Pour le Mérite - Revision history

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	==References==		==References==
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[[Image:PlM-Blu--Mx-c.jpg|thumb|400px|Pour le Mérite - ''The Blue Max'']]

The '''''Pour le Mérite''''' (''for the merit''), known informally as the '''Blue Max''' ({{lang-de|Blauer Max}}, after Max Immelmann, who was the first pilot of the ''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]'' to receive this award), was the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]'s highest [[Order (decoration)|order of merit]]. It was awarded strictly as a recognition of extraordinary personal achievement, rather than as a general marker of social status or a courtesy-honour, although certain restrictions of social class and military rank were applied. The award was given as both a military (1740-1918) and civil (1740-1810, after 1842 as a separate class) honour.
==History==
[[File:Pour le Merite, one of the very first crosses.jpg|thumb|300px|One of the very first crosses, around 1740]]
The award was founded in 1740 by [[Frederick the Great]] ({{lang-de|Friedrich der Große}}); it was intended primarily as a military honour, but was also sometimes given for civil accomplishments. New awards of the military class ceased with the end of the German monarchy in November 1918.

A separate civil class of the ''Pour le Mérite'', the '''''Pour le mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste''''', was created in 1842 to honour accomplishments in the arts and sciences. This version of the order was revived as an independent organization in 1923, and again in 1952, with the President of [[Germany]] replacing the King of Prussia as head of the order. This version of the honour is still active.

The order is effectively secular, and membership endures for the remaining lifetime of the inductee, unless renounced or revoked.

==Notable recipients of the military order (small selection)==
[[File:Orden Pour le Mérite, Stern zum Großkreuz mit Eichenlaub (Kronprinz Friedrich Wilhelm).jpg|thumb|300px|Breast star to the rare Grand Cross of the Blue Max]]
[[File:Paul von Hindenburg 1.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Generalfeldmarschall]] [[Paul von Hindenburg]] is wearing the ''Grand Cross of the [[Iron Cross]]'', the [[Military Order of Max Joseph]] and the Pour le Mérite among other orders of merit.]]
[[File:Fallen Pour le Mérite Knights of the Fliegertruppe.jpg|thumb|300px|Fallen Pour le Mérite [[Knights]] of the [[Fliegertruppe]]]]
===German Kingdom of Prussia===
[[File:General der Infanterie a. D. Dr. phil. Hermann von Kuhl.jpg|thumb|300px|General der Infanterie a. D. Dr. phil. Hermann von Kuhl with both classes]]
[[File:Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (Prussia 1850), Tallinn Museum of Orders.jpg|thumb|300px|Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (Prussia 1850), Tallinn Museum of Orders]]
* [[Peter III of Russia]], who received the ''Pour le Mérite'' in 1762 when he withdrew Russia from the [[Seven Years' War]] and made peace with Prussia.
* [[Alexander Suvorov]], Russian [[generalissimo]]
* [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher|Gebhard von Blücher]], Napoleonic-era Prussian [[Generalfeldmarschall]] who led Prussian forces at the [[Battle of Waterloo]]
* [[Hermann von Boyen]], Napoleonic-era Prussian general and Minister of War; simultaneously received the ''Pour le Mérite'' and the Oakleaves.
* [[August von Gneisenau]], Napoleonic-era Prussian general (later [[Generalfeldmarschall]]); first decorated in 1807, received the oak leaves in 1814.
* [[Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow]], Napoleonic-era Prussian general; also received the oak leaves.
* [[Karl von Grolman|Karl Wilhelm Georg von Grolman]], Napoleonic-era Prussian general; also received the oak leaves.
* [[Gerhard von Scharnhorst]], Napoleonic-era Prussian general.
* [[Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg|Ludwig Graf Yorck von Wartenburg]], Napoleonic-era Prussian general (later [[Generalfeldmarschall]]); also received the oak leaves.
* [[Christian Leopold von Buch]], a German [[geologist]] and [[paleontologist]].
* [[Helmuth von Moltke the Elder|Helmuth Graf von Moltke]], known as "Moltke the Elder"; first decorated in 1839 as a junior officer; he received the oak leaves in 1871 and the Grand Cross in March 1879. Also inducted into the civil class of the order in 1874.
* [[Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal]], Prussian general (later [[Generalfeldmarschall]]) decorated with the ''Pour le Mérite'' in the 1864 [[Second War of Schleswig|German-Danish War]] and the Oakleaves in the 1866 [[Austro-Prussian War]].
* [[Ernst von Pfuel]], [[Prussian Army|Prussian]] [[general]] and [[Prime Minister of Prussia]].

