Order of St. Michael (Bavaria)
The Order of St. Michael was on September 29, 1693 by Joseph Clemens of Bavaria, at that time Archbishop of Cologne, founded Knights.
History
Unlike the Confraternity of St. Michael, founded at the same time he became only the needle open. Members should, through prayer and the sacraments, as well as financial services defend the Catholic faith under the protection of the Archangel. They were recorded in the annually updated Nouveau Calendrier, where each member was given its own page with emblem, engraving portrait and naming all the tracks.
Headquarters of the Rhenish branch of the St. Michael Order 1751-57 was the specially built Koblenz Gate in Bonn, domestic church, the late Romanesque chapel of St. Michael at the Godesburg in the Bonn district of Bad Godesberg. The Bavarian branch shared with the Fraternal Order of Munich Baroque Church of St. Michael in Berg am Laim district.
In the Rhineland, the Order was already with the secularization of Fürsterzbistums Cologne in 1803. By King Maximilian I Joseph of survival in 1808 regulated the effect after the secularization that the Order continues, but no one could be recorded without his consent it. On February 16, 1837 King Ludwig I declared the dissolution of the order.
At the same time the Neustiftung followed by the name of Merit of St. Michael. These were all people without distinction of rank, birth and religion, who was acquired by devotion, by patriotism and by excellent useful work of any kind, the particular satisfaction of the king are recorded.
Order of classes
The Order was originally founded in two classes:
- Grand Cross
- Knight
1808, an extension to the class of honor knight. After Neustiftung the Order consisted of three classes:
- Grand Cross
- Commander
- Knight
On June 24, 1855 followed by Maximilian II of Bavaria, the introduction of the Grand Commander and the division of the knight in Knight's Crosses First and Second Class. 1887 received the Order then a complete redistricting:
- Grand Cross
- First Class
- II class with star
- Second Class
- III. class
- IV class with crown
- Order of Merit
- Silver Medal of Merit
1894 came the Bronze Medal of Merit added and in 1910 nor the Cross of Honor, the division of the IV class with and without crown and the Foundation of the Order of Merit with Crown. By the end of the monarchy, on November 7, 1918 and the proclamation of the State of Bavaria, the Order was awarded as follows:
- Grand Cross
- First Class
- II class with star
- Second Class
- Cross of Honor
- III. class
- IV class with crown
- Cross of Merit with Crown
- Order of Merit
- Silver Medal of Merit
- Bronze Medal of Merit
Order decoration
The religious character is a dark blue, goldgerändertes cross, which is surmounted by the royal crown, killing with an oval medallion on the front, the St. Michael, the dragon shows. In the round medallion on the back can be the word VIRTUTI. On the cross ends the letter P ( Principi ) F ( Fidelis ) F ( Favere ) P ( Patriae ).
The ribbon is dark blue with pink stripes board.
Award numbers
From the Matrikellisten and from the court and state manuals for the Kingdom of Bavaria, the following award numbers can be determined. From 1910 to ceremonies were no longer published to foreign recipients, so it must be clear deviations from the imported at this time religious classes. These are likely 20-30 % higher than indicated below.