The General Honour Decoration () was a civil and military decoration of the

Grand Duchy of Hesse The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine () was a grand duchy in western Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918. The grand duchy originally formed from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806 as the Grand Duchy of Hesse (). It assumed the name ...

. Established 25 September 1843, the medal could be awarded to recognize several different accomplishments or merits, such as military merit, lifesaving and long service. The reason for the award of the medal was determined by the inscription on the reverse of the medal, with the obverse bearing the effigy of the reigning

Grand Duke of Hesse The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine () was a grand duchy in western Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918. The grand duchy originally formed from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806 as the Grand Duchy of Hesse (). It assumed the name ...

. The General Honour Decoration with the inscriptions "Für Tapferkeit" ("For Bravery") and "Für Kriegsverdienste" ("For War Merits") served as the primary military decoration of Hesse during World War I. As the rolls of the decoration were lost in World War II, a complete list of recipients is unknown.

Recipients of the Hessian General Honour Decoration "For Bravery" (Hessische Tapferkeitsmedaille)

Source:See Talk page regarding recipient list *

Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse Ernest Louis (; 25 November 1868 – 9 October 1937) was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning from 1892 until 1918. Early life Ernest Louis was the elder son of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of ...

, Prussian general, last

Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine () was a grand duchy in western Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918. The grand duchy originally formed from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806 as the Grand Duchy of Hesse (). It assumed the name ...

Chlodwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld Chlodwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (''Chlodwig Alexis Ernst''; 30 July 1876 – 17 November 1954) was an officer in the Prussian Army and head of the Hesse-Philippsthal line of the House of Hesse. As head of the house he was styl ...

, Prussian officer *

Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse Philipp, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse (6 November 1896 – 25 October 1980) was head of the Electoral House of Hesse from 1940 to 1980. Philipp joined the Nazi Party in 1930, and, when they gained power with the appointment of Adolf Hitler as ...

, Prussian lieutenant, Leib-Dragoner-Regiment (2. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 24 *

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 ...

Wilhelm, German Crown Prince Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, Crown Prince of Prussia (Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst; 6 May 1882 – 20 July 1951) was the eldest child of the last German emperor, Wilhelm II, and his consort Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, an ...

, Prussian general *

Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine by the Rhine (''Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand''; English: ''Rupert Maria Leopold Ferdinand''; 18 May 1869 – 2 August 1955), was the last heir ...

, Bavarian field marshal (1915) *

Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg Albrecht, Duke and Crown Prince of Württemberg (Albrecht Maria Alexander Philipp Joseph; 23 December 1865 – 31 October 1939) was the last crown prince of the Kingdom of Württemberg, a German military commander of World War I, and the head of ...

, Prussian/Württemberg field marshal (1915) *

Ernst Freiherr von Althaus Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst" * Anton Ernst (born ...

, German fighter ace * Walter Assmann, Prussian lieutenant, 5. Großherzoglich Hessisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 168,

Generalleutnant () is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...

in World War II *

Otto von Below Otto Ernst Vinzent Leo von Below (18 January 1857 – 9 March 1944) served as a Prussian general officer in the Imperial German Army during the First World War (1914–1918). He arguably became most notable for his command, along with the Aust ...

, Prussian general *

Julius von Bernuth __NOTOC__ Julius Hans Camillo Friedrich Leo Ludwig von Bernuth (12 August 1897 – 12 July 1942) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany who served during World War II. He was an early Nazi supporter and was a participant in the Beer Hall ...

, Prussian lieutenant, Leibgarde-Infanterie-Regiment (1. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 115,

Generalmajor is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...

in World War II * Arnold Freiherr von Biegeleben, Prussian Hauptmann, 1. Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 25,

in World War II *

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 ...

, Prussian Hauptmann, later a German

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

field marshal * Curt von Brandenstein, 1879-1964, Prussian Hauptmann, Infanterie-Leibregiment Großherzogin (3. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 117, recipient of the

Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...

Julius Buckler Julius Buckler (28 March 1894 – 23 May 1960) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 36 victories during the war. He shot down 29 enemy airplanes and seven observation balloons; two other victories went unconfirmed.The Aerod ...