===German Empire===
* [[Otto von Bismarck]], Prussian and German chancellor during the unification period; decorated in 1884 with the ''Pour le Mérite'' with oak leaves.
* [[Leo von Caprivi]], Prussian general, decorated in 1871 for merit in the Franco-Prussian War.

===World War I (''[[Fliegertruppe]]'')===
* [[Kurt Wintgens]] ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Wintgens,_Kurt de]), the first military aviator to ever down an enemy aircraft with a synchronized machine gun (July 1915), earned his medal in July 1916 with as many as 22 total victories ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Feindflug_(Luftwaffe)#Luftsieg ''Luftsiege'']). Wintgens was {{KIA}} on 25 September 1916.
* [[Hermann Göring]], decorated as an ace pilot in June 1918, later ''[[Reichsmarschall]]'', head of the [[Luftwaffe]], and [[Third Reich]] second in command.
* [[Manfred von Richthofen]], better known as the "Red Baron," the top-scoring flying ace ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Flieger-As ''Flieger-As'']) of [[World War I]].
* [[Lothar von Richthofen]], his brother.
* [[Ernst Udet]], second-highest-scoring German [[flying ace|ace]] of [[World War I]].
* [[Werner Voss]], fourth-highest-scoring German [[flying ace|ace]] of [[World War I]].
* [[Josef Jacobs]], German flying ace with 48 victories.His total tied him with Werner Voss. [[flying ace|ace]] of [[World War I]].
* [[Bruno Loerzer]], German flying ace with 44 victories.
* [[Gotthard Sachsenberg]], German flying ace with 31 victories.
* [[Heinrich Kroll]], German flying ace with 33 victories.
* [[Max Immelmann]], with [[Oswald Boelcke]], one of the first aviator recipients.
* [[Oswald Boelcke]], with [[Max Immelmann]], among the first aviator recipients.
* [[Rudolf Berthold]], high-ranking German ace, shot to death by German [[communists]] in 1920.
* [[Robert Ritter von Greim]], World War I ace and World War II [[Generalfeldmarschall]].
* [[Eduard Ritter von Schleich]], better known as the "Black Knight", destroyed 35 enemy aircraft.
* [[Carl Menckhoff]], fighter ace, with 39 confirmed victories.
* [[Ernst von Hoeppner]], Commanding General of the Air Service.
* [[Theo Osterkamp]] ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Osterkamp,_Theodor de]), naval aviator and World War I ace; also scored six victories in World War II and became a ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' general.

===World War I (army)===

* [[Erwin Rommel]], decorated as an ''Oberleutnant'' in December 1917, later a [[Generalfeldmarschall]] and commander of the [[Afrika Korps|German Afrika Korps]] in World War II.
* [[Paul von Hindenburg]], German [[Generalfeldmarschall]] and later President of Germany; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in September 1914 and the oak leaves in February 1915.
* [[Erich Ludendorff]], German general of World War I; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in August 1914, one of the earliest World War I awards, for the siege of [[Siege of Liège|Liege]], Belgium; received the oak leaves in February 1915.
* [[Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria]], German [[Generalfeldmarschall]]; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in August 1915 and the oak leaves in December 1916.
* [[Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg]], German [[Generalfeldmarschall]]; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in August 1915 and the oak leaves in February 1918.
* [[Werner von Blomberg]], decorated as a major in June 1918.
* [[Fedor von Bock]], decorated as a major in April 1918.
* [[Erich von Falkenhayn]], Chief of the German General Staff from 1914 to 1916; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in February 1915 and the oak leaves in June 1915.
* [[Oskar von Hutier]], German general awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in September 1917 and the oak leaves in March 1918.
* [[Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck]], who led German forces in the guerilla campaign in German East Africa.
* [[Otto Liman von Sanders]], German general who served as adviser and commander of Ottoman forces in [[World War I]]; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' and the oak leaves simultaneously in January 1916 for his role in the [[Battle of Gallipoli]].
* [[Fritz von Lossberg|Friedrich "Fritz" Karl von Lossberg]], World War I master-strategist; expert in the [[Defence in depth]]. Awarded 21 September 1916 (Somme); oak leaves on 24 April 1917 (Arras).
* [[August von Mackensen]], German general (later [[Generalfeldmarschall]]) of World War I; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in November 1914 and the oak leaves in June 1915.
* [[Helmuth von Moltke the Younger|Helmuth Johann Ludwig von Moltke]], Chief of the German General Staff at the outbreak of World War I. Nephew of Moltke the Elder.
* [[Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein]], German officer in the Near East campaigns of World War I.
* [[Max Hoffmann]], German staff officer; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in October 1916 and the oak leaves in July 1917.
* [[Hans von Seeckt]], German staff officer in World War I; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in May 1915 and the oak leaves in November 1915.
* [[Ernst Jünger]], Army Lieutenant and later novelist, the last living holder of the ''Pour le Mérite'' at the time of his death in 1998.
* [[Ferdinand Schörner]], decorated as a ''Leutnant'' in December 1917, later a [[Generalfeldmarschall]] in [[World War II]].

