Pour le Mérite


The Pour le Mérite, also informally known as the Blue Max after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Alongside the extinct Order of the Black Eagle, Order of the Red Eagle, and the House Order of Hohenzollern, the award was one of the Kingdom of Prussia's most significant, with the Pour le Mérite itself being the highest order of bravery for officers of all ranks, and the highest recognition of civilian accomplishment awarded by the Prussian Crown.
Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the Pour le Mérite was awarded as both a military and civil honour. While the military class has been extinct since the abolition of the German Monarchy, the civil honour continues to be awarded by the German state at the oversight of the Minister of State for Culture and discretion of the Federal President. The Pour le Mérite was awarded as a recognition of extraordinary personal achievement, rather than as a general marker of social status or a courtesy-honour, although certain restrictions of social class and military rank were applied. The order was secular, and membership endured for the remaining lifetime of the recipient, unless renounced or revoked.
New awards of the military class ceased with the end of the Prussian monarchy in November 1918. German author Ernst Jünger, who died in 1998, was the last living recipient of the military class award.
A civil class for merits in sciences, humanities, and arts was established in 1842 by King Frederick William IV. The civil class was revived as an independent organization in 1923. Instead of the King of Prussia, the President of Germany acted as head of the order. After the Second World War, the civil class was re-established in 1952. It is [|this manifestation] of the Pour le Mérite that remains active. The Pour le Mérite is an order into which a person is admitted, like the United Kingdom's Order of the British Empire, and is not simply a medal or state decoration.

Military class

The Pour le Mérite was founded in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. It was named in French, which was the leading international language and the favoured language at Frederick's court. The French name was retained, despite the rising tide of nationalism and increasing hostility between the French and Germans during the 19th century, and indeed many of its recipients were honoured for acts performed in wars against France. The insignia of the military award was a blue-enameled Maltese Cross with golden eagles between the arms and the Prussian royal cypher and the words Pour le Mérite written in gold letters on the body of the cross. The ribbon was black with edge stripes of silver-white. The order consisted of only one class, both civil and military, until 1810. Only a few civilians were honored: Pierre Louis Maupertuis, Francesco Algarotti and Voltaire.
In January 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars, King Frederick William III decreed that the award could be presented only to actively-serving military officers.

Higher Grades

Oak Leaves

In March 1813, the King added an additional distinction, a spray of gilt oak leaves attached above the cross. Award of the oak leaves originally indicated extraordinary achievement in battle, and was usually reserved for high-ranking officers.
The original regulations called for the capture or successful defence of a fortification, or victory in a battle. By World War I, the oak leaves often indicated a second or higher award of the Pour le Mérite, though in most cases the recipients were still high-ranking officers.
In early 1918, it was proposed to award the oak leaves to Germany's top flying ace, Manfred von Richthofen, but he was deemed ineligible under a strict reading of the regulations. Instead of the oak leaves Prussia awarded von Richthofen a slightly less prestigious honor, the Order of the Red Eagle, 3rd Class with Crown and Swords. This was still a high honour, as the 3rd Class was normally awarded to colonels and lieutenant colonels and as a captain he would usually have received the 4th Class. The 3rd Class with Crown and Swords awarded to Von Richtofen was one of only two that were awarded during the entire course of World War I.

Crown

In 1844, another mark of distinction was established: a crown above the cross. A total of 147 awards are documented. Rather than being for additional merit, the crown was a 50 year jubilee recognition.

Grand Cross

In 1866, a special military Grand Cross class of the award was established. This grade of the award was given to those who, through their actions, caused the retreat or destruction of an army. As a result, the Grand Cross would be the highest class of the highest distinction awarded by the Prussian Crown.
The Grand Cross adds a portrait of Frederick the Great to the center of the cross, and also adds a crown to the head of each eagle between the arms of the cross. Furthermore, the Grand Cross came with a breast star to be worn in addition to the Grand Cross itself.
Grand Cross with Oak Leaves

The Grand Cross could, like the regular grade of the Pour le Mérite, be enhanced with its own set of oak leaves. The accompanying breast star would then also have a set of oak leaves added to it.
There were only five recipients of the Grand Cross of the Pour le Mérite.
RecipientPour le MériteOak LeavesGrand Gross... with Oak Leaves
Wilhelm I, King of Prussia 27 July 18494 August 186611 November 1866not awarded
Frederick William, Crown Prince of Prussia 29 June 18663 August 186620 September 18662 September 1873
Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia16 September 184827 February 186420 September 18662 September 1873
Alexander II, Emperor of Russia8 December 18698 December 187124 April 1878not awarded
Helmuth von Moltke 29 November 183917 February 18718 March 187929 November 1899*

  • this date being the 60th anniversary of his having won the Pour le Mérite, von Moltke was also granted the Crown, along with -- in a unique distinction for this award -- Diamonds.

    World War I prominence

The Pour le Mérite gained international fame during World War I. Although it could be awarded to any military officer, its most famous recipients were the pilots of the German Army Air Service, whose exploits were celebrated in wartime propaganda. In aerial warfare, a fighter pilot was initially entitled to the award upon downing eight enemy aircraft. Aces Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke were the first airmen to receive the award, on 12 January 1916. It was awarded to Germany's highest-scoring ace, Manfred von Richthofen, in January 1917.
The number of aerial victories necessary to receive the award continued to increase during the war; by early 1917, it generally required destroying 16–20 enemy airplanes, and by war's end the approximate figure was 30. However, other aviation recipients included zeppelin commanders, bomber and observation aircrews, and at least one balloon observer.
Recipients of the "Blue Max", a nickname of the order, were required to wear the award whenever in uniform. Although many of its famous recipients were junior officers, especially pilots, more than a third of all awards in World War I went to generals and admirals. Senior officer awards tended to be more for outstanding leadership in combat than for individual acts of bravery.
Junior officers accounted for only about a fourth of all awards. Several famous U-boat commanders, including Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, Walther Schwieger Otto Hersing and Otto Weddigen, received the Pour le Mérite.
The Pour le Mérite became extinct as a result of Kaiser Wilhelm II's abdication as king of Prussia and German Emperor on 9 November 1918. This marked the end of the Prussian monarchy and it was never awarded thereafter; however the honour continued to be recognized for, and worn by, previous recipients.

Notable recipients of the military class

1740 to 1871