The Order of the Red Eagle () was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements. As with most German and other European orders, the Order of the Red Eagle could be awarded only to commissioned officers or civilians of approximately equivalent status. However, there was a medal of the order, which could be awarded to non-commissioned officers and enlisted men, lower ranking civil servants and other civilians.

History The predecessor to the Order of the Red Eagle was founded on 17 November 1705, by the Margrave Georg Wilhelm of Brandenburg-Bayreuth as the Ordre de la Sincérité. This soon fell into disuse but was revived in 1712 in Brandenburg-Bayreuth and again in 1734 in Brandenburg-Ansbach, where it first received the name of "Order of the Brandenburg Red Eagle". The statutes were changed in 1777 and the order named therein as the "Order of the Red Eagle". The order was conferred in one class, limited to fifty knights.

The Kingdom of Prussia absorbed both Brandenburg-Bayreuth and Brandenburg-Ansbach in January 1792, and on 12 June 1792, King Frederick William II again revived the order as a Prussian royal order. After the Order of the Black Eagle, the Order of the Red Eagle was the second highest order of the kingdom in order of precedence. Every Knight of the Black Eagle now automatically became a member of the contemporary highest class of the Order of the Red Eagle.

In 1810, King Frederick William III revised the statutes of the order, expanding it into three classes. In 1830, a breast star was authorized for the Second Class and the First Class General Honor Decoration became the Fourth Class of the order. The statutes were further revised in 1861, and a Grand Cross was established as the highest class of the order. By change to the statutes of the Order of the Black Eagle, every member of that order was automatically invested with the new Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle, as well as with the Order of the Prussian Crown. By 1918, an affiliated soldier's medal had been made available to commoners and enlisted men.

Following the Kaiser's abdication at the close of the First World War, a new German constitution was signed into law on 11 August 1919, effectively putting a legal end to the monarchy. All orders and decorations formally conferred by the monarchy ceased to exist, but recipients of the Order of the Red Eagle continued to wear it with their other decorations during the eras of the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and the restored republic.

Classes By the time of World War I, the order had evolved into four classes, two of them divided in two divisions each, and an affiliated medal: 1st Class Grand Cross – enameled Maltese cross badge worn on a collar (the Kette, or "chain") at ceremonial occasions or, at other formal occasions, on a sash on the right shoulder; plus a gilt, eight-pointed breast star worn on the left chest; typically awarded to male members of the royal family, to members of the Order of the Black Eagle, to noblemen, and to foreign royalty 1st Class – oversized, enameled cross pattée badge worn on a sash on the right shoulder, plus a silver, eight-pointed breast star on the left chest; available to general officers, high nobility, and heads of foreign state 2nd Class – enameled cross pattée badge worn on a neck ribbon, plus a silver, four-pointed breast star on the left chest; available to general officers and nobility 2nd Class with star 2nd Class 3rd Class – enameled cross pattée badge worn on a ribbon on the left chest; available to (usually no lower than) field grade officers and minor nobility 4th Class – non-enameled cross pattée badge worn on a ribbon on the left chest; available to company grade officers Medal – round gilt medal worn on a ribbon on the left chest; available to enlisted men

Within these seven grades, however, were a bewildering array of variations. Among these were: All classes but the Medal of the Red Eagle Order could be awarded with swords for distinction in wartime. The swords passed through the arms of the cross behind the center medallion. All classes above the 4th Class could be awarded with "Swords on Ring", indicating that the recipient of that class without swords had earlier received a lower class of the order with swords. A pair of crossed swords were worn above the cross on the suspension ring or above the medallion on the upper arm of the breast star. All classes could be awarded with or without crown as an added distinction. The Grand Cross, 1st and 2nd Class could be awarded with oak leaves, indicating prior receipt of the next lower class of the order, and/or with diamonds, as a special distinction. Royal family members (who were automatically awarded the Grand Cross of the Red Eagle Order, per statute of the Order of the Black Eagle) were awarded the Grand Cross "with crown." The Maltese cross badge was suspended from a miniature of the Prussian crown, which covered the usual suspension ring. The Grand Cross was awarded at least once with crossed marshals' batons, as was awarded to Paul von Hindenburg. The crossed batons were worn above the Maltese cross badge of the Grand Cross, on its suspension ring. The 3rd Class could be awarded with bow (Schleife), indicating prior receipt of the 4th Class. Knights of Saint John who received the Order of the Red Eagle and who had cared for sick and wounded soldiers in the Second Schleswig War and the Austro-Prussian War received the order with a miniature of the Maltese cross. For 50 years of service, a Red Eagle recipient received the "Jubilee Number" (Jubiläumszahl), a round medallion with the number "50" on it, affixed to the suspension ring or to the oak leaves or the ring of the bow, if applicable.

