Saxony Saxon orders

[jonv]

Is there a Saxon medal / order which would be considered the premier award

for a general officer or staff officer? ... one that might equate to Bavaria's MMJO?

thanks for any info or opinion

Jon

Prussian Machine

[dedehansen]

Helo Jon,

the only one I know equate to Bavarian MMJO is the Ritterkreuz des Militär-St.-Heinrichs-Orden

Regards

Andreas

[W McSwiggan]

Saxony maintained a number of orders: (World War I Orders)

The House Order of the Rue Crown - single class

The Military St. Henry Order - 4 classes - Grand Cross, Commander 1. Class, Commander 2. Class and Knight's Cross

The Merit Order (Civil & with Swords for Military) - Grand Cross, Commander 1. Class, Commander 2. Class and Knight 1. Class & Knight 2. Class

The Albert Order - 10 grades - 4 of Grand Cross, 2 of Commander, Officer's Cross & 2 of Knight

Two "Damen" orders - not applicable to your question.

Per your question - the Saxon equivalent to the MMJO is the Military St. Henry. Both were the highest exclusively military order. While the Merit & Albert Orders in their higher grades were almost exclusively for generals, clearly the Military St. Henry was the most prestigious.

Max Immelmann won the Commander 2. Class and per O'Connor - personally considered it superior to his Pour le Merite. The Grand Cross (excluding Ludendorff & Hindenburg) went solely to "royals" during the war. 14 awards of the Commander 1. Class were made hence making it and the Commander 2. Class (153 awards) the equivalent you seek in my opinion.

[Dave Danner]

Just to round this out, there were five German states which had a premier military order that was considered their highest military honor for officers. Each also had an associated decoration for enlisted men.

• Prussia: Orden Pour le Mérite for officers and the Militärverdienstkreuz for NCOs and enlisted men.
  
• Bavaria: Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden for officers and the Goldene Militär-Verdienstmedaille (renamed Tapferkeitsmedaille in 1918) for NCOs and EMs.
  
• Saxony: Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden for officers and the Goldene Militär-St. Heinrichs-Medaille for NCOs and EMs.
  
• Württemberg: Militärverdienstorden for officers and the Goldene Militärverdienstmedaille for NCOs and EMs (junior officers could also receive this medal).
  
• Baden: Militär-Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstorden for officers and the Verdienst-Medaille des Militär-Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstordens for NCOs and EMs.
  

In addition, Austria-Hungary had its Militär-Maria-Theresien-Orden for officers and the Goldene Tapferkeitsmedaille for NCOs and EMs (from September 1917, officers could also receive this, with a special ribbon device).

Of these, the Bavarian MMJO and Austrian MMTO had an extra level of prestige, in that they conferred a life patent of nobility on the recipient with the title of "Ritter von". "Ritter von" also existed as a hereditary title in Austrian lands, and was also a title Bavaria conferred on recipients of the Verdienstorden der Bayerischen Krone, so not every "Ritter von" was a Max Joseph knight.

Regards,

Dave

[W McSwiggan]

Thanks for posting that information Dave - it was a very nice "round out" & I enjoyed reading it.

Given the sizes of the lesser states - these are the very prestigious and significant awards and worthy of comparison with the analogs of Prussia.

Nice to see it presented so well.

Wayne

Just to round this out, there were five German states which had a premier military order that was considered their highest military honor for officers. Each also had an associated decoration for enlisted men.

• Prussia: Orden Pour le Mérite for officers and the Militärverdienstkreuz for NCOs and enlisted men.
  
• Bavaria: Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden for officers and the Goldene Militär-Verdienstmedaille (renamed Tapferkeitsmedaille in 1918) for NCOs and EMs.
  
• Saxony: Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden for officers and the Goldene Militär-St. Heinrichs-Medaille for NCOs and EMs.
  
• Württemberg: Militärverdienstorden for officers and the Goldene Militärverdienstmedaille for NCOs and EMs (junior officers could also receive this medal).
  
• Baden: Militär-Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstorden for officers and the Verdienst-Medaille des Militär-Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstordens for NCOs and EMs.
  

In addition, Austria-Hungary had its Militär-Maria-Theresien-Orden for officers and the Goldene Tapferkeitsmedaille for NCOs and EMs (from September 1917, officers could also receive this, with a special ribbon device).

Of these, the Bavarian MMJO and Austrian MMTO had an extra level of prestige, in that they conferred a life patent of nobility on the recipient with the title of "Ritter von". "Ritter von" also existed as a hereditary title in Austrian lands, and was also a title Bavaria conferred on recipients of the Verdienstorden der Bayerischen Krone, so not every "Ritter von" was a Max Joseph knight.

Regards,

Dave

[jonv]

Tks fellas, very good information!