The Friedrich-August Cross was a German decoration of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. It was set up on 24 September 1914 by

Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg Frederick Augustus II (16 November 1852 in Oldenburg – 24 February 1931 in Rastede) was the last ruling Grand Duke of Oldenburg. Frederick Augustus was the eldest son of Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg. He grew up with an interest in the ...

, with two classes, for (to quote its citation) "all persons of military or civilian status, who have shown outstanding service during the war itself".

Insignia

The Friedrich-August-Kreuz is a black iron

cross pattée A cross pattée or cross patty (, ), also known as a cross formée or cross formy, or even a Templar cross, is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre and often flared in a curve or straight line shape to be broader at th ...

with a laurel wreath between the arms. The

obverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...

of the cross bears a circular central medallion with the initials ''FA''. The crown of Oldenburg appears on the upper arm of the cross, with the lower arm bearing the date ''1914''. The reverse is plain.

Recipients

First Class

Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884–1948) Prince Adalbert Ferdinand Berengar Viktor of Prussia (14 July 1884 – 22 September 1948) was the third son of Wilhelm II, Wilhelm II, German Emperor, and Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. Early life Prince Adalbert was born on 14 July 1 ...

Conrad Albrecht Conrad Albrecht (7 October 1880 in Bremen – 18 August 1969 in Hamburg) was a German admiral during World War II. Early military career Albrecht entered the '' Kaiserliche Marine'' (Imperial German Navy) on 10 April 1899 as a sea cadet. He ...

Joachim von Amsberg (general) Joachim von Amsberg (26 August 1869 in Schwerin – 5 September 1945 in Rostock) was a German general, aristocrat and a member of the House of Amsberg. Biography Born as the youngest son of Gabriel Ludwig Johann von Amsberg (1822–1899) and his ...

* Hermann Bauer *

Paul Behncke Paul Behncke (13 August 1869 – 4 January 1937) was born in Lübeck and died in Berlin. He was a German admiral during the First World War, most notable for his command of the III Battle Squadron of the German High Seas Fleet during the Battle ...

Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann Hollweg (29 November 1856 – 1 January 1921) was a German politician who was chancellor of the German Empire, imperial chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917. He oversaw the German entry ...

Johannes Blaskowitz Johannes Albrecht Blaskowitz (10 July 1883 – 5 February 1948) was a German ''Generaloberst'' during World War II. After joining the Imperial German Army in 1901, Blaskowitz served throughout World War I, where he earned the Iron Cross for brav ...

Werner von Blomberg Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg (2 September 1878 – 13 March 1946) was a German general and politician who served as the first Minister of War in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1938. Blomberg had served as Chief of the ''Truppenamt'', equivalent ...

* Friedrich Boedicker *

Walter Böning ''Leutnant'' Walter Böning was a German World War I flying ace from the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg credited with 17 aerial victories. He began his World War I military service as an infantryman. He distinguished himself by winning both the Gold Med ...

Walter Braemer Walter Braemer (7 January 1883 13 June 1955) was a general in the ''Reichswehr'' and the ''Wehrmacht'' and a high-ranking Schutzstaffel, SS commander during the Nazi era. He was a Nazi crimes, Nazi criminal responsible for German retribution ag ...

Karl-Heinrich Brenner __NOTOC__ Karl Jakob Heinrich Brenner - also Karl-Heinrich Brenner - (1 May 1895 – 14 February 1954) was a decorated German general of the Waffen-SS who held the rank of SS-''Gruppenführer'' and ''Generalleutnant'' of the Police during the N ...

Eduard von Capelle Eduard von Capelle (10 October 1855 – 23 February 1931) was a German Imperial Navy officer from Celle. He joined the Imperial German Navy in 1872, serving in various roles, including as an executive officer of the battleship and chief o ...

Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia Prince Wilhelm Eitel Friedrich Christian Karl of Prussia (7 July 1883 – 8 December 1942) was the second son of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany by his first wife, Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. He was bo ...

