The Military Order of St. Henry (Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden) 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. The order underwent several more revisions over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. It became obsolete with the fall of the Saxon monarchy in the wake of Germany's defeat in World War I.[1]
Military Order of St. Henry Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden
Wearer's copy (Spangenstück) of a Knight's Cross, obverse and reverse
gold Maltese cross with a white-enameled border; the center medallion, ringed in blue enamel, features a portrait of St. Henry. Suspended from a royal crown.
The order came in four classes: Grand Cross (Großkreuz), Commander's Cross 1st Class (Kommandeurkreuz I. Klasse), Commander's Cross 2nd Class (Kommandeurkreuz II. Klasse) or sometimes just Commander, and Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz). Generally, the rank of the recipient determined which grade he would receive - the Grand Cross went to monarchs and the highest field commanders, the Commander 1st Class to senior generals, the Commander 2nd Class to officers major and above (with a few exceptions) and the Knight's Cross to all officers. Again with few exceptions, one was required to have received a lower grade before receiving the next higher grade. During World War I, there were 12 awards of the Grand Cross, 14 awards of the Commander 1st Class, 153 awards of the Commander 2nd Class, and 2,728 awards of the Knight's Cross[2] As an example of the progression, Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, a general and later field marshal, received the Knight's Cross in August 1914, the Commander 2nd Class in June 1915, the Commander 1st Class in January 1917, and the Grand Cross in May 1918.
Description and wearedit
The badge of the order was a gold Maltese cross with white-enameled edges. Around the center medallion was a blue-enameled gold ring bearing on the obverse the words "FRIDR•AUG•D•G•REX•SAX•INSTAURAVIT" and on the reverse the motto "VIRTUTI IN BELLO" ("Bravery in War"). On the obverse, the medallion was yellow-enameled with a painted portrait of St. Henry, the last Saxon Holy Roman Emperor. On the reverse, the medallion bore the Saxon coat of arms (alternating horizontal black and gold stripes with a diagonal rue crown). Between the arms of the cross were green-enameled rue crowns, a symbol of Saxony. The badge was suspended from a royal crown. The Grand Cross was larger than the Commander's Cross, and the Commander's Cross was larger than the Knight's Cross.[3]
The star of the order, awarded with the Grand Cross and the Commander 1st Class, was a silver eight-pointed star featuring a larger version of the medallion with St. Henry of the obverse of the cross, but with the text of the ring of the reverse. The star was slightly larger for the Grand Cross.[4]
The ribbon of the order was light blue with yellow stripes near each edge.
The Knight's Cross was worn as a breast badge on the upper left chest. The Commander's Crosses were worn from the neck, with the breast star of the Commander 1st Class on the lower left chest. The Grand Cross was worn from a sash over the shoulder, with the badge resting on the left hip. Its star was worn as with the Commander 1st Class. On occasion, the Grand Cross badge was worn from the neck and was distinguishable from the Commander's Crosses only by its size.[3]
Notable recipientsedit
King Friedrich August III, wearing a special version of the Grand Cross as a neck badge, the breast star on his left chest, and the Knight's Cross on his medal bar.
Artur Baumgarten-Crusius, bearb., Sachsen in grosser Zeit (1919)
Neal O'Connor, Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany in World War I and the Men Who Earned Them: Volume III - The Aviation Awards of the Kingdom of Saxony (1993).
Dr. Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann, Pour le Mérite und Tapferkeitsmedaille (1966).
Website on the
Website on Sachsens-Orden
Official website of the "Order of St. Henry" (Sankt Heinrich Orden) in German
Notesedit
^Some awards for actions before November 11, 1918, however, were still processed after the war's end.
^O'Connor, Aviation Awards, p.18; Klietmann, Pour le Mérite und Tapferkeitsmedaille, p.32.