, German fighter ace, native of the Grand Duchy of Hesse *

Nikolaus Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna-Schlodien Nikolaus Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna-Schlodien (5 April 1879 – 21 August 1956) was a German naval officer and author. Biography Nikolaus zu Dohna-Schlodien was born in Mallmitz (today Małomice, Poland) to Alfred zu Dohna-Schlodien (1849– ...

, German naval officer *

Hans Felber __NOTOC__ Hans-Gustav Felber (July 8, 1889 – March 8, 1962) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. Biography From 15 October 1939 Felber was the chief of staff of the 2nd Army (Wehrmacht), 2nd Army, becoming chi ...

, Prussian lieutenant, Infanterie-Leibregiment Großherzogin (3. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 117,

General der Infanterie General of the infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to: * General of the Infantry (Austria) * General of the Infantry (Bulgaria) * General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Impe ...

in World War II *

Franz Gall Franz Joseph Gall or Franz Josef Gall (; 9 March 175822 August 1828) was a German neuroanatomist, physiologist, and pioneer in the study of the localization of mental functions in the brain. Claimed as the founder of the pseudoscience of phrenol ...

, Prussian lieutenant, Großherzoglich Hessisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 254,

in World War II *

Wilhelm Groener Karl Eduard Wilhelm Groener (; 22 November 1867 – 3 May 1939) was a Würtemberg–German general and politician, who served as the final Chief of the Great General Staff and Reich Ministry of Transport, Reich Minister of Transport, Ministry ...

, Prussian/Württemberg general (1916) * , Prussian lieutenant, 1. Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 25, native of the Grand Duchy of Hesse,

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

General der Flieger () was a General of the branch rank of the Luftwaffe (air force) in Nazi Germany. Until the end of World War II in 1945, this particular general officer rank was on three-star level ( OF-8), equivalent to a US Lieutenant general. The "Genera ...

* Franz Hemer, German fighter ace, native of the Grand Duchy of Hesse *

Maximilian von Herff Maximilian Karl Otto von Herff (17 April 1893 – 6 September 1945) was a German senior Schutzstaffel, SS commander during the Nazi era. He served as head of the SS Personnel Main Office from 1942 to 1945. Early life Maximilian von Herff was ...

, Prussian lieutenant, Leibgarde-Infanterie-Regiment (1. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 115, SS

Obergruppenführer (, ) was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissioned SS rank after ...

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� ...

, Prussian field marshal *

Karl-Adolf Hollidt Karl-Adolf Hollidt (25 April 1891 – 22 May 1985) was a German army commander in World War II who was subsequently convicted of war crimes. He was a general (''Generaloberst'') in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany who commanded the 6th Army. Care ...

, Prussian lieutenant, Infanterie-Leibregiment Großherzogin (3. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 117,

Generaloberst A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German '' Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. The rank w ...

in World War II *

Oskar von Hutier Oskar Emil von Hutier (27 August 1857 – 5 December 1934) was a German general during the First World War. He served in the German Army from 1875 to 1919, including war service. During the First World War, he commanded the army that took Riga ...

, Prussian general *

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 ...

, Prussian general staff officer, later a German

field marshal *

Alfred Keller Biography Alfred Keller (19 September 1882 – 11 February 1974) was a general in the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Born in Bochum, Province of Westphalia, his career in the Imperial German Armed Forces began in 1897, when ...

, Prussian aviator, later a

* Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen, Bavarian general (1915) *

Georg von Küchler Georg Carl Wilhelm Friedrich von Küchler (30 May 1881 – 25 May 1968) was a German Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) of the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes. He commanded the 18th Army ...

, Prussian officer, 1. Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 25, later a German

field marshal *

Otto Liman von Sanders Otto Viktor Karl Liman von Sanders (; 17 February 1855 – 22 August 1929) was an Imperial German Army general who served as a military adviser to the Ottoman Army during the First World War. He was born to Jewish noble family and like many o ...

