The Imperial Order of the Iron Crown (; ) was one of the highest orders of merit in the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

and

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

until 1918. It was founded in 1815 by

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Franz I of Austria as a re-establishment of the original Order of the Iron Crown, which previously had been an order of the Napoleonic

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

. The order had three classes and, until 1884, all classes conferred automatic hereditary

ennoblement Ennoblement is the conferring of nobility—the induction of an individual into the noble class. Currently only a few kingdoms still grant nobility to people; among them Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Vatican. Depending on time and reg ...

. The third class conferred the rank of '' Ritter'', the second class conferred the rank of ''

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

'', and the first class conferred the title of Privy Councillor, the style of

Excellency Excellency is an honorific style (manner of address), style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder ...

and the right to attend court. According to the order's statutes, only a limited number of members throughout the empire were allowed at any given time. The maximum number of 1st class knights was 20, for the 2nd class it was 30 and for the 3rd class 50, limiting the total number of members to 100 at any given time.

History

The Holy Roman Empire, ruled by the

Habsburg dynasty The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

, gave way to the Empire of Austria between 1804 and 1806. The last

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

, Franz II, was proclaimed Emperor Franz I of Austria. His daughter, the Archduchess Maria Louise, was Napoleon’s second wife and Empress Consort, and the mother of Napoleon’s only legitimate son and heir, Napoleon, Duke of Reichstadt. With the collapse of Napoleon’s empire, Imperial Austria regained its traditional control of Lombardy as the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia. The Austrian order was also divided into three distinct classes of knighthood, recognized as the First, Second, and Third Classes. Investment of this order carried an Imperial patent of nobility. With the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1918, all but one (the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

) of the chivalric orders of its monarchy were formally abolished.

Insignia

While the ribbon colors changed from the Imperial French gold and green to the Imperial Austrian gold and royal blue, the general look of the medal remained largely the same – an imperial eagle set within a representation of the Iron Crown of Lombardy. Grand Cross (French) and First Class (Austrian) knights wore a sash and badge over the right shoulder, with an eight-pointed star (that featured the Iron Crown at its center) on the left breast. Imperial French knight commanders wore a traditional military style medal on the left chest, with the addition of a bow in the center of the ribbon to delineate them from ordinary knights. Imperial Austrian Second Class knights wore the medal suspended from a ribbon about the neck. French ordinary knights and Austrian Third Class knights wore a traditional military medal on the left chest. From 1908 for First Class knights, and from 1917 for Second Class knights, the Imperial Austrian order allowed for an undress version to be worn with service dress. First Class knights were authorized to wear a Third Class military medal on the left breast, with an addition of a device known as a "Kleine Dekoration". The pin device was a miniature version of the First Class breast star, and was worn on the center of the ribbon to delineate the wearer as a knight of the First Class. Variations in the star matched the details of the knight's specific award: including the war decoration wreath and the crossed swords. The Second Class Kleine Dekoration was a miniature depiction of the Iron Crown of Lombardy (copied from the lower part of the actual medal). As with the First Class knights, the Kleine Dekoration for the Second Class knights matched the award to the knights: crown only for peacetime award, crown encircled by a wreath for the war decoration, and topped with swords for those awards "with swords", and was worn in the same fashion as that of the First Class knights. During

World War I 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 ...

, awards "with swords" were given to symbolize personal valour of the knight that led to his award. Hence, ordinary knights medals were also frequently adorned with crossed swords, pinned to the tri-fold ribbon.