===World War I (navy)===
* [[Alfred von Tirpitz]], German [[Grand Admiral]], decorated in August 1915.
* Reinhard Scheer ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Scheer,_Reinhard de]), German admiral and commander of German naval forces in the [[Battle of Jutland]].
* Franz von Hipper ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Hipper,_Franz_von de]), German admiral.
* [[Nikolaus Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna-Schlodien]], German [[auxiliary cruiser]] commander; one of only two junior officers to receive the highest military honors of the five main German states.
* [[Karl August Nerger]], German [[auxiliary cruiser]] commander; one of only two junior officers to receive the highest military honors of the five main German states.
* [[Karl von Müller|Karl Friedrich Max von Müller]], captain of the famous German commerce raider, the light cruiser {{SMS|Emden|1908|2}} during the first few months of World War I.
* [[Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière]], German U-boat commander during the First World War, awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in the autumn of 1916 for sinking 200,000 tonnes of Allied shipping.
* [[Walther Schwieger]], German U-boat commander who sank the British liner [[RMS Lusitania|RMS ''Lusitania'']].
* [[Otto Weddigen]], German [[U-boat]] commander of World War I.
* Friedrich Christiansen ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Christiansen,_Friedrich de]), decorated as Naval Pilot ''Oberleutnant'' on 11 December 1917.

===Recipients of both classes===
Only a small number (the number of recipients is normally given with three to five) of persons have received both the military and civil classes of the ''Pour le Mérite'':
* [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Moltke,_Helmuth_Karl_Bernhard_Graf_von Helmuth von Moltke the Elder], military class 1839, civil class 1874
* [[Otto von Bismarck]], military class 1884,<ref>{{cite book |last=Müller |first=Wilhelm |date=2013 |title=Politische Geschichte der Gegenwart: 18. Das Jahr 1884 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mmGpBgAAQBAJ |location=Heidelberg |publisher=Springer Verlag |page=93 |language=de |isbn=978-3-642-99180-6}}</ref> civil class 1896<ref>{{cite book |last=Orden Pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste |date=1978 |title=Die Mitglieder des Ordens 1882–1952 |url=http://www.orden-pourlemerite.de/plm/mgvita/bismarck1815_vita.pdf |location=Berlin |publisher=Gebr. Mann Verlag |page=116 |volume=2 |language=de |isbn=978-3-7861-1125-2}}</ref>
* [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Kuhl,_Hermann_von Hermann von Kuhl], military class 1916, civil class 1924<ref>Meier-Welcker, Hans (1982) (in German). "Kuhl, Hermann von ". In ''Neue Deutsche Biographie'' (NDB). 13. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 251 et seq.</ref>