, Prussian/Ottoman general who began his military service in Hesse regiments * Fritz von Loßberg, Prussian colonel, later general *

Erich Ludendorff Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff (; 9 April 1865 – 20 December 1937) was a German general and politician. He achieved fame during World War I (1914–1918) for his central role in the German victories at Battle of Liège, Liège and Battle ...

, Prussian general *

Rudolf Lüters Rudolf Lüters (May 10, 1883 – December 24, 1945) was a German general who served in the Wehrmacht, during World War II. Biography He joined the Imperial German Army on November 2, 1902 as Fahnenjunker and participated in World War I where ...

, Prussian officer, native of the Grand Duchy of Hesse,

in World War II *

Smilo Freiherr von Lüttwitz Smilo Walther Hinko Oskar Constantin Wilhelm Freiherr von Lüttwitz (23 December 1895 – 19 May 1975) was a German general during World War II and son of Walther von Lüttwitz. After World War II he joined the Bundeswehr in 1957 and served as th ...

, Prussian lieutenant, Leib-Dragoner-Regiment (2. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 24,

General der Panzertruppe ''General der Panzertruppe'' () was a General of the branch rank of the German Army (1935–1945), German Army, introduced in 1935. A ''General der Panzertruppe'' was a lieutenant general, above major general (''Generalleutnant''), commanding a ...

in World War II and

in the

Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...

* Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen, German fighter ace *

Georg Graf von Rittberg __NOTOC__ George Graf von Rittberg (30 May 1898 – 6 June 1973) was a German general during World War II who commanded the 88th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht), 88th Infantry Division. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, Kn ...

, Prussian lieutenant, 2. Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 61,

in World War II *

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 ...

, German admiral, native of the Grand Duchy of Hesse *

Ludwig von Schröder Ludwig von Schröder (17 July 1854 Hintzenkamp near Eggesin – 23 July 1933 in Berlin-Halensee) was an Imperial German Navy officer and Admiral during the First World War and a recipient of the ''Pour le Mérite'' with Oak Leaves. Biography Sc ...

, German admiral *

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 ...

, Prussian general * Ernst Sieler, Prussian lieutenant, Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Carl (4. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 118,

in World War II * Hans-Ludwig Speth, Prussian lieutenant, native of the Grand Duchy of Hesse,

General der Artillerie (English language, en: General of the artillery) may mean: A rank of three-star rank, three-star General of the branch, general, comparable to modern armed forces OF-8 grade, in the Imperial German Army and its contingency armies of Prussian A ...

in World War II * Hermann von Strantz, Prussian general *

Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel Carl-Heinrich Rudolf Wilhelm von Stülpnagel (2 January 1886 – 30 August 1944) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who was an army level commander. While serving as military commander of German-occupied France and as com ...

, Prussian officer, Leibgarde-Infanterie-Regiment (1. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 115,

in World War II, member of the

20 July Plot The 20 July plot, sometimes referred to as Operation Valkyrie, was a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the chancellor and leader of Nazi Germany, and overthrow the Nazi regime on 20 July 1944. The plotters were part of the German r ...

* Walter von Unruh, Prussian officer,

in World War II *

Georg Wetzell Georg Wetzell (5 March 1869 – 3 January 1947) was a German General of the Infantry and from 1925 to 1927 chief of the (troop office) of the . Biography On 1 October 1889, Wetzell joined the Pioneer Battalion No. 16 of the Prussian Army in Me ...

, Prussian officer,

in the

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' (; ) was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first two years of Nazi Germany. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...

* Oskar Ritter und Edler von Xylander, Bavarian general (1916) *

Gustav-Adolf von Zangen __NOTOC__ Gustav Adolf Karl Friedrich Ernst von Zangen (7 November 1892 – 1 May 1964) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II and a commander of the 15th Army in the Netherlands in 1944 during World War II. He was a recipie ...

, Prussian lieutenant, Infanterie-Leibregiment Großherzogin (3. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 117, native of the Grand Duchy of Hesse,

in World War II

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{Orders of Imperial Germany Orders, decorations, and medals of Hesse 1843 establishments in the German Confederation Establishments in the Grand Duchy of Hesse Awards established in 1843