambique, but also as a tireless architect of cooperation between Mozambique and Germany". allafrica.com 8 Mar 04

• German woman presented with Vietnamese medal Chista Randzio-Plath, President of the Marie Schlei Society, a German non-governmental organisation, has been presented with the Vietnamese medal for the cause of women's liberation. This distinctive honour is for Ms Randzio-Plath's activities in assisting Vietnamese women. Since 1999, her society has provided 78,200 USD to  four projects targeting poor women in the northern mountainous provinces of Son La and Lai Chau, the port city of Hai Phong, and the Red river delta province of Hung Yen. vnagency.com 5 Aug 04 

• Germany Iron Cross History of this famous medal in German

• Orden und Ehrenzeichen Das Ehrenzeichen der Bundeswehr In German

• Der Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Bundesverdienstkreuz) In German

• BdOS - The German Orders & Medals Collectors Association

• Germany to lead Horn force - The United States will shortly hand over to Germany the command of the naval anti-terror operation in the Horn of Africa. Task Force 150 consists of twelve warships from Germany and other European nations. Their mission involves gathering intelligence about possible terrorist activity in the region and looking out for al-Qaeda or Taleban suspects fleeing Afghanistan.(May 02)

• Wagner descendant gets German honour German officials awarded the grandson of composer Richard Wagner one of the country's highest honours, to recognize his longtime leadership of the annual Wagner festival in Bayreuth. Wolfgang Wagner, 85, was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for leading the annual opera festival since 1967. The honour is awarded to those who have shown outstanding dedication to Germany and its people. cbc.ca 25 Apr 05

• Eagle Assist Medal : From mid-October 2001 to mid-May 2002, NATO Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft were sent to help protect the United States. These aircraft supplemented the US homeland defense operation known as NOBLE EAGLE. In mid-January 2002, it was reported that NATO had agreed to sending two more Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft to supplement the five it had already has deployed to patrol US airspace. The NATO deployment to the US allowed the American military to use US AWACS aircraft in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. A total of 830 crew members from 13 NATO countries flew over 360 sorties. Germany has issued its Operations Medal with an EAGLE ASSIST bar to its forces, who served as part of EAGLE ASSIST. Image courtesy of Ed Emering May 05

• Active Endeavor: On 26 October 2001, elements of NATO's Standing Naval Forces were sent to patrol the eastern Mediterranean and monitor shipping; To date, more than 25,000 ships have been monitored. On 10 March 2003, the operation was expanded to include escorting civilian shipping through the Strait of Gibraltar. German forces participating in the operation were awarded the Bundeswehr Operations Medal with the clasp ACT ENDEAVOUR

   

• German embassy presents the German Order of Merit to Mrs Gerlind Lyttle Mrs Gerlind Lyttle received the German Merit of Order. This award is presented to any person who has in an extraordinary way contributed to the upliftment and furtherance of the  German language and culture or has been of special assistance to the German people in their community. Mrs Lyttle emigrated to South Africa from Germany about 28 years ago and has been working at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg for 24 years. Here, according to the German Ambassador, Mrs Peters, she promoted the German language "in a way that went much further than mere teaching. She helped to build bridges between people and between cultures." She took part in seeing to it that German still plays an important part in University and school curriculums. khwezi.org.za 2002

• Wolf Blass gets top German honour South Australian wine industry leader Wolf Blass has received one of the German government's most prestigious honours. In a ceremony held at the German Embassy in Canberra Mr Blass was presented with the Cross of the Order of Merit. The award is Germany's highest honour for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to political, economic and cultural life. Mr Blass was nominated for nurturing positive relationships between the German and Australian people. The few previous Australian recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit are the former chairman of Western Mining, Sir Arvi Parbo, and the former chairman of CSR, Sir Gordon Jackson. Mr Blass was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia (AM) in 2001. theadvertiser.news.com.au 25 Oct 05

• German expert honoured with Friendship Medal CIM organisation volunteer Eva Hauser was last week awarded the Friendship Medal for her tireless contributions in the training of Vietnamese public employees. President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisation, Vu Xuan Hong, presented the "For Peace and Friendship Among Nations" Medal to Hauser at a special ceremony in Ha Noi on October 21. Hauser and Germany’s CIM helped the National Administration Institute establish Viet Nam’s first training centre, educating public employees in international-standard information technology. vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn 24 Oct 05

• Dozens of Medals stolen from "crazy" King Ludwig II's smaller castle, Honehenschwangau Unidentified robbers broke into the Hohenschwangau castle of "crazy" King Ludwig II of Bavaria in southern Germany, stealing dozens of valuable medals and honors, Munich police said. Officials believe the robbery occurred in the early hours of Sunday, when the robbers climbed over the castle's wall, broke into the building and stole roughly 80 medals and other honors worth about -50,000, or US$59,000, police said in a statement. newsfromrussia.com 8 Nov 05

