Order of the Black Eagle

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Order of the Black Eagle (Schwarzer-Adler-Orden)

Awarded by the Kingdom of Prussia
Type Chivalric order
Eligibility Members of ruling houses, senior civil and military officials and other worthy figures appointed by the King of Prussia.
Awarded for Civil or military merit
Status Obsolete
Description Badge of the order worn from a sash over the right shoulder or from a chain around the neck; breast star worn on the lower left chest.
Statistics
Established January 17, 1701
First awarded 1701
Last awarded 1918
Total awarded 407[1]
Precedence
Next (higher) None
Same None
Next (lower) Order of the Red Eagle

The Order of the Black Eagle (German: Schwarzer-Adler-Orden) was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on January 17, 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg (who became Friedrich I, King in Prussia the following day). The order became obsolete with the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last Prussian king, in 1918.

The statutes of the order were published on January 18, 1701 and revised in 1847. Membership in the Order of the Black Eagle was limited to a small number of knights, and was divided into two classes: members of reigning house (further divided into members of the House of Hohenzollern and members of other houses, both German and foreign) and capitular knights. Before 1847, membership was limited to nobles, but after that date, capitular knights who were not nobles were raised to the nobility (Adelstand).[2] Capitular knights were generally high-ranking government officials or military officers.

The Order of the Black Eagle had only one class, but could also be awarded at the king's prerogative "with the Chain" ("mit der Kette") or without ("ohne Kette"). By statute, members of the order also held the Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle, and wore the badge of that order from a ribbon around the neck. From 1862, members of the Prussian royal house, upon award of the Order of the Black Eagle, also received the Prussian Crown Order 1st Class.[3]

Contents

The badge of the order was a gold Maltese cross, enamelled in blue, with gold-crowned black eagles between the arms of the cross. The gold center medallion bore the royal monogram of Friedrich I ("FR" for Fredericus Rex).

The badge was worn from either a sash ribbon or chain. The ribbon of the order was an orange moiré sash worn from the left shoulder to the right hip, with the badge resting on the hip. The chain (Kette) of the order was worn around the neck, with the badge suspended from it. It featured 24 interlocking links, alternating a black eagle and a device featuring a center medallion with the motto Suum Cuique (literally "To each his own," but idiomatically "To each according to his merits."), a series of FRs forming a cross pattern, a blue enameled ring around this, and crowns at each cross point.

The star of the order was a silver eight-pointed star, with straight or faceted rays depending on the jeweller's design. The center medallion featured a black eagle on a golden background, surrounded by a white enamelled ring bearing a wreath of laurels and the motto of the order, Suum Cuique. The eagle gripped a wreath of laurels in its right claw and a thunderbolt in its left.

At meetings of the chapter of the Order of the Black Eagle, a red velvet cape with blue lining was worn, featuring an embroidered star of the order on the left shoulder.[4]

Afred Graf von Schlieffen wearing the cape of the order and the badge of the order worn from the chain
Afred Graf von Schlieffen wearing the cape of the order and the badge of the order worn from the chain
Then-Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (later Friedrich III), wearing the orange sash of the Order of the Black Eagle over his left shoulder.
Then-Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (later Friedrich III), wearing the orange sash of the Order of the Black Eagle over his left shoulder.

From its founding in 1701 to 1918, the Order of the Black Eagle was awarded 407 times, with 57 of these during the reign of Friedrich I (1701-1713).[5][6] In 1918, the order had the following numbers of members: 14 members of the Prussian royal house, 1 member of the Princely House of Hohenzollern, 49 members of other reigning houses (including 9 from states then at war with Germany), and 54 domestic members (of which 17 had not yet been fully inducted into the order).[7]

Members of the Prussian royal house:

Members of other reigning houses:

Other civil and military figures:

  • Robert Werlich, Orders and Decorations of all Nations (Quaker Press, 2nd edition 1974).
  • Handbuch über den Königlich Preußischen Hof und Staat für das Jahr 1918, (Berlin 1918) (herein "1918 Prussian State Handbook")
  • Preußische Orden (herein Preußische Orden)

  1. ^ Preußische Orden
  2. ^ Werlich, Orders and Decorations, 182
  3. ^ 1918 Prussian State Handbook, 38.
  4. ^ 1918 Prussian State Handbook, 38.
  5. ^ Preußische Orden
  6. ^ It is unclear whether this number only covers capitular knights, or also includes members of reigning houses
  7. ^ 1918 Prussian State Handbook, 38-41.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Black_Eagle"
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