==List of recipients of the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (small selection)==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Date of award !! Name !! Description !! Residence
|-
| 1860 || [[Louis Agassiz]] || Naturalist || New Cambridge near [[Boston]]
|-
| 1874 || [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Moltke,_Helmuth_Karl_Bernhard_Graf_von Helmuth von Moltke the Elder] || War researcher || Berlin
|-
| 1874 || [[Heinrich von Sybel]] || Historian || [[Bonn]]
|-
| 1874 || [[Thomas Carlyle]] || Historian || London
|-
| 1874 || [[Friedrich Max Müller]] || Orientalist || [[Oxford]]
|-
| 1887 || [[Heinrich von Treitschke]] || Historian || [[Berlin]]
|-
| 1887 || [[Giuseppe Verdi|Giuseppe Fortunio Francesco Verdi]] || Composer || Sant'Agata
|-
| 1896 || [[Otto von Bismarck]] || Statesman || Berlin
|-
| 1906 || [[Robert Koch]] || Bacteriologist || Berlin
|-
| 1910 || [[Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin]] || Aeronaut || [[Friedrichshafen]]
|-
| 1911 || [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Goltz,_Colmar_von_der Colmar Freiherr von der Goltz] || Military theorist || Berlin
|-
| ''November 1918'' || ''Ceased with the end of the Prussian monarchy'' || ||
|-
| ''1919–1922'' || ''No award made'' || ||
|-
| ''1923'' || ''Revived with the [[Reichspräsident]] as head of the order'' || ||
|-
| 1923 || [[Albert Einstein]] || Physicist || Berlin
|-
| ''1933'' || ''Absorbed into the state honours system of [[National Socialist Germany]]'' || ||
|-
| ''1933–1945'' ||  || ||
|-
| ''1946–1952'' || ''No award made'' || ||
|-
| ''1952'' || ''Revived with West German [[Bundespräsident]] [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Heuss,_Theodor Theodor Heuss] as head of the order'' || ||
|-
| 1955 || [[Thomas Mann]] || Writer || Kilchberg near [[Zürich]], [[Switzerland]]
|-
| 1957 || [[Werner Heisenberg]] || Physicist || [[Munich]]
|-
| 2000 || [[Imre Kertész]] || Writer || [[Budapest]]
|}

==See also==
*[[Luftstreitkräfte]]
*[[German Army (German Empire)]]
*''[[The Blue Max]]'', 1966 film

==External links==
* [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Ritter_des_Ordens_%E2%80%9EPour_le_M%C3%A9rite%E2%80%9C_mit_dem_Ritterkreuz_des_Eisernen_Kreuzes Knight of the Order "Pour le Mérite" with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (in German)]
* [https://www.orden-pourlemerite.de/mitglieder-2/1842--1843 Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (official German list)]
==Further reading==
* Gustaf Lehmann:
** [https://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/id/PPN13580860X?tify={%22panX%22:0.529,%22panY%22:0.887,%22view%22:%22info%22,%22zoom%22:0.502} ''Die Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite''], Erster Band 1740 bis 1811, Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1913
** [https://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/id/PPN135808618?tify={%22panX%22:0.39,%22panY%22:0.64,%22view%22:%22info%22,%22zoom%22:0.642} ''Die Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite''], Zweiter Band 1812 bis 1913, Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1913
=== Encyclopedias ===
*[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pour-le-Merite Encyclopedia Britannica: Pour le Mérite]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Orders, decorations, and medals of Germany]]
[[Category:Military awards and decorations of Germany]]
[[Category:German Army (German Empire)]]
[[Category:German history]]
[[Category:Prussian Army]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite| ]]
[[de:Pour le Mérite]]
[[es:Pour le Mérite]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:49, 7 March 2024
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	[[Image:PlM-Blu--Mx-c.jpg\|thumb\|400px\|Pour le Mérite - ''The Blue Max'']]		[[Image:PlM-Blu--Mx-c.jpg\|thumb\|400px\|Pour le Mérite - ''The Blue Max'']]

	The '''''Pour le Mérite''''' (''for the merit''), known informally as the '''Blue Max''' ({{lang-de\|Blauer Max}}, after Max Immelmann, who was the first pilot of the ''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]'' to receive this award), was the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]'s highest [[Order (decoration)\|order of merit]]. It was awarded strictly as a recognition of extraordinary personal achievement, rather than as a general marker of social status or a courtesy-honour, although certain restrictions of social class and military rank were applied. The award was given as both a military (1740-1918) and civil (1740-1810, after 1842 as a separate class) honour.		The '''''Pour le Mérite''''' (''for the [[merit]]''), known informally as the '''Blue Max''' ({{lang-de\|Blauer Max}}, after Max Immelmann, who was the first pilot of the ''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]'' to receive this award), was the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]'s highest [[Order (decoration)\|order of merit]]. It was awarded strictly as a recognition of extraordinary personal achievement, rather than as a general marker of [[social]] status or a courtesy-honour, although certain restrictions of social class and military rank were applied. The award was given as both a military (1740-1918) and civil (1740-1810, after 1842 as a separate class) honour.
	==History==		==History==
	[[File:Pour le Merite, one of the very first crosses.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|One of the very first crosses, around 1740]]		[[File:Pour le Merite, one of the very first crosses.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|One of the very first crosses, around 1740]]
	The award was founded in 1740 by [[Frederick the Great]] ({{lang-de\|Friedrich der Große}}); it was intended primarily as a military honour, but was also sometimes given for civil accomplishments. New awards of the military class ceased with the end of the German monarchy in November 1918.		The award was founded in 1740 by [[Frederick the Great]] ({{lang-de\|Friedrich der Große}}); it was intended primarily as a military honour, but was also sometimes given for civil accomplishments. New awards of the military class ceased with the end of the [[German]] [[monarchy]] in November 1918.