Notable recipients

Masters of the Order

* Franz I, Emperor of Austria, 1816–1835 * Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria, 1835-1848 * Franz Josef I, Emperor of Austria-Hungary, 1848–1916 * Karl I, Emperor of Austria-Hungary, 1916–1918

Knights

File:Hans Birch Dahlerup.jpg, Vice Admiral Hans Birch Dahlerup 1850 wearing star and ribbon of a knight I. Class File:Tadeusz Rozwadowski.jpg, Lieutenant field marshal Tadeusz Rozwadowski wearing star of a knight I. Class (top right) File:Demeter Ritter von Tuschinski 1912 Colorized.jpg, First Attorney of State Dr. Demeter Ritter von Tuschinski in 1912 wearing insignia of a knight III. Class Don José Ignacio de Icaza y Landa, claimant to the Throne of the Mexican Empire in 1925 and great-grandson of Doña Josefa Arámburo e Iturbide, Princess of the Union and sister of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide: Shown wearing the second class on the neck. * James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn * Giuseppe Acerbi * Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal * Hasan bey Agalarov * Archduke Albrecht Franz, Duke of Teschen * Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo * Augusto Carlos Teixeira de Aragão * Count Kasimir Felix Badeni * Ferdinand von Bauer * Friedrich von Beck-Rzikowsky * Heinrich von Bellegarde * Johannes Benk *

Leon Biliński Leon Biliński (15 June 1846 in Zalischyky – 15 June 1923 in Vienna) was a Polish-Austrian statesman of the Biliński family. He had several important political functions in the Habsburg monarchy and independent Poland: He was President of Au ...

* Josef Bílý * Friedrich Wilhelm von Bismarck * Herbert von Bismarck *

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...

* Wilhelm von Bismarck * Fedor von Bock * Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli * Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff * Bruno, Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen *

Adolf von Brudermann Adolf von Brudermann (2 June 1854 Vienna – 26 October 1945 Vienna) was a ''General der Kavallerie'' (general of the cavalry) of the Austro-Hungarian Army. He saw service during World War I. Personal life Brudermann was the youngest of the four ...

* Rudolf von Brudermann *

Bernhard von Bülow Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin, Prince of Bülow ( ; 3 May 1849 – 28 October 1929) was a German politician who served as the chancellor of the German Empire, imperial chancellor of the German Empire and minister-president of Prussia from 1900 to ...

* Karl von Bülow * Artur Maximilian von Bylandt-Rheidt *

Leo von Caprivi Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprara de Montecuccoli (English language, English: ''Count George Leo of Caprivi, Caprara, and Montecuccoli''; born Georg Leo von Caprivi; 24 February 1831 – 6 February 1899) was a German general and statesman. He ...

* Eduard Clam-Gallas * Count Manfred von Clary-Aldringen * Prince Siegfried von Clary-Aldringen * Cevat Çobanlı * Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf * Anton Csorich * Karl von Czyhlarz * Hans Birch Dahlerup * Maximilian Daublebsky von Sterneck * Adolf von Deines * Rudolf von Delbrück * Georg Dragičević * Ludwig Draxler * Carl August Ehrensvärd (1858–1944) * Josef Fanderlik * Géza Fejérváry * Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany * Emanuel Salomon Friedberg-Mírohorský * Ventura García-Sancho, Marquess of Aguilar de Campoo * Agenor Maria Gołuchowski * Heinrich von Gossler * Karl von Habsburg * Otto von Habsburg * Wilhelm von Hahnke * Anton Haus * Alajos Hauszmann * Karl Eberhard Herwarth von Bittenfeld *

Miklós Horthy Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya (18 June 1868 – 9 February 1957) was a Hungarian admiral and statesman who was the Regent of Hungary, regent of the Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946), Kingdom of Hungary Hungary between the World Wars, during the ...

* Archduke Hubert Salvator of Austria * Dietrich von Hülsen-Haeseler * Karl Georg Huyn *

Itō Hirobumi Kazoku, Prince , born , was a Japanese statesman who served as the first prime minister of Japan from 1885 to 1888, and later from 1892 to 1896, in 1898, and from 1900 to 1901. He was a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior state ...

Ányos Jedlik Ányos István Jedlik (1800 – 1895) was a Hungarian inventor, engineer, physicist, and Benedictine priest. He was also a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and author of several books. He is considered by Hungarians and Slovaks to b ...

