Unidentified Abbreviation help - Order of St. Michael

[Mattyboy]

Hi,

If you were awarded the Grosskreuz of the Verdienstorden vom heiligen Michael, would the abbreviation for this be BMGKr?

Or were there two classes of the Grosskreuz (BMGKr1 and BMGKr2) ??

Thanks,

Matt.

[Dave Danner]

Like most Bavarian orders, the St. Michael went through various changes. By World War I, it had the following classes (with Prussian rank list abbreviations):

BM.G.Kr - Großkreuz

BM1 - 1.Klasse

BM2 - 2.Klasse (mit und ohne Stern)

BME - Ehrenkreuz

BM4 - 3.Klasse

BM4a - 4.Klasse mit der Krone

BM4b - 4.Klasse

BM5a - Verdienstkreuz

BM5b - silberne Verdienstmedaille

BM5c - bronzene Verdienstmedaille

This reflected changes made in 1910, which were the addition of the Ehrenkreuz and the crowns to the 4.Klasse and Verdienstkreuz. For some reason, the Prussian ranklist didn't include the Verdienstkreuz mit der Krone. The navy rank lists use the same abbreviations.

Bavarian rank lists and court and state handbooks use icons rather than abbreviations.

The last Deutscher Ordens-Almanach was published in 1909, so its abbreviations don't include the 1910 changes. It uses "BayMich" and calls the Großkreuz "BayMich1" and the 1.Klasse "BayMich1a". The Handbuch für das deutsche Reich uses the DOA abbreviations, with the added classes.

Other sources have different abbreviations as well. In the Handbuch über den preussischen Hof und Staat, which uses "BHM", the BHM1a is the Großkreuz and the BHM1 is the 1.Klasse. The Reichsheer ranklists also use "BHM", but there the Großkreuz is BHM.GK.

I myself am inconsistent, sometimes using BM, sometimes BHM. BHM is less likely to be confused with the Military Merit Order.

And then there are the Saxon rank lists and the court and state handbooks of the other states. ...

Regards,

Dave

[Mattyboy]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your detailed answer. I see that different states have different abbreviations for the same award, so if I were discussing a Bavarian officer should I be using the Bavarian abbreviations or converting them into the Prussian equivalent when discussing him on here?

Thanks,

Matt.

[Dave Danner]

For a Bavarian officer, the Bavarian abbreviations are little icons, so you really can't use them unless you want to do a lot of copying and pasting images.

Generally, the Prussian rank list abbreviations are the most commonly seen and used, with some additions and changes. A lot of these are for awards not in the rank list, like many enlisted awards, campaign and commemorative medals, and awards created during World War I. For the wartime awards, the abbreviations used in the Reichswehr ranklists tend to be the most commonly seen. Also sometimes those of the later navy rank lists.

And sometimes we jump back and forth, just to confuse people (including ourselves). One that has several different versions in common use is the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order. Sometimes it's SEH or SEHO for Saxe-Ernestine House Order. The Prussian rank lists use HSH for "Herzoglich Sächs. Hausorden". The Reichswehr rank lists use EH for "Ernestinischer Hausorden".

So, short answer, best to err on the side of the Prussian rank lists.

[Mattyboy]

Hi Dave,

I'll do that, thanks.