	A separate civil class of the ''Pour le Mérite'', the '''''Pour le mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste''''', was created in 1842 to honour accomplishments in the arts and sciences. This version of the order was revived as an independent organization in 1923, and again in 1952, with the President of [[Germany]] replacing the King of Prussia as head of the order. This version of the honour is still active.		A separate civil class of the ''Pour le Mérite'', the '''''Pour le mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste''''', was created in 1842 to honour accomplishments in the arts and sciences. This version of the order was revived as an independent organization in 1923, and again in 1952, with the President of [[Germany]] replacing the King of Prussia as head of the order. This version of the honour is still active.

	The order is effectively secular, and membership endures for the remaining lifetime of the inductee, unless renounced or revoked.		The order is effectively [[secular]], and membership endures for the remaining lifetime of the inductee, unless renounced or revoked.

	==Notable recipients of the military order (small selection)==		==Notable recipients of the military order (small selection)==
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	[[File:General der Infanterie a. D. Dr. phil. Hermann von Kuhl.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|General der Infanterie a. D. Dr. phil. Hermann von Kuhl with both classes]]		[[File:General der Infanterie a. D. Dr. phil. Hermann von Kuhl.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|General der Infanterie a. D. Dr. phil. Hermann von Kuhl with both classes]]
	[[File:Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (Prussia 1850), Tallinn Museum of Orders.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (Prussia 1850), Tallinn Museum of Orders]]		[[File:Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (Prussia 1850), Tallinn Museum of Orders.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (Prussia 1850), Tallinn Museum of Orders]]
	* [[Peter III of Russia]], who received the ''Pour le Mérite'' in 1762 when he withdrew Russia from the [[Seven Years' War]] and made peace with Prussia.		* [[Peter III of Russia]], who received the ''Pour le Mérite'' in 1762 when he withdrew Russia from the [[Seven Years' War]] and made [[peace]] with Prussia.
	* [[Alexander Suvorov]], Russian [[generalissimo]]		* [[Alexander Suvorov]], Russian [[generalissimo]]
	* [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher\|Gebhard von Blücher]], Napoleonic-era Prussian [[Generalfeldmarschall]] who led Prussian forces at the [[Battle of Waterloo]]		* [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher\|Gebhard von Blücher]], Napoleonic-era Prussian [[Generalfeldmarschall]] who led Prussian forces at the [[Battle of Waterloo]]
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	* [[Erwin Rommel]], decorated as an ''Oberleutnant'' in December 1917, later a [[Generalfeldmarschall]] and commander of the [[Afrika Korps\|German Afrika Korps]] in World War II.		* [[Erwin Rommel]], decorated as an ''Oberleutnant'' in December 1917, later a [[Generalfeldmarschall]] and commander of the [[Afrika Korps\|German Afrika Korps]] in World War II.
	* [[Paul von Hindenburg]], German [[Generalfeldmarschall]] and later President of Germany; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in September 1914 and the oak leaves in February 1915.		* [[Paul von Hindenburg]], German [[Generalfeldmarschall]] and later President of Germany; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in September 1914 and the oak leaves in February 1915.
	* [[Erich Ludendorff]], German general of World War I; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in August 1914, one of the earliest World War I awards, for the siege of [[Siege of Liège\|Liege]], Belgium; received the oak leaves in February 1915.		* [[Erich Ludendorff]], German general of World War I; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in August 1914, one of the earliest World War I awards, for the [[siege]] of [[Siege of Liège\|Liege]], Belgium; received the oak leaves in February 1915.
	* [[Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria]], German [[Generalfeldmarschall]]; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in August 1915 and the oak leaves in December 1916.		* [[Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria]], German [[Generalfeldmarschall]]; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in August 1915 and the oak leaves in December 1916.