Archduke Eugen of Austria Archduke Eugen Ferdinand Pius Bernhard Felix Maria of Austria-Teschen (21 May 1863 – 30 December 1954) was an Archduke of Austria-Hungary, Austria and a Prince of Kingdom of Hungary, Hungary and Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemia. He was the last Gra ...

Alexander von Falkenhausen Alexander Ernst Alfred Hermann Freiherr von Falkenhausen (29 October 187831 July 1966) was a German general and military advisor to Chiang Kai-shek. He was an important figure during the Sino-German cooperation to reform the Chinese army. In ...

Kurt Fricke Kurt Fricke (8 November 1889 – 2 May 1945) was an Admiral with the Kriegsmarine (navy) of Nazi Germany during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Biography Fricke entered the '' Kaiserliche Marine'' as a cadet ...

Hermann Geyer __NOTOC__ Hermann Geyer (7 July 1882 – 10 April 1946) was a German general during World War II who commanded the IX Army Corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Geyer retired in 1943 and committed suici ...

Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg Leo Dietrich Franz Reichsfreiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg (2 March 1886 – 27 January 1974) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II, noted for his pioneering stance and expertise in the field of armoured warfare. He commanded th ...

Hermann von Hanneken (soldier) Hermann Konstantin Albert Julius von Hanneken (5 January 1890 – 22 July 1981) was a German General of the Infantry who was supreme commander of the German forces in Denmark from 29 September 1942 to January 1945. Early career On 19 July 1908 ...

Heino von Heimburg Heino von Heimburg (24 October 1889 – October 1945) was a German U-boat commander in the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I and served also as ''Vizeadmiral'' (vice admiral) in the Kriegsmarine during World War II. World War I On 10 June 1 ...

Wilhelm Heye Wilhelm Heye (31 January 1869 – 11 March 1947) was a Prussian and German officer who rose to the rank of Generaloberst and became Chief of the Army Command within the Ministry of the Reichswehr in the Weimar Republic. Family Maximilian He ...

Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German military and political leader who led the Imperial German Army during the First World War and later became President of Germany (1919� ...

Franz von Hipper Franz Ritter von Hipper (born Franz Hipper; 13 September 1863 – 25 May 1932) was an admiral in the German Imperial Navy, (''Kaiserliche Marine'') who played an important role in the naval warfare of World War I. Franz von Hipper joined th ...

Henning von Holtzendorff Henning Rudolf Adolf Karl von Holtzendorff (9 January 1853 – 7 June 1919) was a German admiral during World War I, who became famous for his December 1916 memo about unrestricted submarine warfare against the United Kingdom. He was a recipient ...

* Gerhard Kauffmann *

Wilhelm Keitel Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (; 22 September 188216 October 1946) was a German field marshal who held office as chief of the (OKW), the high command of Nazi Germany's armed forces, during World War II. He signed a number of criminal ...

Werner Kempf Werner Kempf (9 March 1886 – 6 January 1964) was a general in the German Army rising to corps-level command during World War II. Kempf is best known for commanding the Army Detachment Kempf during the Battle of Kursk. Career Kempf joined th ...

Gustav Kieseritzky __NOTOC__ Gustav Kieseritzky (22 September 1893 – 19 November 1943) was a German admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Kieseritzky was killed on 19 November 1943 during the Kerch� ...

Philipp Kleffel Philipp Kleffel (9 December 1887 – 10 October 1964) was a German general during World War II who commanded several corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. For 10 days, Kleffel served as the last com ...

Gustav Leffers Gustav Leffers (2 January 1895 –27 December 1916) was a German flying ace in World War I, credited with 9 victories. Early life Leffers was born in Wilhelmshaven, the son of a naval engineer. He was educated in Wilhelmshaven and Stettin a ...

Felix von Luckner Felix Nikolaus Alexander Georg Graf von Luckner (9 June 1881, Dresden – 13 April 1966, Malmö), sometimes called Count Luckner in English, was a German nobleman, naval officer, author, and sailor who earned the epithet ''Der Seeteufel'' (the ...