• Vietnamese Ambassador honoured with German medal Vietnamese Ambassador Chu Tuan Cap has been awarded a German medal in recognition of his contributions to bilateral Viet Nam-Germany relations. Empowered by President Host Koehler, German Ambassador to Viet Nam Weber Lortsch presented the medal to Cap, who is now Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan, at a ceremony in Ha Noi on May 3. During his ambassadorial term of office in Germany from 1994-1997, Cap made great  contributions to building and strengthening friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries. This is the first time Germany has conferred such a medal on a Vietnamese diplomat. vnagency.com.vn 4 May 06

• Blatter could fail fitness test for honour The government of the tournament hosts is backtracking on a plan to award Sepp Blatter the country's highest honour, a move that had been planned under the previous German administration. Otto Schily, the former interior minister, recommended the Fifa president for Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit). The plan was for Fifa's boss to collect the award during the World Cup. But the new government, headed by Chancellor Angela Merkel, is split over whether Blatter is a fit and proper person to receive it, and several senior German politicians have spoken out against the plan. observer.guardina.co.uk 18 Jun 06

• The teacher who clipped the Hun's wings It was supposed to be Erwin Boehme's big day. In a few hours time, the Kaiser himself was coming to present him with Germany's highest award for gallantry. This was his recognition for shooting down 24 enemy aircraft; it was also his absolution for bringing down his country's most famous air ace of the day. But before the presentation, Boehme had one more mission to fly. And that mission would bring him into conflict with a British flier named Captain John Pattern. In later life, Pattern was known to generations of schoolboys in Richmond, North Yorkshire, as "Joe". But it wasn't until he had retired from teaching and reached his eighties that Joe was persuaded to tell how he ruined Boehme's big day and brought him crashing down to earth. Darlington author and military historian Robert Jackson, a former pupil at Joe's Richmond Grammar School, recorded the story and now tells it in his new book. On the day in question - November 29, 1917 - Boehme's thoughts were on the Ordre Pour le Merite, the "Blue Max" as it was nicknamed. For him, receiving it from Kaiser Wilhelm II would help erase the memory of a dreadful mistake which had taken him to the brink of suicide. thenorthernecho.co.uk 1 Jun 06

• German president awards highest sports honor to World Cup squad German President Horst Koehler awarded the nation's highest sports award - the silver laurel - to the ational football team for winning the bronze medal at the 2006 World Cup. There were several absentees at the ceremony, among them ex- national team coach Juergen Klinsmann, skipper Michael Ballack and former national team goalie Oliver Kahn. Klinsmann will also receive the highest civilian honor - the Federal Service Cross - from the president at a later date. Hosts Germany surprised football experts by finishing third at the 2006 World Cup after beating Portugal 3-1. irna.ir 14 Aug 06

• Special Forces Soldier receives German army's highest award Staff Sgt. Jonathon Zapien, a special forces Soldier assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C., was presented the highest award the German army can grant a foreign soldier Sept. 12. Zapien, 25, from Houston, Texas, was deployed with the German Special Forces Command to Afghanistan from June to October 2005. While there, he acted as the sole liaison between the German unit and other coalition forces in the region. He provided communications support, directed air support, went on regular patrols with the unit and on one occasion played an essential part in saving the life of a German soldier who was injured during an improvised explosive device attack, by calling in air and ground medical support. German Minister of Defense Gen. Wolfgang Schneiderhan presented the Ehrenmedaille (honor medal) to Zapien on behalf of the German Special Forces Command. This is the first time German Special Forces has presented an award to a foreign soldier. www4.army.mil 14 Sep 06

• Paul van Dyk gets Medal Of Honour Paul van Dyk, the globally acclaimed dance star, was awarded a medal of honour (Landesverdienstorden) in a ceremony in Berlin by the city’s reigning mayor, Klaus Wowereit, in recognition of his service to the state. The state of Berlin wanted to honour him not only for the outstanding contribution this 34-year-old has made to the capital of Germany, but also for his commitment to social issues.This medal is traditionally awarded on October 1 to public figures who have distinguished themselves through unique accomplishments and great dedication. Hildegard Knef, Franziska van Almsick, the architect Paul Kleihus and the patron of the arts and entrepreneur, Peter Dussmann, have been some of the most famous recipients over the last few years. Because there may be no more than 400 living award holders, the Landesverdienstorden is held in particularly high regard. This year, other than Paul van Dyk, recipients included Dr. Klaus Schütz, Dr. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, Hany Azer and Robert Bartko. dancefrontdoor.co.uk 4 Oct 06