	* [[Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg]], German [[Generalfeldmarschall]]; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in August 1915 and the oak leaves in February 1918.		* [[Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg]], German [[Generalfeldmarschall]]; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in August 1915 and the oak leaves in February 1918.
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	* [[Erich von Falkenhayn]], Chief of the German General Staff from 1914 to 1916; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in February 1915 and the oak leaves in June 1915.		* [[Erich von Falkenhayn]], Chief of the German General Staff from 1914 to 1916; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in February 1915 and the oak leaves in June 1915.
	* [[Oskar von Hutier]], German general awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in September 1917 and the oak leaves in March 1918.		* [[Oskar von Hutier]], German general awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in September 1917 and the oak leaves in March 1918.
	* [[Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck]], who led German forces in the guerilla campaign in German East Africa.		* [[Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck]], who led German forces in the guerilla campaign in German East [[Africa]].
	* [[Otto Liman von Sanders]], German general who served as adviser and commander of Ottoman forces in [[World War I]]; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' and the oak leaves simultaneously in January 1916 for his role in the [[Battle of Gallipoli]].		* [[Otto Liman von Sanders]], German general who served as adviser and commander of Ottoman forces in [[World War I]]; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' and the oak leaves simultaneously in January 1916 for his role in the [[Battle of Gallipoli]].
	* [[Fritz von Lossberg\|Friedrich "Fritz" Karl von Lossberg]], World War I master-strategist; expert in the [[Defence in depth]]. Awarded 21 September 1916 (Somme); oak leaves on 24 April 1917 (Arras).		* [[Fritz von Lossberg\|Friedrich "Fritz" Karl von Lossberg]], World War I master-strategist; expert in the [[Defence in depth]]. Awarded 21 September 1916 (Somme); oak leaves on 24 April 1917 ([[Arras]]).
	* [[August von Mackensen]], German general (later [[Generalfeldmarschall]]) of World War I; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in November 1914 and the oak leaves in June 1915.		* [[August von Mackensen]], German general (later [[Generalfeldmarschall]]) of World War I; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in November 1914 and the oak leaves in June 1915.
	* [[Helmuth von Moltke the Younger\|Helmuth Johann Ludwig von Moltke]], Chief of the German General Staff at the outbreak of World War I. Nephew of Moltke the Elder.		* [[Helmuth von Moltke the Younger\|Helmuth Johann Ludwig von Moltke]], Chief of the German General Staff at the outbreak of World War I. Nephew of Moltke the Elder.
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	* [[Max Hoffmann]], German staff officer; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in October 1916 and the oak leaves in July 1917.		* [[Max Hoffmann]], German staff officer; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in October 1916 and the oak leaves in July 1917.
	* [[Hans von Seeckt]], German staff officer in World War I; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in May 1915 and the oak leaves in November 1915.		* [[Hans von Seeckt]], German staff officer in World War I; awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in May 1915 and the oak leaves in November 1915.
	* [[Ernst Jünger]], Army Lieutenant and later novelist, the last living holder of the ''Pour le Mérite'' at the time of his death in 1998.		* [[Ernst Jünger]], Army Lieutenant and later novelist, the last living holder of the ''Pour le Mérite'' at the [[time]] of his death in 1998.
	* [[Ferdinand Schörner]], decorated as a ''Leutnant'' in December 1917, later a [[Generalfeldmarschall]] in [[World War II]].		* [[Ferdinand Schörner]], decorated as a ''Leutnant'' in December 1917, later a [[Generalfeldmarschall]] in [[World War II]].

