The Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown (german: Verdienstorden der Bayerischen Krone) was an

order of merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by ...

of the

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...

established by King Maximilian Joseph I on 19 March 1808. The

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. M ...

of the order is Virtus et Honos ('Courage and Honour'). The order was awarded in several grades: * Grand Cross * Grand Commander * Commander * Knight * Medal in

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

* Medal in

Silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

History

King Maximilian I Joseph, founded the order to reward

civil servants The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

of the state of all classes and other foreigners who were deserving of recognition of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was created as a civil counterpart to the Military Order of Max Joseph. Both the orders brought non-noble recipients in the collection of personal

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

with the title " Ritter von". The Order of Merit of the Bavarian crown was initially founded with three grades Grand Cross, Commander, and Knight. King Maximilian II added the grade of Grand Commander in 1855. For each grade there was a fixed number of members. Initially membership in the order was limited to 12 Grand Crosses, 24 Commanders and 100 Knights. Statutes of the order from October 1817 list the limits at 24, 40 and 160. Adjustments to the statutes were also made on 16 February 1824, on 12 October 1834, on 12 January 1835 and in October 1838. The statutes were further modified in 1855 for the addition of the Grand Commander grade, also limited in numbers.

Recipients

Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo and Grandee of Spain (16 September 18546 September 1927) was one of the highest court officials of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Among his ancestors were members of the House of Habsburg and the Medici famil ...

* Johann Baptist Ritter von Bar (Königs Hofjägermeister) *

Bernhard von Bülow Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin, Prince of Bülow (german: Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin Fürst von Bülow ; 3 May 1849 – 28 October 1929) was a German statesman who served as the foreign minister for three years and then as the chancellor of t ...

Bruno, Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen ''Bruno'' Casimir Albert Emil Ferdinand of Ysenburg and Büdingen (14 June 1837 – 26 January 1906) was the third Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen. Bruno was the eldest son of Ernst Casimir II, 2nd Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen and his wife ...

Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Chlodwig Carl Viktor, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prince of Ratibor and Corvey (german: Chlodwig Carl Viktor Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prinz von Ratibor und von Corvey) (31 March 18196 July 1901), usually referred to as the P ...

Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern , succession = Prince of Hohenzollern , image = FriedrichHohenzollern1.jpg , caption = , reign=22 October 1927 – 6 February 1965, reign-type=Tenure, predecessor = William , successor = Frederick William , spouse ...

Georg von Hauberrisser Georg von Hauberrisser (19 March 1841 in Graz – 17 May 1922 in Munich) was a German-Austrian architect. Biography Hauberrisser’s father Georg Hauberrisser the Elder (1791–1875) was born in Erbach in Rheingau and worked as a builder. He ...

Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (german: Heinrich VII. Reuß zu Köstritz; 14 July 1825, Klipphausen – 2 May 1906, Trzebiechów) was a German diplomat. Early life Prince Heinrich VII Reuss of Köstritz was born in 1825 as the f ...

Hermann, Fürst von Pückler-Muskau Prince Hermann Ludwig Heinrich von Pückler-Muskau (; born as Count Pückler, from 1822 Prince; 30 October 1785 – 4 February 1871) was a German nobleman, renowned as an accomplished artist in landscape gardening, as well as the author of ...

Georg von Hertling Georg Friedrich Karl Freiherr von Hertling, from 1914 Count von Hertling, (31 August 1843 – 4 January 1919) was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party. He was foreign minister and minister president of Bavaria, then chancellor of t ...

Heinrich von Heß Heinrich Hermann Josef Freiherr von Heß (alternatively: von Hess) (17 March 1788, Vienna – 13 April 1870, Vienna), was an Austrian soldier and field marshal, who entered the army in 1805 and was soon employed as a staff officer on survey wo ...

* Prince Karl Theodor of Bavaria *

Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst The first name Konstantin () is a derivation from the Latin name ''Constantinus'' ( Constantine) in some European languages, such as Russian and German. As a Christian given name, it refers to the memory of the Roman emperor Constantine the Gr ...

Maximilian Karl Lamoral O'Donnell Maximilian Karl Lamoral Graf O’Donnell von Tyrconnell (29 October 1812 — 14 July 1895) was an Austrian officer and civil servant who became famous when he helped save the life of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria. O'Donnell was a descendant of ...

Leopold I of Belgium * nl, Leopold Joris Christiaan Frederik * en, Leopold George Christian Frederick , image = NICAISE Leopold ANV.jpg , caption = Portrait by Nicaise de Keyser, 1856 , reign = 21 July 1831 – , predecessor = Erasme Lou ...

Ludwig I of Bavaria en, Louis Charles Augustus , image = Joseph Karl Stieler - King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes - WGA21796.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825 , succession=King of Bavaria , reign = , coronation ...

* Johannes von Miquel *

August Ludwig von Nostitz August Ludwig Ferdinand Count von Nostitz-Ransen (27 December 1777, Zessel, near Öls – 28 May 1866, on his estates at Zobten, near Löwenberg in Schlesien) was a Prussian general who acted as adjutant general to Frederick William III of Prus ...

* Baron Karl Ludwig von der Pfordten *

Philipp, Prince of Eulenburg Philipp, Prince of Eulenburg and Hertefeld, Count of Sandels (german: Philipp Friedrich Karl Alexander Botho Fürst zu Eulenburg und Hertefeld Graf von Sandels; 12 February 1847 – 17 September 1921) was a diplomat and composer of Imperial Germ ...

Albrecht von Roon Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon (; 30 April 180323 February 1879) was a Prussian soldier and statesman. As Minister of War from 1859 to 1873, Roon, along with Otto von Bismarck and Helmuth von Moltke, was a dominating figure in Prussia's ...

Prince Rudolf of Liechtenstein Prince Rudolf of Liechtenstein (18 April 1838 – 15 December 1908) was an Austrian aristocrat, a general in the Common Army and one of the highest officials in the court of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Biography Rudolf was the youngest child and ...

* Franz Xaver von Schönwerth *

Otto Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode Otto Graf (From 1890, Fürst) zu Stolberg-Wernigerode (30 October 1837 – 19 November 1896) was an Imperial German politician and the vice-chancellor of the German Empire. Life He was born at Gedern Castle, Hesse, the third and last child ...

Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen Ludwig Samson Heinrich Arthur Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen (18 June 181526 April 1881) was a Bavarian general. Early life Born in Darmstadt, on the day of Waterloo, Ludwig was a descendant from the old family of von der Tann, whi ...

* Johann Nepomuk von Triva *

Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov (russian: Илларио́н Ива́нович Воронцов-Дашков; 27 May 1837 – 15 January 1916) was a notable representative of the Vorontsov family. He served as Minister of Imperial Pro ...

Harald Nicolai Storm Wergeland Harald Nicolai Storm Wergeland (27 May 1814 – 12 October 1893) was a Norwegian military officer, politician and mountaineer. Having reached the rank of major general by 1859, he served as Minister of the Army for several periods between 185 ...

References

{{Orders of Imperial Germany Orders of chivalry of Germany Orders, decorations, and medals of Bavaria 1808 establishments in Bavaria Awards established in 1808 Orders of merit