Orders, decorations, and medals of the German Empire covers those decorations awarded by the states which came together under Prussian leadership to form the German Empire in 1871. For convenience's sake, this category also covers the decorations of the various German states which were no longer in existence in 1871, mainly because they had been annexed by Prussia during the Wars of Unification or before.
The German Empire consisted of 25 states: four kingdoms, six grand duchies, five duchies, seven principalities and three Hanseatic cities. In addition, the house order of the Hohenzollern principalities, although the states themselves had been annexed by Prussia, continued to be awarded in the imperial era. Each state awarded decorations for civil or military merit. The following is a list of the principal civil and military decorations of each state.
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Military and war decorations
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Civil Merit Medal
- Ludwig Medal for Science and Art
- Ludwig Medal for Industry
- Prince Regent Luitpold Medal
- Military and war decorations
- Golden and Silver Military Merit Medals
- Military Medical Decoration
- Merit Cross for Volunteer Medical Personnel
- Jubilee Medal for the Bavarian Army
- King Ludwig Cross
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Honor Cross and Honor Cross with Crowns (also a military decoration with swords)
- Lifesaving Medal
- Medal "Virtuti et Ingenio"
- Medal "Bene Merentibus
- Military and war decorations
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Merit Medal
- Merit Cross
- Gold Medal for Art and Science
- Lifesaving Medal
- Military and war decorations
- Golden Military Merit Medal
- Silver Military Merit Medal
- Merit Cross with Swords
- Wilhelm Cross
- Charlotte Cross
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Merit Medal
- 1902 Jubilee Medal
- Friedrich-Luisen Medal
- 1906 Commemorative Medal
- Lifesaving Medals
- Medals for Art and Science
- Military and war decorations
- Merit Medal on the ribbon of the Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order
- Field Service Decoration
- Commemorative Cross for Volunteer Medical Personnel 1870-71
- Cross for Volunteer War Aid
- War Merit Cross
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Military and war decorations
- Military Merit Cross 1870/71
- General Honor Decoration for Bravery or for War Merit
- Warrior Honor Decoration in Iron
- Military Medical Cross, 1870/71 and 1914
- War Honor Decoration
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Merit Medal
- Friedrich Franz Medal
- Medal "For Arts and Sciences"
- Military and war decorations
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Military and war decorations
- Cross for Distinction in War
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Civil Merit Medal
- Medal for Merit in the Arts
- Military and war decorations
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Merit Medal (to 1902)
- General Honor Decoration (from 1902)
- Lifesaving Medal
- Military and war decorations
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Military and war decorations
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Military and war decorations
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Decoration of Honour of the Saxe-Ernestine (Decoration of three grades for women)
- Medal for Art and Science (each duchy had its own version)
- Lifesaving Medal (each duchy had its own version)
- Duke Carl Eduard Medal (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha)
- Military and war decorations
- Orders
- House Order of the Honour Cross (Lippe)
- Order of Leopold
- Lippish Rose Order for Art and Science
- Civil decorations
- Merit Medal
- Lifesaving Medal
- Military and war decorations
- War Honor Cross for Heroic Deeds
- War Merit Cross
- Military Merit Medal
- War Honor Medal
- Orders
- House Order of the Honour Cross (Lippe)
- Order for Art and Science
- Civil decorations
- Merit Medal
- Lifesaving Medal
- Military and war decorations
- Military Merit Medal
- Cross for Loyal Service
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Merit Cross
- Merit Medal
- Lifesaving Medal
- Military and war decorations
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Merit Medals for Art and Science, Trade and Industry, and Agriculture
- Military and war decorations
- Gold Medal for Merit in War[1]
- Silver Medal for Merit in War
- Bronze Medal for Merit in War
- Medal for Faithful Labour[2]
- Medal for rescue from danger[3]
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Medal for Art and Science
- Military and war decorations
- Friedrich-Bathildis Medal
The largest state to be annexed by Prussia was the Kingdom of Hanover. Other states which had ceased to exist by 1871 include the Duchy of Nassau, the electoral principality of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), the free city of Frankfurt, and several smaller states. The following is a list of the principal civil and military decorations of these states.
- Kingdom of Hanover
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Merit Medal
- General Honor Decoration for Civil Merit
- Golden Honor Medal for Art and Science
- Military and war decorations
- General Honor Decoration for Civil Merit
- Langensalza Medal
- Waterloo Medal
- Electoral Principality of Hesse-Kassel
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Civil Merit Cross and Civil Merit Medal
- Duchy of Nassau
- Orders
- Civil decorations
- Civil Merit Medal
- Medal for Art and Science
- Military and war decorations
German decorations of the First World War were those medals, ribbons, and other decorations bestowed upon German soldiers, sailors, pilots and also for civilians, during the First World War. These special awards were awarded by both Imperial Germany and various German Kingdoms and other states and city-states of the Reich.
During the Second World War, First World War decorations were commonly displayed on Nazi Party uniforms of the period with such awards intermixed with the more recent awards and decorations of Nazi Germany.
Imperial German badges
Non-portable awards included the "Honor Goblet for Victors in the Air" and the "National Motor and Air Travel Commendation".[4]
- Medals and decorations of Hitler's Germany (Robin Lumsden)