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	* [[Karl August Nerger]], German [[auxiliary cruiser]] commander; one of only two junior officers to receive the highest military honors of the five main German states.		* [[Karl August Nerger]], German [[auxiliary cruiser]] commander; one of only two junior officers to receive the highest military honors of the five main German states.
	* [[Karl von Müller\|Karl Friedrich Max von Müller]], captain of the famous German commerce raider, the light cruiser {{SMS\|Emden\|1908\|2}} during the first few months of World War I.		* [[Karl von Müller\|Karl Friedrich Max von Müller]], captain of the famous German commerce raider, the light cruiser {{SMS\|Emden\|1908\|2}} during the first few months of World War I.
	* [[Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière]], German U-boat commander during the First World War, awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in the autumn of 1916 for sinking 200,000 tonnes of Allied shipping.		* [[Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière]], German U-boat commander during the [[First World War]], awarded the ''Pour le Mérite'' in the autumn of 1916 for sinking 200,000 tonnes of Allied shipping.
	* [[Walther Schwieger]], German U-boat commander who sank the British liner [[RMS Lusitania\|RMS ''Lusitania'']].		* [[Walther Schwieger]], German U-boat commander who sank the British liner [[RMS Lusitania\|RMS ''Lusitania'']].
	* [[Otto Weddigen]], German [[U-boat]] commander of World War I.		* [[Otto Weddigen]], German [[U-boat]] commander of World War I.
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	* [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Moltke,_Helmuth_Karl_Bernhard_Graf_von Helmuth von Moltke the Elder], military class 1839, civil class 1874		* [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Moltke,_Helmuth_Karl_Bernhard_Graf_von Helmuth von Moltke the Elder], military class 1839, civil class 1874
	* [[Otto von Bismarck]], military class 1884,<ref>{{cite book \|last=Müller \|first=Wilhelm \|date=2013 \|title=Politische Geschichte der Gegenwart: 18. Das Jahr 1884 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mmGpBgAAQBAJ \|location=Heidelberg \|publisher=Springer Verlag \|page=93 \|language=de \|isbn=978-3-642-99180-6}}</ref> civil class 1896<ref>{{cite book \|last=Orden Pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste \|date=1978 \|title=Die Mitglieder des Ordens 1882–1952 \|url=http://www.orden-pourlemerite.de/plm/mgvita/bismarck1815_vita.pdf \|location=Berlin \|publisher=Gebr. Mann Verlag \|page=116 \|volume=2 \|language=de \|isbn=978-3-7861-1125-2}}</ref>		* [[Otto von Bismarck]], military class 1884,<ref>{{cite book \|last=Müller \|first=Wilhelm \|date=2013 \|title=Politische Geschichte der Gegenwart: 18. Das Jahr 1884 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mmGpBgAAQBAJ \|location=Heidelberg \|publisher=Springer Verlag \|page=93 \|language=de \|isbn=978-3-642-99180-6}}</ref> civil class 1896<ref>{{cite book \|last=Orden Pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste \|date=1978 \|title=Die Mitglieder des Ordens 1882–1952 \|url=http://www.orden-pourlemerite.de/plm/mgvita/bismarck1815_vita.pdf \|location=Berlin \|publisher=Gebr. Mann Verlag \|page=116 \|volume=2 \|language=de \|isbn=978-3-7861-1125-2}}</ref>
	* [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Kuhl,_Hermann_von Hermann von Kuhl], military class 1916, civil class 1924<ref>Meier-Welcker, Hans (1982) (in German). "Kuhl, Hermann von ". In ''Neue Deutsche Biographie'' (NDB). 13. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 251 et seq.</ref>		* [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Kuhl,_Hermann_von Hermann von Kuhl], military class 1916, civil class 1924<ref>Meier-Welcker, Hans (1982) (in German). "Kuhl, [[Hermann]] von ". In ''Neue Deutsche Biographie'' (NDB). 13. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 251 et seq.</ref>

	==List of recipients of the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (small selection)==		==List of recipients of the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (small selection)==
	{\| class="wikitable sortable"		{\| class="wikitable sortable"
	\|-		\|-
	! Date of award !! Name !! Description !! Residence		! Date of award !! [[Name]] !! Description !! Residence
	\|-		\|-
	\| 1860 \|\| [[Louis Agassiz]] \|\| Naturalist \|\| New Cambridge near [[Boston]]		\| 1860 \|\| [[Louis Agassiz]] \|\| Naturalist \|\| New Cambridge near [[Boston]]
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	\| 1874 \|\| [[Heinrich von Sybel]] \|\| Historian \|\| [[Bonn]]		\| 1874 \|\| [[Heinrich von Sybel]] \|\| Historian \|\| [[Bonn]]
	\|-		\|-
	\| 1874 \|\| [[Thomas Carlyle]] \|\| Historian \|\| London		\| 1874 \|\| [[Thomas Carlyle]] \|\| Historian \|\| [[London]]
	\|-		\|-
	\| 1874 \|\| [[Friedrich Max Müller]] \|\| Orientalist \|\| [[Oxford]]		\| 1874 \|\| [[Friedrich Max Müller]] \|\| Orientalist \|\| [[Oxford]]
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	~~[[Category:history]]~~
	~~[[Category:Prussian Army]]~~
	~~[[Category:the Pour le Mérite\| ]]~~

	[[es:Pour le Mérite]]		[[es:Pour le Mérite]]

			[[Category:History]]