military, order, henry, militär, heinrichs, orden, military, order, kingdom, saxony, member, state, german, empire, order, oldest, military, order, states, german, empire, founded, october, 1736, augustus, king, poland, elector, saxony, order, underwent, sever. The Military Order of St Henry Militar St Heinrichs Orden 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 The order underwent several more revisions over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries It became obsolete with the fall of the Saxon monarchy in the wake of Germany s defeat in World War I 1 Military Order of St HenryMilitar St Heinrichs OrdenWearer s copy Spangenstuck of a Knight s Cross obverse and reverseTypeMilitary Order of MeritAwarded forBravery and military meritDescriptiongold Maltese cross with a white enameled border the center medallion ringed in blue enamel features a portrait of St Henry Suspended from a royal crown Presented byElectorate of Saxony Kingdom of SaxonyEligibilitySaxon military officers and officers of allied statesStatusObsoleteEstablishedOctober 7 1736First awarded1736Last awarded1918Ribbon of the orderPrecedenceNext higher Order of the Rue CrownNext lower Albert Order Contents 1 Classes 2 Description and wear 3 Notable recipients 3 1 Grand Crosses 3 2 Commanders 1st Class 3 3 Commanders 2nd Class 3 4 Knights 3 5 Unknown 4 References 5 NotesClasses editThe order came in four classes Grand Cross Grosskreuz Commander s Cross 1st Class Kommandeurkreuz I Klasse Commander s Cross 2nd Class Kommandeurkreuz II Klasse or sometimes just Commander and Knight s Cross Ritterkreuz Generally the rank of the recipient determined which grade he would receive the Grand Cross went to monarchs and the highest field commanders the Commander 1st Class to senior generals the Commander 2nd Class to officers major and above with a few exceptions and the Knight s Cross to all officers Again with few exceptions one was required to have received a lower grade before receiving the next higher grade During World War I there were 12 awards of the Grand Cross 14 awards of the Commander 1st Class 153 awards of the Commander 2nd Class and 2 728 awards of the Knight s Cross 2 As an example of the progression Rupprecht Crown Prince of Bavaria a general and later field marshal received the Knight s Cross in August 1914 the Commander 2nd Class in June 1915 the Commander 1st Class in January 1917 and the Grand Cross in May 1918 Description and wear editThe badge of the order was a gold Maltese cross with white enameled edges Around the center medallion was a blue enameled gold ring bearing on the obverse the words FRIDR AUG D G REX SAX INSTAURAVIT and on the reverse the motto VIRTUTI IN BELLO Bravery in War On the obverse the medallion was yellow enameled with a painted portrait of St Henry the last Saxon Holy Roman Emperor On the reverse the medallion bore the Saxon coat of arms alternating horizontal black and gold stripes with a diagonal rue crown Between the arms of the cross were green enameled rue crowns a symbol of Saxony The badge was suspended from a royal crown The Grand Cross was larger than the Commander s Cross and the Commander s Cross was larger than the Knight s Cross 3 The star of the order awarded with the Grand Cross and the Commander 1st Class was a silver eight pointed star featuring a larger version of the medallion with St Henry of the obverse of the cross but with the text of the ring of the reverse The star was slightly larger for the Grand Cross 4 The ribbon of the order was light blue with yellow stripes near each edge The Knight s Cross was worn as a breast badge on the upper left chest The Commander s Crosses were worn from the neck with the breast star of the Commander 1st Class on the lower left chest The Grand Cross was worn from a sash over the shoulder with the badge resting on the left hip Its star was worn as with the Commander 1st Class On occasion the Grand Cross badge was worn from the neck and was distinguishable from the Commander s Crosses only by its size 3 Notable recipients edit nbsp King Friedrich August III wearing a special version of the Grand Cross as a neck badge the breast star on his left chest and the Knight s Cross on his medal bar Grand Crosses edit Albert of Saxony Alexander Margrave of Meissen Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly Prince Bernhard of Saxe Weimar Eisenach 1792 1862 Charles I of Austria Charles XIV John Louis Nicolas Davout Ernest I Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha Franz Joseph I of Austria Frederick Augustus II of Saxony Frederick Augustus III of Saxony Frederick III German Emperor Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia 1828 1885 George King of Saxony Josip Jelacic Paul von Hindenburg Maria Emanuel Margrave of Meissen Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Rupprecht Crown Prince of Bavaria Wilhelm II German Emperor Wilhelm German Crown Prince William I German Emperor William II of Wurttemberg Commanders 1st Class edit Gustav von Alvensleben Prince August of Wurttemberg Karl von Einem August Karl von Goeben Ernest II Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha Charles Joseph comte de Flahaut Archduke Friedrich Duke of Teschen Oskar von Hutier Hans von Kirchbach Prince Leopold of Bavaria August von Mackensen Emmanuel von Mensdorff Pouilly Friedrich Sixt von Armin Commanders 2nd Class edit Felix Graf von Bothmer Franz Conrad von Hotzendorf Karl Ludwig d Elsa Hermann von Eichhorn Ernst II Duke of Saxe Altenburg Max Immelmann Maximilian von Laffert Fritz von Lossberg Charles Antoine Morand Alexander August Wilhelm von Pape Johann Pflugbeil Ferdinand von Quast Remus von Woyrsch Knights edit Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia Erich von Falkenhayn Prince Karl Theodor of Bavaria Karl Theodor Duke in Bavaria Erich Ludendorff Karl August Nerger Hans von Plessen Manfred von Richthofen Otto Weddigen Maximilian Wengler Georg Zeumer George Albert Prince of Schwarzburg Rudolstadt Unknown edit Otto von Below Eduard von Bohm Ermolli Dietrich von Choltitz Georg Crown Prince of Saxony Edmond de Talleyrand Perigord Max von Gallwitz Max Hoffmann Alexander von Linsingen Friedrich OlbrichtReferences editArtur Baumgarten Crusius bearb Sachsen in grosser Zeit 1919 Neal O Connor Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany in World War I and the Men Who Earned Them Volume III The Aviation Awards of the Kingdom of Saxony 1993 Dr Kurt Gerhard Klietmann Pour le Merite und Tapferkeitsmedaille 1966 Website on the Decorations of the Kingdom of Saxony Website on Sachsens Orden Official website of the Order of St Henry Sankt Heinrich Orden in GermanNotes edit Some awards for actions before November 11 1918 however were still processed after the war s end O Connor Aviation Awards p 18 Klietmann Pour le Merite und Tapferkeitsmedaille p 32 a b O Connor pp 17 18 O Connor p 18 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Military Order of St Henry amp oldid 1173766708, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
