Prussian Pour Le Merite Accession Number: RELAWM01299

Description

Prussian Pour Le Merite. A Maltese Cross in blue enamel, edged gold, with a golden eagle between each of the arms. Obverse: A Prussian crown over 'F' at the top, 'Pour Le Mer' across the centre, and 'rite' on the lower arm. Reverse: Plain blue enamel cross. The cross is fitted with a flat gold wire loop suspender ring and a piece of 55 mm black ribbon with 10 mm silver stripes near each edge.

Contextual Description

Established in 1667 by Margrave Frederick (later to become King Frederick I), the Orden Pour le Mérite was originally known as the Brandenburg Ordre de la Génerosité. Reorganised by Frederick II in 1740, it became the Orden Pour le Mérite (Order of Merit) and was awarded to military personnel and civilians. The Order was again reorganised in 1810 by Frederick William III who reserved it solely for individual military achievement on the battlefield against the enemy. In 1842, Frederick William IV added a civil class for scholars, painters, sculptors, and musicians. During the First World War it was Prussia's highest military decoration and was awarded to officers for repeated gallantry in action. It was not awarded posthumously and recipients were required to wear the medal whenever they were in uniform. Of all the officers in the German military forces, the most frequent recipients of the Orden Pour le Mérite were junior officers in the German Air Force. During this war, it was awarded to 81 German military aviators of whom 78 were officers who held the rank of Captain or below. No further awards of the Orden Pour le Mérite were made after Germany's defeat in 1918. This medal forms part of a collection assembled by the Memorial in the 1920s for display.