* Archduke Joseph August of Austria * Archduke Joseph Ferdinand of Austria * Georg von Kameke * Gustav von Kessel * Karl Graf von Kirchbach auf Lauterbach * Anton Klodič von Sabladoski * Eduard von Knorr * Hans von Koester * Alexander von Koller * Prince Konrad of Bavaria * Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza * Franz Kuhn von Kuhnenfeld * Joseph Edler von Küchler * Auguste, Baron Lambermont * Franciszek Latinik * Ernst Lauda * Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria * Joseph Maximilian von Maillinger * Ferdinand von Malaisé * Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel *

Jan Matejko Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Polish painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of history painting, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale ...

* Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor * Helmuth von Moltke the Younger * Rudolf Montecuccoli * Georg Alexander von Müller * Miroslav Navratil * Nicholas I of Montenegro * Maximilian Njegovan * Laval Nugent von Westmeath * Alexander August Wilhelm von Pape * Thorleif Paus * Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria * Karl von Pflanzer-Baltin * Hans von Plessen * Ferdinand von Quast * Joseph Radetzky von Radetz * Antoni Wilhelm Radziwiłł * Wilhelm von Ramming * Manfred von Richthofen * Sándor Farkas de Boldogfa * Prince William of Schaumburg-Lippe * Alfred von Schlieffen * Emil von Schlitz * Eberhard Graf von Schmettow * Friedrich von Scholl * August Schwendenwein von Lanauberg * Hans von Seeckt *

Gustav von Senden-Bibran Gustav Ernst Otto Egon Freiherr (Baron) von Bibran-Modlau, Senden-Bibran (23 July 1847, Rokitki, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Reisicht, Lower Silesia, Germany – 23 November 1909 in Berlin) was an admiral of the Kaiserliche Marine, German I ...

* Stanisław Smolka * Hermann von Spaun *

Philipp von Stadion und Thannhausen Philipp Franz Emerich Karl von Stadion und Thannhausen (9 May 1799 – 19 March 1868 in Vienna) was an Austrian ''feldmarschall-leutnant'' (lieutenant field marshal) and ''Komtur, Landkomtur'' (National Commander (order), Commander) of the Teutoni ...

* Rudolf Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten * Emanuel von Stross * Stanisław Szeptycki * Sándor Szurmay * Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen * Myron Tarnavsky * Karl Tersztyánszky von Nádas *

Tewfik Pasha Mohamed Tewfik Pasha ( ''Muḥammad Tawfīq Bāshā''; April 30 or 15 November 1852 – 7 January 1892), also known as Tawfiq of Egypt, was khedive of Khedivate of Egypt, Egypt and the Turco-Egyptian Sudan, Sudan between 1879 and 1892 and the s ...

Georg von Trapp Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp (4 April 1880 – 30 May 1947) was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy who became the patriarch of the Trapp Family, Trapp Family Singers. Trapp was the most successful Austro-Hungarian submarine commander of ...

* Fyodor Trepov (senior) * Aymard d'Ursel * Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov * Karl von Wedel * Ludwig von Welden * Karl Weyprecht * Duke William of Württemberg * Constantin von Wurzbach *

Yamagata Aritomo Prince was a Japanese politician and general who served as prime minister of Japan from 1889 to 1891, and from 1898 to 1900. He was also a leading member of the '' genrō'', a group of senior courtiers and statesmen who dominated the politics ...

* Arthur Zimmermann * August zu Eulenburg * Gustav von Epstein

Sources

* Blom, Philipp. ''To Have and to Hold: An Intimate History of Collectors and Collecting''. Overlook, 2003. pp. 146–147. * Gottschalck, Friedrich. ''Almanach der Ritter-Orden''. Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony: Georg Joachim Goeschen, 1819.

References

{{Authority control Iron Crown, Order of the Orders, decorations, and medals of Austria-Hungary 1815 establishments in the Austrian Empire Military awards and decorations of Austria-Hungary 5 Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor