The Ludwig Orders, also of Lewis Medal was conferred by the Grand Duchy of Hesse a general Order of Merit, which was founded on August 25, 1807. Grand Duke Ludwig I of Hesse-Darmstadt.
Medal classes
The Order was first awarded in five categories:
Grand Cross
Commander I. and II. Class
Knight I. and II. Class
1853 extended the Grand Duke the Order is a Golden affiliated and in 1859 the Silver Medal. Ernst-Ludwig revised statutes of 1912 and abolished the division of the knights. Henceforth, the Knight's Cross First Class was awarded an honorary cross. On the occasion of his 25-year jubilee in 1917 he founded the chain to Ludwig Order. With the outbreak of the First World War, Ernst-Ludwig explained the Order of Military Merit.
Medal Decoration
The religious character is a black enamelled, eight-pointed, red and goldbordiertes cross. In the red medallion that is surrounded by the motto FOR MERIT on a white ground, the area enclosed by a laurel wreath initial of founder L. In reverse, there is the four-line inscription HONOR GOD HOMELAND. This is also surrounded by a white frost, in which a green laurel wreath is seen. Above the cross a fünfbügelige crown.
Carrying method
The Grand Cross was worn on a sash from the left to the right shoulder, and with an eight-pointed star chest. Commanders decorated the award to the throat, where the first class also contributed an enlarged religious character with silvery beams at angles as breast star. The Cross of Honor was a cross slot and Knight decorated the award with ribbon on the right side of the chest.
The ribbon is black with broad red curbs.
Others
The Ludwig Medal in front of all other orders of the Grand Duchy and became extinct at the end of the monarchy as a result of the revolution in November 1918th
For exceptional merits the award could come to the ceremony with diamonds and rubies.