There were also a set of special versions, the Stars 1st through 4th Class, for non-Christians.

Insignia

The badge of the order for the Grand Cross was a gold (gilt after 1916) Maltese cross enameled in white, with red enameled eagles between the arms of the cross; the gold central disc bore the Royal monogram, surrounded by a blue enameled ring bearing the motto of the Order, Sincere et Constanter.

The badge for the 1st to 3rd classes was a gold (gilt after 1916) cross pattée, enameled in white; that for the 4th class was similar but with smooth, plain silver arms. After 1879 the silver arms of the 4th class cross were pebbled in texture and appearance. The central disc bore the red eagle on a white enamel background on the obverse, with the royal cipher of King Friedrich Wilhelm surmounted by the Prussian crown on the reverse. The enlisted man's medal was of a relatively simple, round design, topped with the Prussian crown, with a depiction of the regular badge in the center of the medal on the obverse, with the royal cipher of the reigning monarch on the reverse.

The breast star of the order was (for the Grand Cross) a golden eight-pointed star, (for 1st Class) a silver eight-pointed star, or (for 2nd Class) a silver four-pointed star with a white enameled cross pattée, all with straight rays. The central disc bore the red eagle on a white enamel background, surrounded by a ring (enameled blue for Grand Cross, white for the others) bearing the motto of the Order, Sincere et Constanter.

After September 16, 1848, awards of all classes (except the medal) bestowed for military merit had two golden swords crossed through the central medallion.

The traditional ribbon of the order was white with two orange stripes at the edges, but combat awards were frequently conferred with a black and white ribbon similar to that of the Iron Cross. Numerous variations of the ribbon existed, depending on the nature of the specific award.

Sovereigns (1705–1918)

Georg Wilhelm, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (11/16/1678 – 12/18/1726), Sovereign of the Ordre de la Sincerité, from November 17, 1705; and from 1712 to 12/18/1726. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (5/12/1712 – 8/3/1757), revived the Order as its Sovereign, 1734 – August 3, 1757, renamed the order as the Order of the Red Eagle (Roter Adlerorden) Karl Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth (2/24/1736 – 1/5/1806), Sovereign from August 3, 1757, to January 16, 1791, when the two territories were annexed by Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Prussia (9/25/1744 – 11/16/1797), revived the Order as its first Sovereign as a Prussian order, June 12, 1792 – 11/16/1797 Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia (8/3/1770 – 6/7/1840), Sovereign from 11/16/1797 – 6/7/1840; revised the statutes in 1810 to add 2nd and 3rd classes; added 2nd class breast star and a 4th class, 1830 Friedrich Wilhelm IV, King of Prussia (10/15/1795 – 1/2/1861), Sovereign from 6/7/1840 to 1/2/1861 Wilhelm I, King of Prussia and German Emperor (3/22/1797 – 3/9/1888), Sovereign from 1/2/1861 to 3/9/1888; revised the statutes to add the Grand Cross, 1861 Friedrich III, King of Prussia and German Emperor (10/18/1831 – 6/15/1888), Sovereign from January to June 1888 Wilhelm II, King of Prussia & German Emperor (1859–1941), invested 1/27/1869; Sovereign from June 15, 1888, to November 28, 1918.

Recipients

Grand Crosses Abbas II of Egypt Abdelaziz of Morocco Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1811–1873) Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884–1948) Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Albert I of Belgium Prince Albert of Prussia (1809–1872) Prince Albert of Saxe-Altenburg Prince Albert of Prussia (1837–1906) Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg Alexander Frederick, Landgrave of Hesse Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine Prince Alexander of Prussia Alexis, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo Aoki Shūzō Prince Arisugawa Takehito Prince Arisugawa Taruhito Arthur Arz von Straußenburg Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein Prince Axel of Denmark Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar Friedrich von Beck-Rzikowsky Felix von Bendemann Prince Oscar Bernadotte Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1792–1862) Hans Hartwig von Beseler Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust Otto von Bismarck Moritz von Bissing Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal Adolf von Bonin Julius von Bose Paul Bronsart von Schellendorff Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff Leo von Caprivi Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland Charles XIV John Charles XV Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Charles Egon III, Prince of Fürstenberg Prince Charles of Prussia Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Chlodwig, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld Christian IX of Denmark Karl Ludwig d'Elsa Porfirio Díaz Otto von Diederichs Edward VII Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar Hermann von Eichhorn Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia Otto von Emmich Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse Botho zu Eulenburg Max von Fabeck Maximilian Vogel von Falckenstein Ferdinand II of Portugal Hermann von François Eduard von Fransecky Franz Joseph I of Austria Frederik VIII of Denmark Frederik IX of Denmark Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick III, German Emperor Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern Walthère Frère-Orban Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828–1885) Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu Prince Fushimi Sadanaru Max von Gallwitz George II of Greece George V