Royal Bavarian Order of Merit of St. Michael E, Edward Ebrite

ROYAL BAVARIAN ORDER OF MERIT OF ST. MICHAEL E, EDWARD EBRITE

Some years ago the author acquired an old legal-sized folder con- taining the papers and documents covering the long career of a German infantry officer serving from the 1890’s through the end of World War I and then again during the early part of World War II. Among the ten decorations received by him during those many years of active military service was the K6niglichen Verdienst-Orden vom heiligen Michael IV Klasse (Royal Order of Merit of St. Mi- chael IV Class) awarded by the Kingdom of Bavaria on 17 November 1910. Included in the folder, along with the citation for the award itself (Figure I), was a copy of the Statutes pertaining to the Order at that time. The Royal Bavarian Order of St. Michael was originally instituted in 1693, by the Elector Josef Clement, as an award for Catholics. After falling into disuse near the beginning of the 19th century, it was revived in 1857 by King Ludwig I of Bavaria, as a merit order in three classes to honor devotion to the crown by both Bavarians and foreigners. The Order underwent various further statutory changes in 1855, 1887, 1894,. and finally in 1910. The copy of the printed Statutes accompanying this particular award is dated 16 December 1887 / 20 April 1894 and includes the amplifying decree of 22 February 1910. These Statutes (Figure If) are translated as follows:

STATUTES of the Royal Order of Merit of St. Michael from 16 December 1887/20 April 1894 + Art. I. The Order of Merit of St. Michael consists henceforth of four classes. Art. II. The First Class of the Order of St. Michael is subdivided into two divisions, of which the first bears the designation Grand Cross. Art. III. The Second Class is likewise subdivided into two divisions: With and Without Star.

16 Art. IV.

The Order badge of the first three classes consists of a golden, azure-blue enameled cross with eight wide points, surmounted by a king’s crown. In the middle of the obverse, prominently por- trayed in gold, is St. Michael in martial armor with the motto QUIS UT D~US on his shield; on the reverse appears the word VIRTUTI. Art. V.

On the Order badge for the two divisions of the Second Class the figure of St. Michael is surrounded on all sides with golden rays and the four arms of the cross bear the gold letters P.F.F.P. de- noting PRINCIPI FIDELIS FAV~RE PATRIAE. Art. VI.

The Order badge for the Fourth Class is the same as for the Third, with the exception that it is of silver, as are the crown and the~ figure of St. Michael.

Art. VII.

The ribbon of the Order is dark blue for two-thirds of the width and one-third rose colored, with the latter color divided equally on the two outside edges. The Grand Cross alone is worn on a ribbon which is rose colored for two-thirds of the width, and one-third dark blue, with the dark blue on both outside edges in equal proportions. Art. VIII.

The holder of the Grand Cress wears the Order badge on a four finger wide ribbon (Article VII, paragraph 2) from the left shoul- der downward to the right side; the holder of the second division of the First Class wears a somewhat smaller Order badge on the same width ribbon (Article VII, paragraph i) in a similar manner.

The holders of both divisions of the First Class also wear on the right breast a silver star with rays, on which appears the Cross of the Order with the motto QUIS UT DEUS, but which for the second division of the First Class is slightly smaller than that for the Grand Cross division. Art. IX.

The holder of the Second Class wears a smaller Cross of the Order than that of the First Class on a narrower ribbon, suspended a- round the neck and hanging on the breast, and those who receive the first division of this Class also wear on the right breast a silver star with the motto QUIS UT DEUS in gold on a blue enameled center bordered by gold. Art. X.

The holder of the Third and hereafter the Fourth Class wears at- tached to the frock an even smaller Order badge than that of the preceeding Class on a still narrower ribbon, but the same width for both classes.

17 Art. XI.

A Knight of the Order of St. Hubert, to whom the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael has been awarded, denotes the latter by wearing only the Order badge of the Fourth Class. Bavarian holders of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael, who at the same time are holders of the Grand Cross of the Bavar- ian Crown, wear with the insignia of that latter order only the Grand Cross Star and the Fourth Class Order badge of the Order of St. Michael. In instances of the award of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bavarian Crown to a Bavarian holder of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael, the self same awarded Order Cross of the latter Order will be withdrawn in exchange for the returned Fourth Class. Art. XII. The award of a higher grade of the Order of St. Michael to Bavar- ians is as a rule restricted to the holders of the next lower grade of that Order. Art. XIII. The grades of the Order of St. Michael take precedence with those of the Order of the Bavarian Crown in the following way: Grand Cross of the Crownorder Grand Cross of the Michaelorder 3. I. Class of the Michaelorder 4. Grand Commander’s Cross of the Crownord@r S. II. Class with Star of the Michaelorder 6. Commander’s Cross of the Crownorder 7. If. Class of the Michaelorder 8. Knight’s Cross of the Crownorder 9. III. Class of the Michaelorder I0. IV. Class of the Michaelorder Art. XlV. All those who prior to this date have been awarded the Order of St. Michael will in the future wear the original Order badge of previous grade designations in accordance with former statutes. Nevertheless, the provisions of Art. XI take effect for former holders of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael. Bavarians who have been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michae! under previous statutes must, in the future, and to the extent it is not inconsistent with Art. XII, wear the Order badge on the ribbon prescribed in Art. VII, paragraph 2. Current non-Bavarian holders of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael are permitted in the future to wear either the former- ly prescribed ribbon of the Order or that prescribed in Art. VII, paragraph 2, according to their own choice. Art. XV. A Merit Cross and Silver and Bronze Medals are made a part of the Order of St. Michael.