Günther Lütjens Johann Günther Lütjens (; 25 May 1889 – 27 May 1941) was a German admiral whose military service spanned more than 30 years and two world wars. Lütjens is best known for his actions during World War II and his command of the battleship du ...

Georg Alexander von Müller Georg Alexander von Müller (24 March 1854 – 18 April 1940) was an Admiral of the Imperial German Navy and a close friend of the Wilhelm II, Kaiser in the run up to the World War I, First World War. Career Müller grew up in Sweden, where hi ...

Karl August Nerger Karl August Theodor Julius Nerger (25 February 1875 – 12 January 1947) was a naval officer of the Imperial German Navy in World War I, who achieved fame and recognition during the war for his command of the auxiliary cruiser '' SMS Wolf''. On ...

Erich Raeder Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960) was a German admiral who played a major role in the naval history of World War II and was convicted of war crimes after the war. He attained the highest possible naval rank, that of ...

Ludwig von Reuter Hans Hermann Ludwig von Reuter (9 February 1869 – 18 December 1943) was a German admiral who commanded the High Seas Fleet when it was interned at Scapa Flow in the north of Scotland at the end of World War I. On 21 June 1919 he ordered t ...

Ehrhard Schmidt Ehrhard Schmidt (18 May 1863 – 18 July 1946) was an Admiral (Germany), admiral of the ''Kaiserliche Marine'' (Imperial German Navy) during World War I. Career At age 15, he entered the navy and saw service at several branches at sea and on ...

Hubert Schmundt Hubert Schmundt (19 September 1888 – 17 October 1984) was a German admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Career Schmundt joined the German Imperial Navy (''Kaiserliche Marine'' ...

Otto Schniewind Otto Schniewind (14 December 1887 – 26 March 1964) was a German General Admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Career Schniewind entered the Kaiserliche Marine in 1907 as a cad ...

* Otto Schultze *

Hans von Seeckt Johannes "Hans" Friedrich Leopold von Seeckt (22 April 1866 – 27 December 1936) was a German military officer who served as Chief of Staff to August von Mackensen and was a central figure in planning the victories Mackensen achieved for German ...

Otto von Stülpnagel Otto Edwin von Stülpnagel (16 June 1878 – 6 February 1948) was a German military commander of occupied France during the Second World War. Arrested by Allied authorities after the war, he committed suicide in prison in 1948. Career Otto von ...

Karl Topp Friedrich Karl Topp (29 September 1895 – 24 April 1981) was a naval officer in Germany during both World Wars. Biography Topp was born in Voerde in the Prussian Rhine Province. His father was a minister. He joined the Imperial German Navy in ...

Adolf von Trotha Adolf von Trotha (1 March 1868 – 11 October 1940) was a German admiral in the '' Kaiserliche Marine''. After the German revolution he briefly served as the first ''Chef der Admiralität'', which replaced the imperial '' Reichsmarineamt''. Afte ...

Walter Warzecha Walter Wilhelm Julius Warzecha (23 May 1891 – 3 August 1956) was a German naval commander and high-ranking officer of the ''Kriegsmarine''. Serving in the rank of General Admiral he succeeded General Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg as the la ...

Wilhelm II, German Emperor Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as the Hohenzollern dynasty ...

* Karl Witzell * Eberhard Wolfram

Second Class

* Ludwig Bieringer *

Hellmuth Heye Hellmuth Guido Alexander Heye (9 August 1895 – 10 November 1970) was a German admiral in World War II and politician in post-war Germany. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Naval career Heye graduated ...

Ernst Lindemann Otto Ernst Lindemann (28 March 1894 – 27 May 1941) was a German ''Kapitän zur See'' (Captain (naval), naval captain). He was the only commander of the battleship during its eight months of service in World War II. Lindemann joined the Germa ...

References

Bibliography

* Friedhelm Beyreiß: ''Der Hausorden und die tragbaren Ehrenzeichen des Großherzogtum Oldenburg 1813-1918'', Militair-Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt 1997, {{Orders of Imperial Germany Military awards and decorations of Imperial Germany Orders, decorations, and medals of Oldenburg Awards established in 1914