Hanseatic Cross
Encyclopedia
The Hanseatic Cross was a decoration of the three Hanseatic Cities
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...

 of Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...

, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

 and Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...

, who were member states of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

 during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. Each city-state established its own version of the cross, but the design and award criteria were similar for each.

Establishment and criteria

The Hanseatic Cross was jointly instituted by agreement of the senates (governments) of the three cities, with each senate ratifying the award on different days. The Lübeck version was established first, on August 21, 1915. The Hamburg version followed on September 10 and the Bremen version on September 14. The cross was awarded for merit in war, and could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel. When awarded for bravery or combat merit, it was the three cities' equivalent of the Prussian Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....

.

The Bremen Hanseatic Cross was awarded approximately 20,000 times. There were approximately 50,000 awards of the Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg, the largest Hanseatic city. Lübeck was the smallest of the Hanseatic cities, and its Hanseatic Cross was awarded approximately 8,000 to 10,000 times. The roll for the Lübeck Hanseatic Cross have been transcribed by an international team of phaleristic researchers from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The complete roll will be available by fall 2008/spring 2009.

Description

The Hanseatic Cross came in only one class, a cross worn from a ribbon on the left chest. The cross was a red-enameled silver cross pattée
Cross pattée
A cross pattée is a type of cross which has arms narrow at the centre, and broader at the perimeter. An early English example from the start of the age of heraldry proper A cross pattée (or "cross patty", known also as "cross formée/formy") is a type of cross which has arms narrow at the...

 which bore the arms of the relevant city-state on the center medallion. The reverse was identical for all three versions and the center medallion bore the phrase "Für Verdienst im Kriege" ("for merit in war") and the date "1914".

Notable recipients

Bremen
  • Manfred von Richtofen, Captain and World War I Ace of Aces
    Ace of Aces
    Ace of Aces is a two-player combat picture book game designed by Alfred Leonardi and first published in 1980 by Nova Game Designs. In 1981, Ace of Aces won the Charles Roberts/Origins Gamers Choice of 1980 and was inducted into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame in 1994.In 1999, Pyramid magazine...



Hamburg
  • Kurt Schmidt
    Kurt Schmidt
    Kurt Schmidt was a German Generalleutnant during the Second World War who also fought during the First World War.-Early life and career:...

    , Lieutenant General
  • Otto von Schrader
    Otto von Schrader
    Otto von Schrader was an Admiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...

  • Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
    Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
    Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist was a leading German field marshal during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...

  • Max Immelmann
    Max Immelmann
    Max Immelmann was the first German World War I flying ace. He was a great pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchronized gun...

    , First Lieutenant and fighter ace


Lübeck
  • Felix Graf von Bothmer
    Felix Graf von Bothmer
    Felix Graf von Bothmer was a German general of the Brusilov offensive. His father was army general and belonged to the German nobility. In 1871 Bothmer joined the Bavarian Army...

    , General of Infantry
  • Karl von Bülow
    Karl von Bülow
    Karl von Bülow was a German Field Marshal commanding the German 2nd Army during World War I from 1914 to 1915.-Biography:...

    , General Field Marshal during World War I
    World War I
    World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

  • Manfred von Richtofen, Captain and World War I Ace of Aces
    Ace of Aces
    Ace of Aces is a two-player combat picture book game designed by Alfred Leonardi and first published in 1980 by Nova Game Designs. In 1981, Ace of Aces won the Charles Roberts/Origins Gamers Choice of 1980 and was inducted into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame in 1994.In 1999, Pyramid magazine...

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