• Ghana bestows highest honour on German President German President Horst Kohler was presented with Ghana's highest State honour, the "Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana", in recognition of his dedication and determination to improving the socio-economic conditions of developing countries. The honour was also to acknowledge his contribution towards the strengthening of the bonds of friendship and co-operation between Ghana and Germany. myjoyonline.com 14 Jan 07

• Klinsmann to receive federal honour Juergen Klinsmann, who coached Germany to a third-place finish at last year's World Cup, will finally receive the country's highest honour. Klinsmann was awarded the Federal Order of Merit for his team's showing during the tournament. metronews.ca 2 Mar 07
• German Embassy honours Watford man A former Watford table tennis champion has been honoured for his services to British-German business relations. Thomas Moriarty was presented with the Cross of the Order of Merit of The Federal Republic of Germany at the German Embassy. Two main areas of activity earned him this distinction: his special interest in Germany which included a four year stint living there and his work as CEO of a public relations and manufacturing technology marketing consultancy. Having learnt to speak the language fluently after a four year stint working and living in Germany, Paul, on his return to the UK, helped start the German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce in the UK. watefordobserver.co.uk 26 Mar 07
• Mesic Presents Schroeder with High Medal Croatian President Stjepan Mesic presented former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder with a high Croatian medal for his contribution in promoting bilateral relations and support to Croatia on its path to Euro-Atlantic integrations. It is a great honour for me and exceptional satisfaction to present you with the medal of the of Great order of Queen Jelena and ribbon of Danica for exceptional credits in promotion our bilateral relations and consistent offering of friendly support to Croatia on its path towards European integrations- Mesic said in his speech before the presentation. javno.com 24 Apr 07
• Bulgarian sailor awarded medal for civil courage in Munich At an official ceremony in the Munich residence Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Steuber awarded Bulgarian Hristo Yordanov (25) a medal for civil courage. Yordanov is bestowed the high Bavarian honor for saving a drowning German who fell in the Danube river near the town of Passau on September 9th 2006. Yordanov works as a coxswain on the Ruse-Prestige ship, which sails under Bulgarian flag, announced Bulgaria’s consulate-general in Munich. focus-fen.net 15 Jun 07
• Kurt Masur sera décoré le jour de ses 80 ans German conductor Kurt Masur will be made a Grand Officer of the French Legion d'honneur. Article in French. cyberpress.ca 18 Jul 07
• German honour for Sr. Willigard Dinasevika German President Horst Koehler has bestowed upon Sr. Willigard Dinasevika of the DSS Congregation the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. She was also commended for her unique contribution to Indo-German friendship. According to a press release from the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany here, Sr. Willigard has been rendering selfless service to the needy in India for over three decades. Sr. Willigard, born 1931 in Germany, has dedicated her life and energy to the poor by joining in 1953 the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters in Olpe/Germany. Inspired by the work of her close friend Petra Moennigmann who founded in 1969 at Pattuvam, Kerala, the Congregation “Dinasevanasabha — Servants of the Poor”, Sr. Willigard followed her to Kerala in 1975. After the demise of Sr. Petra, Sr. Willigard assumed responsibility of the Congregation with 300 sisters. In 1989, she came to Bangalore to continue her mission and visited the remotest villages of Kannur and Kothanur. She was engaged in upgrading the lifestyle of the villagers by constructing houses for the homeless, assisting the poor for treatment and operations and providing educational help to the poor. hindu.com 25 Aug 07
• German navy honours Scot for his friendship When Commander Eddie Grenfell fought in the Second World War, the Germans were his enemy. But as soon as the war finished,  he made it his personal mission to build and maintain a friendship with the German  nation. And now his  efforts have been recognised as the German navy has awarded him the  Cross of Honour – its most prestigious military award and something no other British civilian has  received. Peterhead-born Cdr Grenfell, 88,  who later   moved to Montrose, said: "I believe everyone should try to make friends with people in other nations and never look upon another nation as an enemy. "Even though I was in the war, I'm not a fan of war. It brings no good, only sadness. And even though I fought against the German navy, I have the greatest respect for them. The German navy behaved impeccably during the last war." During the war, Cdr Grenfell headed a Russian convoy team in the Arctic, braving sub-zero conditions, under constant German attack, to get supplies to Britain's Soviet allies. Unlike other campaigns, the Arctic heroes never received a medal but Cdr Grenfell led a successful campaign which resulted in them finally being given a special honour in 2006. Konter-Admiral Schimpf,  of the German navy, said: "Cdr Grenfell has devoted himself energetically during past decades to the deepening and strengthening of friendly contacts between the German and British navies. "As a result of his outstanding commitment to the German navy over so many years, he is worthy of being awarded the highest German military decoration." In 1961,  Cdr Grenfell was appointed assistant naval attaché at the British Embassy in  Germany.  He retired there and lectured on international friendship for 36 years. news.scotsman.com 19 Feb 08
• Germany to introduce military medal for gallantry - Summary Germany is to introduce a bravery medal for its soldiers in a move that Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung denied was a revival of the Iron Cross military decoration. Jung said the German armed forces "served the cause of peace" and it was important to honour troops who risked their lives in the call of duty. Unlike in other NATO members, no gallantry medals have been awarded in the German military since the end of World War II. Instead there are medals for length of service and for each tour of duty abroad lasting more than 30 days. The respected daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported that Jung was weighing up giving new life to 195-year Iron Cross tradition initiated by Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1813. But Jung's spokesman said that, while the minister backed establishing a decoration for military bravery, there was no thought of reviving the Iron Cross, in the past purely a wartime decoration. Spokesman Thomas Raabe said no decision had been taken on the design of the new medal of honour. The medals awarded for long service are similar in form to the Iron Cross. The FAZ reported the Iron Cross suggestion had originated with the head of the voluntary reserves, Colonel Ernst-Reinhard Beck, who had pointed to dangerous deployments undertaken by the German defence force, the Bundeswehr, in countries like Afghanistan. Beck had acknowledged that the decoration had negative associations linked to its use by the Hitler regime in World War II, the FAZ said. But he had argued for a broader view, taking in the longer tradition of the decoration, noting that it was Germany's first military honour that paid no heed to social rank. The FAZ described the Iron Cross - which harks back to the crosses used by the knights of the German military orders in mediaeval times - as linked to the national democratic aspirations of Prussia in its conflict with Napoleonic France. The Nazis had abused it by placing a swastika in the middle, it said. earthtimes.org 6 Mar 08
• German military introduces bravery medal Germany introduced a new military decoration for bravery, giving troops the possibility of earning such an honor for the first time since World War II. The Cross of Honor for Bravery was being issued after the German military's role expanded in recent years, with more soldiers in the line of fire in global hot spots. The new medal features a golden Maltese cross with a German eagle in the center, held on a ribbon with the colors of the German flag — black, red and gold — with double oak leaves. It is the military's first medal for bravery since it stopped awarding the Iron Cross — first issued in 1813 but so prolifically used by the Nazis that it become inexorably linked with Hitler's regime. iht.com 10 Oct 08
• Merkel awarded Peruvian gold medal at Lima Summit German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been awarded the honorific del Sol, or Sun Order, medal of Peru on her recent visit to South America. Merkel is the third German politician to receive the prestigious medal, hand crafted from solid gold, joining past Chancellors Ludwig Erhard (CDU) and Willy Brandt (SPD). thelocal.de 17 May 08
• Order Awarded On July 22, 2008 Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaime Bermudez Merizalde awarded the Orden de San Carlos, categoria Gran Cruz (Order of St. Charles, Grand Cross class) to Andrea Glotzbach-Werner, the German Ambassador to Colombia. cancilleria.gov.co

