The Prussian Decoration For the Merit , called Blauer max (" Max bleu"), military Décoration was highest German between 1740 and 1918.

This Récompense initially founded in 1740 was 1740 named in French the language of the royal Cour. Until 1810, it was an honor so much military which civil. In January of this year the king Frederic-Guillaume III of Prussia issued that it could not be any more allotted but to the personnel being useful under the Drapeau X.

In 1842 the King Frederic-Guillaume IV of Prussia founded a new branch for sciences and arts For the Merit für Wissenschaften und Künste with three sections Humanités, Natural science and Art S ends. One of the most famous Récipiendaire S was Käthe Kollwitz (it was déchue later by the Nazi S). In 1866 a new category: large cross was created.

It was the most prestigious German decoration of the First World War. In the Aviation, it agreed well with the individual glory of these Chevaliers of the sky whose Life expectancy was short. To the beginning it was granted for eight shot down planes and it was the ace max Immelmann the first, which been worth to him the nickname of max blue ( Blauer max ). The number of necessary victories increased up to twenty. The holders when they were in uniform were to carry the Insigne which is a blue Maltese cross with eagle S between the arms, and a engraved crown and the words gilded “For the Merit” on the Croix. The most famous member elects were Manfred von Richthofen, better known like the red Baron and Hermann Göring, which became one of the most important characters of the Third Reich. Generally allotted to generals in the Infantry, two Officier S subordinates accepted it: the Captain Erwin Rommel (young person récipendiaire) and the lieutenant Ernst Jünger.

The reward was abolished with the abdication of the Empereur Guillaume II the November 9th 1918, but was allotted until in 1933. In 1952 the president of the West Germany, Theodor Heuss, made reappear the branch for sciences and arts (however it is not an order of State like the Bundesverdienstkreuz).

Others

This decoration is the subject of film of 1966 the twilight of the eagles of John Guillermin (title original: The Blue max). A young pilot seeks there by all the means to obtain this supreme decoration.

External bonds

• official site

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