De la Générosité

The Ordre de la Générosité (Order of Generosity) was a chivalric order of the Kingdom of Prussia, established in 1667 by the nine-year-old crown prince Frederick of Brandenburg, later Frederick I of Prussia. It was also known in German as Für Edelmut (For Generosity) or the Gnadenkreuz (literally Grace Cross). The Order's jewel consisted of a gemstone in a small golden cross, later with the inscription "générosité".[1][2]

Ordre de la générosité
The original 1667 insignia
TypeOrder of Merit
Established1667
Country
Statusextant
FounderFrederick I of Prussia
Statistics
First induction1667
Last induction1791
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of the Black Eagle
RelatedOrder of the Red Eagle
Pour le Mérite
The second format of insignia for De la Générosité

When first set up it had no statutes or constitution, though its guiding principle was that its members should live "generously in all things". Under Frederick William I of Prussia the Order was mainly awarded as a reward for good service in recruiting the Langen Kerls. It was the second highest of the Prussian orders after the Order of the Black Eagle. In June 1740, immediately after his accession, Frederick the Great took over the format, shape and colours of the order for his new Pour le Mérite order,[3] though De la Générosité continued to be sporadically awarded to foreigners until 1791.[4]

References
  1. Mérite. In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon. 4. Auflage. Band 11, Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, Leipzig/Wien 1885–1892, S. 494–495.
  2. Compare image of the item bestowed upon Beat Fischer of Bern in 1695, in: Hans Braun et al.: Beat Fischer (1642–1698). Der Gründer der bernischen Post. Stämpfli, Bern 2004, S. 127, Abb. 55; also Horst Fuhrmann: Pour le mérite. Über die Sichtbarmachung von Verdiensten; eine historische Besinnung. Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1992, ISBN 3-7995-4159-4 (online als PDF-Dokument), hier S. 32.
  3. "Preußische Orden – eine Auswahl".
  4. See Horst Fuhrmann: Pour le mérite. Über die Sichtbarmachung von Verdiensten; eine historische Besinnung. Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1992, ISBN 3-7995-4159-4 (online als PDF-Dokument), hier S. 31–35.
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