• Dr. Kim Chong-In Receives High German Award On behalf of German President Horst Koehler German Ambassador to Seoul Norbert Baas awarded the South Korean economist "Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany"for his contribution to enhancing German-Korean relations. Dr. Kim is a longstanding member and the chairman of the Korean-German Parliamentary Friendship Association. Dr. Kim contributed in a substantial way to promoting and fostering the bilateral relationship, particularly in the political and parliamentarian field. Dr. Kim received a PhD degree in economics at the renowned University of Muenster in Germany. The Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit, officially Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. This Federal Order of Merit has existed since September 7, 1951. Between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year in all classes. Most of the German federal states (Länder) have their own orders of merit, with up to three ranks (member, officer, commander). This excludes the Free and Hanseatic Cities of Bremen and Hamburg, which reject any orders; by old tradition its citizens will refuse any decoration in form of an order. theseoultimes.com 3 Oct 08

• German Army Chief of Staff Receives Prestigious Military Award The Chief of Staff, German Army, Lieutenant-General Hans-Otto Budde, was conferred Singapore's prestigious military award the Meritorious Service Medal (Military) [or Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera)] by Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean at an investiture held at the Ministry of Defence. The Meritorious Service Medal (Military) was awarded to LTG Budde in recognition of his significant role in enhancing the excellent ties between the armies of Singapore and Germany. LTG Budde has also been instrumental in facilitating the Singapore Armed Forces' main battle tank training exercise in Germany in March 2009. Under his guidance, interactions between the two armies have grown in scope and depth. There are more frequent exchanges of visits, attendance of each other's courses and opportunities for sharing knowledge. These interactions have strengthened the mutual understanding, rapport and camaraderie among the personnel of both armies. mindef.gov.sg 6 Mar 09