Patriotic Order of Merit

The Patriotic Order of Merit was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic. It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding contributions to the state and society in various areas of life.

Classes

Honor clasp, in Gold
Gold, 1st class
Silver, 2nd class
Bronze, 3rd class

The award

The official language for the award stipulated it was given "for outstanding merit":

"in the struggle of the German and international labor movement and in the fight against fascism,"
"in the establishment, consolidation and fortification of the German Democratic Republic,"
"in the fight to secure peace and advance the international influence of the German Democratic Republic".

The order was awarded in bronze, silver, gold and gold honor clasp . Each level was only awarded once and with the exception of the recipient of the honor clasp, all recipients received a sum of money.

Notable recipients

Vasily Chuikov, Marshal of the Soviet Union
Berta Daniel
Vinzent Porombka, 1955
Paula Hertwig, 1956
Jan Petersen, 1958
Klaus Köste, 1972
Katarina Witt, 1984 and 1988
Klaus Fuchs